Bamberg Tourism | Dieter Morcinek | Bambergers head | explosion

Bamberg's beer culture is as old as the city itself. Yearly consumption in 1450 was said to be 116 gallons per person - that's 1,237 longnecks, folks - none too shabby considering modern soccer wouldn't be invented for another 400 years. These days, Bambergers head in droves every summer to their favorite Keller (German for "cellar"), which can be a tad confusing to visitors. Bamberg Kellers are actually outdoor beer gardens located above the cellars underground, where beer was traditionally stored to keep it cool year-round. Several of Bamberg's traditional pubs operate Kellers, usually in separate locations from the main brew pub. The Spezial Keller, located high above town on Sternwartstrasse, should be your first stop.

Spezial is one of two taverns in Bamberg that still brew the city's most famous local beer, Rauchbier ("smoke beer"), a dark, subtly burned-tasting beer whose unique flavor is the result of malt dried over an open beechwood fire. On tap, it is surprisingly light and crisp - an explosion of charred richness rarely seen in American brews. It is a perfect accompaniment to the vistas of Bamberg's seven hills (the town is often referred to as the Franconian Rome) and its centerpiece, the four-spired Der Bamberger Dom cathedral, a towering mix of Gothic and Roman styles built in 1237. Views like this never tasted so good.

First-time visitors to Bamberg should elicit the services of local beer enthusiast and historian Dieter Morcinek, who considers it a bona fide profession to tour the town's historical brew pubs with visiting beer hounds (no, really). In all fairness, nobody knows Bamberg brews better than Morcinek, who is an official guide (or Gästefühere) with a specialty in beer for the Bamberg Tourism+Congress. We meet up at Brauereiausschank Schlenkerla, a staple since 1678.