EBG Rating: 8.9/10

Choice/Quality of Drinks:
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Among the highest quality Franconian brewers, concentrating on a Lagerbier, Export & Weizenbier with seasonal specials such as Maibock. At the pub the Lagerbier is ungespundet, ‘unbunged’ and served on gravity from the barrel. This is relatively unusual, archaic and takes more effort, so is more notable and special. A selection of typical fruit schnapps/brandies available too.

Style/Décor:
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A large building greets you on arrival with the Biergarten out front. Enter a hallway with beer barrel set up, and turn left for the pub room. It’s a simple layout inside with the Stammtisch, regulars table to the right of the bar as you enter, and some chunky tables, traditionally furnished in what is a compact social space. The design standout is their branded lamp hung over the bar, something which is absolutely typical for traditional brewpubs in the region. Some flourishes are a little twee in places, but this is in a Franconian village, after all.

Atmosphere/Character:
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A brewpub with a social focus, here is where to have an evening with friends rather than a meal out, a distinction which is very significant in a region where the idea of pub and restaurant is a grey area at best. Forget a Wirtshaus, forget even a Gaststätte, this is a casual, social meeting place for villagers, city folk and daytrippers to hang out and have fun in. A pub in the true meaning of the word.

Amenities/Events:
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Food, snacks, outdoor seating, cards, seasonal events, stork nest (webcam on website).

Value For Money:
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Excellent value for money for both food and drink, deliberately offering simple food at fair prices to mop up the booze, and beer at rates locals can afford.

Description:
A c.1808 brewery with a sky-high reputation among Franconians and Franconian beer fanboys, this operation has remained within the same family since World War II. The Zehendners are visible at work – on busy evenings in the pub you can bump into several family members, whether it’s Grandma in the kitchen or master brewer Stefan greeting locals and visitors.

With a bus line from Bamberg passing by, getting here is relatively simple and doesn’t take overly long either. That is the simple part.

Returning becomes more complicated, and not primarily because of the bus timetable. Instead, as you sink into the wonderful surroundings and atmosphere of the pub, enjoying the beer, the food, the company and the environment that seems to have gathered harmoniously, it occurs to you that no, you don’t want leave on the next – and only– bus home at around 6pm.

There is a penalty to this lack of discipline, inevitably. Once the bus leaves, it’s a case of asking around to see if anyone would fancy sharing costs of a taxi. Not impossible given the volume of visitors it receives from the city. As usual, don’t be shy in these pubs if you need assistance, directness goes a long way around here.

Brauerei Zehendner’s pub in Mönschsambach is a traditional Franconian taproom with hanging lamp fixed over the bar (not dissimilar to the sort you get over snooker tables in old clubs) displaying their brand; behind it, a barrel dispensing their unbunged Lagerbier on gravity. In terms of the drinks offer, the star of the show.

The pub room has warm, non-intrusive lighting that produces a glow as evening unfurls- not unlike the one you will feel when you step out of here! The layout and furnishings of the interior are simple and unflashy, perhaps a little twee/quaint in the way rural Bavarian pubs can be, but nothing too sickly.

As a venue, the taproom plays a role in the appeal of the venue in the way many great pubs achieve without quite being able to place your finger on it – a harmony of place and purpose. When it fills with people the ambience, the sense of ease and feeling like you’re in the right place in the universe seems to transcend the rational.

Regulars sit adjacent to the taps playing cards or dice and chatting at their Stammtisch, the typical regulars table. Other locals occupy their time-worn spots. But you will find larger tables, so don’t be shy if it is busy. It is customary in the region to share tables communally, so you only need to ask.

Homemade pretzels and locally sourced ingredients for their simple pub food elevate the gastronomic experience, but it is important to emphasis this is a pub where the food plays second fiddle to the social element and to be honest, even the beer.

Ah yes, that beer. A wonderful lager awaits, simply named but beautifully created, though there’s a divide over whether the Lagerbier or their tap Export is better. You can easily tell who is drinking which by whether they have a steinkrug or a glass in their hand. Both beers have their qualities, as does their regular Weizenbier, while seasonally specials like Maibock, Weizenbock are notable. I was very fortunate to be offered a taste of the freshly bottled Maibock on my visit which was quite wonderful.

Although a relatively modest operation when you visit in person, this is a brewery with a decent distribution and profile. As such, their label displaying a guilty drunk monk with halo above his head, may be familiar to you already. These can be found across Europe including some surprising places.

Stefan is an enjoyer of various beer styles and if the opportunity presents (and if he likes you), he may share something from his collection.

We haven’t touched upon the Biergarten, also perfectly pleasant, or the stork nest on the roof, which despite some years of absences usually hosts stork families, just to add a further patina of rural Franconian charm. Less so if you’re woken up at 5am by their calls…

Looking forward, the family’s legacy looks to be on more secure footing, while it is interesting to speculate whether it will experience more widespread tourist custom in years to come or remain a village pub, a day trip venue for locals and kind of Holy Grail for Franconian brewery baggers who have been to the core Franconian venues in Bamberg, and are seeking something perhaps quintessential that can only be found in a village or country pub. It’s special.