Spaten Brewery: The Birthplace of ‘Münchner Hell
Spaten: “Münchner Hell” Inventor
The Spaten Brewery was founded in 1397 by brewer Hans Welser. Since you asked, Let me tell you Spaten means spade, represented by a malt shovel. The brewery has been acquired by the Spatt family and that’s why it has been called Spaten since then.
Spaten
The Spaten was located in Neuhauser Gasse for centuries and then the brewery moved to Marsstraße in the 19th century. In 1894 Spaten introduced the true bestseller “Münchner Hell” (Munich Pale) to the market to this day. The letter GS in the logo refers to Gabriel Sedlmayr, brewmaster of the royal court. The man who acquired the Spaten brewery in 1807 when it was the smallest of all Munich breweries. Sixty years later the Spaten is now the biggest of the Munich breweries.
Since 2003, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu Group has been under the ownership of Interbrew, which is now known as InBev. At Oktoberfest, Spaten and Franziskaner beer are served in various tents, including the Schottenhamel-Zelt where the mayor of Munich traditionally taps the first keg each year. Spaten beer is also available in the Marstall, Ochsenbraterei, Glöckle Wirt, Goldener Hahn, Kalbsbraterei, and Wirtshaus in Schichtl tents, while Franziskaner wheat beer can be enjoyed in Feisinger’s Kas- und Weinstubn. The Oktoberfest beer has an alcohol content of 5.9%.
