Bavaria is home to some wonderful breweries; many located in the villages that dot the landscape. Munich, Bavaria's capital, is famous for their big breweries, however, just 40 minutes southeast of the city by train, and 25 kilometers by auto, you'll find an award-winning craft and specialties brewery (Brauerei Aying).

In the shadow of the Alps, nestled in the 1200 year-old village of Aying (pronounced eye-ing), Brauerei Aying produces 12 different styles of beers, more than most of the larger breweries. The Ayinger Brewery has been owned and operated by the Inselkammer family since 1878 and represents one of the most pleasant and interesting small breweries which are typical of Europe. Brewing good beer is the premier duty of Aying, and people come from all over the world to sample the wares.

In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 Ayinger was named "Small Brewery of the Year.”. Ayinger also walked away with the highest award from the World Beer Championships, "One of the Top Ten Breweries in the World" in 1997 for the fourth consecutive year; in 2003, 2004, and 2005 Ayinger received a first-place award for every beer entered into the World Beer Championships. Additionally, Ayinger has received several awards from the Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG), an independent organization that has been rating beers for a century using international norms and blind taste tests.

The main brewery in Aying brews bottom-fermented beers such as Jahrhundert-Bier, Altbairisch Dunkel and Celebrator Dopplebock. Weizen beer (wheat beer) is the recognized specialty of the house and includes Ayinger Brau-Weisse and Ur-Weisse. Aying also brews festival beers like Oktober Fest-Marzen ("March beer," available in the fall). About 100,000 hectoliters of Ayinger beers are produced every year.

Ayinger beers that you can find at your local Westside liquor stores:

Brau-Weisse:
Delicious lemon-scented wheat beer with yeast. This is an aristocratic beer with a champagne sparkle and a beautifully sustained head. Pale in color, tart in palate—a brut beer. Experience as an aperitif or with your meal.

Pale color, tart in palate, "brut" beer with a delicious, complex fruitiness of extra-dry champagne.

Platinum Medal and Top-Rated Hefeweizen —
World Beer Championships 2001, 02, 03, 04
Gold Medal—Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft 2004, 2005.

Celebrator Dopplebock:
Originally brewed at a monastery in northern Italy, "double bock" was quickly introduced by Bavarian brewers to compete with bock. Doppelbock names end with the suffix "-ator."

Profoundly dark, rich elixir with a complex fruitiness of roasted malt and whole hop flowers. Semi-dry finish.

Platinum Medal & Top-Rated Doppelbock—1995, 96, 97, 2001, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 World Beer Championships
Five Stars ("Supreme"), Beverage Experts, Jan. 2007
Gold Medal and "Top Strong Lager," Helsinki Beer Fest 2004
Best of Show—California Beer Festival
"World classic."—Michael Jackson.

Jahrhundert - Century Celebration Lager:
A delicious, malty export-style beer that was first brewed in 1978 for the 100th anniversary of the brewery. This light lager is a better complement to food than the higher hopped and more bitter pilsner style.

Golden, big herbaceous bouquet with a soft, medium body and a long lingering finish with dry hop tones.

Gold Medal & World Champion 1995, 96, 97, 99, 2001, 03 World Beer Championships.