Food & Beer Culture

What do people eat with beer in the Rhön? Mostly what grows and grazes there. The Rhön sheep, an old breed with a black head, appears on menus as roast lamb, alongside trout from Rhön streams, game from the forests and homemade sausage. Fruit brandies and fruit wines are also regional specialties.

Dunkel pairs well with roast lamb, since its roasted notes pick up the crust and its sweetness balances the rich meat. Trout, on the other hand, calls for a Pils, whose bitterness and freshness cut through the butter.

On the Thuringian side of the Rhön, dumplings and Rostbratwurst are part of the tradition, while the Hessian and Bavarian sides favor hearty cold platters of sausage, cheese and bread. A Brotzeit is a cold snack eaten between meals, and in the Rhön it's often enjoyed outdoors.

On the Kreuzberg, the monastery tavern with its beer service has a long tradition. The mountain has been a pilgrimage site for centuries, and many hikers make their way up from Bischofsheim. The Hochrhöner, a long-distance hiking trail across the heights of the Rhön, passes through the area, and many stages end at an inn serving its own beer from a nearby brewery.

One custom is the journey itself: hike first, then stop for a drink. Anyone arriving at the Wasserkuppe or the Kreuzberg usually drinks their beer with a Brotzeit, not before the climb. Anyone still facing a drive afterward sticks to non-alcoholic beer. The standard measure is usually a 0.5-liter mug, though smaller 0.3-liter glasses also appear on many menus.