The sour bratwurst at Sudhaus Molter in Weiden, Germany, consists of three plump, Bavarian brats topped with thinly shaved onions and pickles, bathed in onion soup. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Standing out for beer in the German state that introduced Oktoberfest to the world is a tough proposition, but Lino Molter and his family have found a way.
Molter, 33, is the owner of Brauerei Molter in Irchenrieth, which supplies fresh beer to his pub, Sudhaus Molter, in downtown Weiden, just over 10 miles southeast of Tower Barracks.
Molter makes organic beer with antique equipment using local ingredients. The cozy back-alley eatery opened a year ago and is in operation during the five-month cold stretch of the year serving up artisanal brew and market-fresh cuisine.
Local brewer and restaurateur Lino Molter checks the fresh organic beer being made at the family's brewery, Brauerei Molter, in Irchenrieth, Germany, on Nov. 26, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
The gristmill in the attic at Sudhaus Molter's parent brewery, Brauerei Molter, in Irchenrieth, Germany, dates back to 1912 and is still used to grind malt for brewing. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
The original blueprints for Sudhaus Molter's parent brewery adorn the pub's walls in Weiden, Germany. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
When the brewpub closes for the season in April, all the Molters’ food and beverage service switches to the beer garden and brewery about 6 miles away.
“We do the products for people who say, ‘OK, it’s important to drink or eat a product where I know where it comes from and it’s a good quality,’” Molter said. “That’s very important because I do it for myself, too.”
On a cold December night, I went to Sudhaus Molter with my wife and kids. The intimate eatery and its wooden beer hall-style furniture were radiant with relaxing candlelight. The original brewery plans and historic photos of influential Weideners adorned the walls.
Festbier, left, and helles at Sudhaus Molter in Weiden, Germany. The organic suds at the brewpub come from the Molters' own brewery, which uses antique equipment and local ingredients. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
I ordered an organic festbier and my wife ordered her favorite, a helles. Mine was cloudy, strong and flavorful; hers was crisp and refreshing. I was slightly disappointed on this trip because they were out of the rotbier, which is my favorite.
Molter inherited beer bona fides from his father. In 1996, his parents brought the family to Irchenrieth, just south of Weiden, where they purchased and began operating the old Hoesl Brewery, with roots dating back to 1587 and equipment from the turn of the 20th century.
They were forced to close in 2010 because of its deteriorating condition. Renovations concluding in 2020 put a modern twist on traditional methods. The father-son duo still uses wood to fire its two massive kettles and a grist mill to grind the malt.
The menu at Sudhaus Molter is always changing because they serve only what is fresh and seasonally available. This goes for beer as well as meat and vegetables from local suppliers and markets.
On this trip, we ordered the sour bratwurst. The dish featured three long, pale-gray Bavarian brats topped with thinly sliced onions and pickles, bathed in onion soup.
The sausages were plump and juicy and complemented nicely by the sweet and savory combination of soup and shaved pickles.
The Alsatian flammkuchen at Sudhaus Molter in Weiden, Germany, is topped with creme fraiche, onions, cheese and bacon. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
Next, we ordered an Alsatian flammkuchen topped with creme fraiche, onions, cheese and bacon. Because the bacon was flash-cooked, it was soft, moist and salty, a perfect counterpoint to the beer. My wife and I were lucky to get a slice, as our oldest boy devoured most of it.
We also requested the chili, a daily special, topped with creme fraiche. It was piping hot, with ground meat, beans and corn in a sweet sauce and slices of homemade German bread on the side.
The chili special on the menu at Sudhaus Molter in Weiden, Germany, on Dec. 7, 2024, included ground meat, beans and corn in a sweet sauce, topped with creme fraiche. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
It warmed us from the inside, nullifying the efforts of the howling wind to break our spirits.
Although the eatery doesn’t have a dessert menu, there is an apple-and-cinnamon flammkuchen topped with sugar and creme fraiche to tempt the sweet tooth. I didn’t have room to try it, however.
Sudhaus Molter is a time machine that transports patrons back to the genesis of Bavarian beer culture, and the brews there more than do justice to the centuries-old tradition the Molter family is honoring.
Sudhaus Molter, seen here on Dec. 7, 2024, is a cozy pub in downtown Weiden, Germany, that serves organic beer from its parent brewery, Brauerei Molter, and regional market-fresh cuisine. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)
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Sudhaus Molter
Address: 15 Fleischgasse, Weiden, Germany
Hours: November through April, Wednesday and Thursday, 5-11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-12 a.m. The restaurant closes for a beer garden at the brewery on May 1. Brewery tours are available by appointment.
Prices: Range is from 2.70 euros for a pretzel to 14.90 euros for smoked organic trout from Weiherblasch. Flammkuchen is 12.50 euros and the chili is 9.50 euros.
Information: Phone: +33 9659 666; Online: brauereimolter.de. Reservations are recommended and can be made through the website or Google.
