The World’s Oldest Monastery Brewery

If you didn’t know, the 39th Annual Oktoberfest @ Tempe Town Lake is produced and sponsored by Tempe Sister City Corporation (501C3). Regensburg, Germany and Tempe have been sister cities since 1976. We are proud to host, for the first time, the Weltenburger Kloster brand of German beer. The best part is that Weltenburger is brewed in Regensbugs, Bavaria, Germany. We thank the fine folks from Republic National Distributing Company for making this happen. Prost!

Weltenburg Abbey was founded at the beginning of the 7th century. The first indicators for the existence of a brewery in the Weltenburg Abby can be found in the necrology which states that in 1035 the Master Brewer died. A second scientific source brings into focus the year 1050. During the last millennium until today the monastic beer production in Weltenburg has been interrupted only due to Napoleon Bonaparte from 1803 – 1846. Therefore, Weltenburg Abbey Brewery can be rightly referred to as the oldest Abbey Brewery in the world.

Oktoberfest, Weltenburger Kloster - Beer Lineup:

Weltenburger Kloster (Abbey), Barock Dunkel

Pours a lovely dark brown with a distinct ruby at its core. On the palate it has a fine mouth-filling texture and plenty of chewy, malty, brown bread and caramel flavors. There is some sweetness here, but the good levels of hop bitterness and acidity balance and this is another very fine beer indeed from this brewery. The search for this special balance has paid off: Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel was presented the “World Best Beer Award” as the best dark beer in the world in 2004 and 2008. Alcohol: 4.7%

Weltenburger Kloster, Barock Hell

From the world’s oldest monastery brewery in Bavaria, this rich full-bodied pilsner is beautifully clean with a fairly complex aromatic profile of fruit with lemon and some straw like aroma. As in a wheat beer, it has suggestions of clove and spice. Lightly sweet upfront with a very nice bitterness right in the finish, this is an exceptionally drinkable beer with some real structure. Alcohol: 5.6%

Weltenburger Kloster, Winter-Traum

Winter seasonal with fabously complex malts and nice mix of hops and slightly sweet honey like and a bit of floral flavors. Bready, crisp and a dry snappy bite in the finish. Clean Oktoberfest beer. Alcohol: 5.2%

Weltenburger Kloster, Pilsner

Moderately sweet, delicate pilsner beer with first class, lemony taste of hops and lots of fresh baked bread aroma. Light bitterness for a pils – the way a good pils should taste, definite session material. Alcohol 4.9%