One of the reasons for the popularity of beer is that it is very different – each of us can find his beer: by color, taste and, of course, character. For example, the annual spring strong beer festival, Starkbierzeit, is held in Munich for lovers of strong beer.

This wonderful tradition dates back to the 17th century. During the Great Lent, monks were obliged to fast during 40 days, but they were still allowed to drink. In 1629, the monks of the Paulaner monastery created Stark bier (Stark bier translates as strong beer) to make it easier to fast and not to lose weight. It was meant to be high in calories to ease the 40-day hunger strike.

Originally, the monks of the Paulaner monastery in Munich were not allowed to sell or give their beer to anyone outside the monastery, but in 1751, Bavarian Elector Maximilian III Joseph allowed it to be sold as an exception during the feast of St. Francis of Paola (April 2). The Germans liked the beer so much that on February 26, 1780, Karl Theodor allowed the monks of the Paulaner monastery to sell it all year round. It began to be sold under the name Paulaner Salvator (“The Savior”).

By the end of the 18th century, some Munich breweries began to produce their own strong beer, Salvator Bier. The company had to defend the popular brand name in court – the Savior must be one and he was born in a Paulaner monastery! Other breweries had to stop using the word “Salvator”, but they managed to defend the use of the ending “ator” in the names of their beers. This is why some brands of German strong beer are called Maximator, Optimator, Unimator or Triumphator, in honor of Saint Salvatore.

Modern Stark bier has changed a bit over the centuries, it is now more of a Doppelbock variety, but it still has a rich and full flavor.

Munich’s Starkbierzeit (“Strong Beer Festival”) takes place in the Bavarian capital every spring in March, but the dates are not fixed and depend on the time of Great Lent. The minimum alcohol content of beer at this festival is 7.5⁰ (you need to restore your health properly after the winter). At the festival you can try many interesting brands of strong beer from all over Germany (in Munich alone there are more than 40 of them).

The main Starkbierzeit location in the city – is the Paulaner brewery in their Festsaal (festival hall) in Nockherberg, which is located in the Au-Heidhausen district of Munich. Lowenbrau and Augustiner breweries open their tents near the breweries. The average price of 1 liter of beer at the festival is 12 euros.

When we are young, we do not feel our health problems, but over the years we begin to understand that our health should be protected and recovered all time, and where to get it recovered after winter, but not at the spring “Festival of Health Restoration”?