Reichold Hochstahl

Sadly, the decline of traditional pubs is taking hold here too – the restaurant closed its doors for good in 2020. However, the brewery itself is still going strong, and visitors can still enjoy a freshly tapped beer in the beer garden. The guesthouse and motorhome site are also still in operation.

History

There is documentary evidence of a brewery with a pub in Hochstahl dating back as far as 1801 – so beer has been brewed here since at least the early 19th century. The brewery has been in the Reichold family since 1906.

The first owner from the family, Johann Simon Reichold (born 1864), acquired the brewery together with his wife Margarete Thaler from Burggrub. Just three years later, in 1909, he was killed in an accident on his way home. Margarete took over responsibility for the brewery and their five children – and kept the business running.

The current brewhouse dates from 1960 (built by Felix Reichold). The fermentation, storage and filtration cellars were completely rebuilt in 2002, and the bottling plant was refurbished between 1997 and 2000 – it produces 2,600 bottles per hour.

Since 1 January 2025, Jörg Reichold has been running Brauerei Gasthof Reichold GmbH, after his parents Hilmar and Katinka handed over the business.

The beers

• 🍺 Hochstahler Lager – not too sweet, lightly hopped, very drinkable
• 🍺 Zwick'l – amber-coloured, unfiltered cellar beer
• 🍺 Dunkel – well-hopped with a dark note
• 🍺 Hefe Weizen

Aufseß – a world-record-holding village

Hochstahl is part of the municipality of Aufseß, which, with four breweries for just 1,500 inhabitants, has the highest density of breweries in the world – a record enshrined in the Guinness Book of Records since 2001. Reichold is one of the four.

Brewery Trail

The brewery is situated directly on the 14 km long Brewery Trail, which leads from Aufseß via Sachsendorf, Hochstahl and Heckendorf back to the starting point, connecting all four breweries. Anyone who completes the route (and the beer stops) receives a certificate as an ‘Honorary Franconian Beer Drinker’.

Practical information