If your late evening out should end with an organic drink, even in a big city like Munich your options are limited to restaurants which hopefully will serve you drinks long after their kitchens close. The crude rationale still seems to be: If you're willing to harm your health, you should be inclined to harm the environment, too.
But fortunately organic breweries and distilleries come to rescue and, though usually with limited opening hours, offer tastings of their products on the spot.
Unfortunately
Breweries
The first organic brewery in Munich, the Haderner offers visitors a pleasant view at shiny steel in their Bavarian Wirtshaus pub. Civilized so you may come here with kids (who will hopefully be delighted by the food).
Unfortunately the Haderner isn't as centrally located as one might wish, but this is the
Werksviertelbräu microbrewery in the trending development next to Ostbahnhof trainstation. Although the brewery pub itself is open one evening a week only, most places in the Werksviertel tap their beer – local distribution at its best, allowing you to have a certified organic beer even at places which otherwise don't care.
Distilleries
The Duke gin distillery once started up in Munich, but moved to the outskirts. You have to be brave to come here by bicycle or public transport, but it's worth the effort as the distillery is placed in the most beautiful brick building of the entire sprawl. The perfect place to treat yourself with a cocktail based on their organic gins, kümmel and vodka on a summer evening provided you know how to come home. But since they also have a virgin gin substitute (which isn't organically certified yet), tonic water and ginger beer drinking responsibly is easily possible. Needless to say that they offer guided tours and have an off-license shop open during the day.
2024-06-03 17:00:00
[Munich, Aschheim, Werksviertel, organic, breweries, distilleries, bar, drinks, beergarden]
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The rough and picturesque sandstone hills of Saxon Switzerland did not only inspire painters and componists of romanticism, but have been valued for centuries by both, alpinists as well as walkers and ramblers. Located at the border to the Czech republic it takes an urban train ride from Dresden (or a bicycle tour along the Elberadweg cycle route) to get here, either for a wee day out in the countryside or for a vacation inside the
National park.
If you get off the S1 urban train in direction Schöna at the
stop Hirschmühle Schmilka, and take the ferry to the Northern shore of the Elbe river you'll reach the village of Schmilka which, to a large degree, has been developed into an organic resort during the past years. The ferry is operated on demand, so simply go down to the landing stage and wait until the coxswain will see and fetch you.
The nucleus of the organic village is Hotel Helvetia which you will find, turning West (i.e. to the left), after a five minutes walk along the river shore. Its organic cafe and restaurant dubbed Strandgut ("stranded goods") serves both, the high quality no-frills salad for passers-by on a bicycle or walking tour as well as fine seasonal food drawing from both, the kitchen traditions of the region and the mediterranean. Both, vegans, fish and meat lovers are catered for with care, and if you are in the mood for a dessert, try the "Kalter Hund" ("cold dog") pudding made from cookies and chocolate, a children's favourite in former East Germany (though back then made with inferior ingredients). Unfortunately the cafe does not own a real Italian coffee machine, so the quality of the Italian-style coffee drinks is not as good as one would expect for a hotel in this category. If you stay overnight the hotel bar will however be able to provide you with a fully organic nightcap. However, due to renewal of the kitchen and restaurant facilities bar and restaurant will be closed until somewhen in September, 2020.
Usually the hotel reception serves as check-in for all
eco-friendly overnight options in the village, among others
Villa Thusnelda next to the ferry stop with its luxury rooms, but until the refurbishment will be finished, the check-in is at the street corner just across the road.
The villa itself houses historical Café Richter with the air of a classical spa coffeehouse, offering dinner from 5 am while the Strandgut restaurant is closed.
A sign at the cafe will guide you to the
village's operating water mill, the Schmilk'sche Mühle further up the road in the direction of the forest, with its rustic mill restaurant, the Mühlenstube of Gasthof zur Mühle at the right hand side. Hearty local stews and soups (one vegetarian, one omnivore), pizza, bread and cake from the artisanal organic bakery opposite and tasty, heavy beer from the Braumanufaktur brewery which you cross on the way from the river are served here, either inside or in the beer garden. Depending on the weather and season you will have to order at the bar inside or from the outdoor food stall. Here you also can buy beer, bread and cakes to take home when the bakery next door is closed.
If you stay overnight in one of the rustic and lovingly restored rooms at the mill -- they have double rooms as well as family appartments -- you will have your breakfast at the Mühlenstube.
The bakery opens at dusk, and what hasn't been sold on closing time will be sold by the Mühlenstube. Due to covid-19 restrictions there's now an open air sales booth a few meters up the hill which also sells (conventional) whipped ice-cream when the weather is nice. Opening hours of the brewery are restricted to the guided tours on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you stay within the resort a small tour inside the mill and the brewery is included in the package.
Closed
- Cafe Strandgut, Schmilka 11, Bad Schandau, probably from mid of September, 2020 again daily from 12, closing time depends on weather and season
2020-08-21 10:00:00
[Dresden, Bad_Schandau, Schmilka, Saechsische_Schweiz, Saxon_Switzerland, organic, vegan, coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, restaurant, pub, cafe, bakeries, breweries, hotel, accommodation, Elbe_cycle_route, Elberadweg, corona, covid]
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