Hotline: +49 911 / 2336-0
Brewery shop at the Brewery Altstadthof

Reinhard Engel - Hausbrauerei Altstadthof

Brewery shop at the Brewery Altstadthof © Hausbrauerei Altstadthof Nürnberg

Reinhard Engel - Hausbrauerei Altstadthof

I learned the art of beer brewing in a small brewery in the Upper Palatinate, about 70 km from Nuremberg. It was a small family-owned establishment with brewery, restaurant and a farm, as was more common at the time. By day, you worked in the brewery and evenings, when necessary, helped in the restaurant - or anywhere where help was needed. A had a lot of fun during this time and felt at home in the business and the village. I also met my wife there, who has a natural talent as a hostess. She helped me make my dream of creating a small brewery and restaurant a reality.

After my apprenticeship, years as a journeyman and study at the brewing university in Weihenstephan, I took my first job as a graduate brew master at Lammsbräu in Neumarkt in 1983. A year later, inspired by the vision of the organic pioneer Dr. Franz Ehrnsperger and the idea to revive the brewing privileges of Nuremberg's Altstadthof with a small artisan brewery in Nuremberg's Bergstraße, I began my career with three main tasks: quality, quality and more quality. 

In 1984, the first brew according to organic standards was created in the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof. With the acquisition of the entire Nuremberg Altstadthof by my family in 1997, the product range was expanded step by step. Most important is the Original Nuremberg Rot Beeer, which, was the classic Nuremberg city beer, was brewed here on the site until 1905 and was the most popular type of beer in Nuremberg for more than 600 years. With the purchase of distilling rights in 1999, we also began to make our high-proof ideas for hops and malt reality.

Today, the Altstadthof is a small, independent company with its home brewery and whisky distillery, brew pub, restaurant, beer garden, music cellar "Schmelztiegel", the "Pro BIER" boutique and a wide-range of tours in the historical rock-cut cellars, where the traditional rot beer was once stored. 

For every occasion and for groups of every size, we offer the appropriate space, down-to-earth fresh regional cuisine and - in addition to the popular rot beer - an ever-changing assortment of seasonal beers, for which my son Maximilian, who is also a brew master, is responsible. I've assigned him my three most important tasks. 

Reinhard Engel
Reinhard Engel

More about Reinhard Engel

Hausbrauerei Altstadthof

Hausbrauerei Altstadthof

Franconian kitchen, home-brewed beers and beer distillations and Germany's best Whisky.

Reinhard Engel

Culinary Interview

Tasty Tips from master brewer Reinhard Engel - Brewery "Hausbrauerei Altstadthof".

Roast Beef in a Malt Crust

Roast Beef in a Malt Crust

Tasty recipe from master brewer Reinhard Engel - Hausbrauerei Altstadthof.

Our Experts

Share it via