The origins of the Augustiner brewery date back to the year 1294. On July 5, Pope Celestine V succeeded Nicholas IV as the 192nd pope and on December 24 – Pope Boniface VIII became the 193rd pope after Celestine V abdicated the papacy on December 13, only five months after reluctantly accepting his surprise election on July 5, wishing to return to his life as an ascetic hermit. It was in this year when, on the order of the bishop of Freising, an Augustinian monastery was established at the Haberfeld, just outside the gates of Munich (a city famous for its breweries operated by monks). By 1315, the monastery had been incorporated within the city walls of Munich.

The earliest documented evidence of the brewery’s existence comes from the year 1328 (when a major fire spared the brewing house); this year is now commonly accepted as the founding year, although the brewery had probably existed for several years before the fire. The monastery was granted the right not only to brew beer but also to sell it on their premises which started the tradition of brewery-owned beer halls that still exists today. From the brewery’s inception until secularisation in 1803, when many Bavarian monasteries were put under state control by Napoleons‘ reforms, the brewery was present at the original site and only sold within the monastery’s own tavern. After the takeover of the monastery by the state, the monks walked out in protest.

Augustiner beer is normally found within the Greater Munich area, but in the last few years it became quite popular outside of Munich, for example in Berlin where dozens of bars offer it. The reputation of the brewery is so good that the company does not engage in any advertising campaigns. As an example, when most German breweries changed their bottle to a slim and more modern design to give their beer a more classy and less old fashioned appearance some ten years ago, Augustiner stuck with the “classic” older form, often nicknamed the “Bauarbeiterhalbe” (construction worker’s bottle). The labels have not changed in over 20 years either. Its brands nevertheless are among the most popular of Munich’s beers, and the company regularly reaches an annual output of more than 90 million litres (2003).

Augustiner Bräu operates a beer tent on the Oktoberfest, as well as owning one of Munich’s largest beer gardens, the Augustiner-Keller at Arnulfstraße 52, and several traditional bars throughout the city. In recent years, Augustiner beer has become a popular drink in several bars in Berlin; however, the amounts of Augustiner consumed in Berlin are still minuscule compared to its popularity in Munich.

In the record-breaking heat of summer 2003, the brewery refused to sacrifice brewing quality and traditional process to increase production, even though it could have sold more beer.

In the US there is one distributor named Global Village Imports, LLC. that carries Augustiner, it is located in King of Prussia, PA. Although the demand is high, the distribution is very limited.
You can also taste it at “Schneider’s” in NYC Manhattan. Ask for an “Edelstoff”.

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