Franz D. Hofer
@tempestinatankard.bsky.social
Writes about beer culture, beer travel, beer history. Teaches about museums and public history, food and drink, and cultural history. Books, hiking, cycling.
https://tempestinatankard.com
https://franzdhofer.com
https://tempestinatankard.com
https://franzdhofer.com
Prague, my old friend. So nice to see you again and share a few beers with you!
tempestinatankard.com/2026/02/09/p...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/02/09/p...
Prague Revisited: Taverns and Taprooms in the City of a Hundred Spires • A Tempest in a Tankard
Throw a rock in Prague and you'll hit a tavern. Where to start? This mix of classic and contemporary Prague pubs has you covered.
tempestinatankard.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Prague, my old friend. So nice to see you again and share a few beers with you!
tempestinatankard.com/2026/02/09/p...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/02/09/p...
Wiethaler's Goldstoff Festbier. Looks great, tastes even better. One of the beers in my annual roundup of beers that grabbed my attention this past year. 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
February 4, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Wiethaler's Goldstoff Festbier. Looks great, tastes even better. One of the beers in my annual roundup of beers that grabbed my attention this past year. 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
I drink a lot of Ayinger. But it's been ages since I bought a 4-pack of Celebrator. Where did all the plastic goats draped around the bottle's neck go?
For those wondering, the bookshelf is merely where I charge my phone. Nature this, nature that. I guess the goat's demise is good for the enviro.
For those wondering, the bookshelf is merely where I charge my phone. Nature this, nature that. I guess the goat's demise is good for the enviro.
February 2, 2026 at 8:49 PM
I drink a lot of Ayinger. But it's been ages since I bought a 4-pack of Celebrator. Where did all the plastic goats draped around the bottle's neck go?
For those wondering, the bookshelf is merely where I charge my phone. Nature this, nature that. I guess the goat's demise is good for the enviro.
For those wondering, the bookshelf is merely where I charge my phone. Nature this, nature that. I guess the goat's demise is good for the enviro.
My annual roundup of tasty beers I had the pleasure of drinking in the year previous. 2025 saw me return to Japan and the Czech Republic for the first time in ages, and I visited Slovenia for the first time. Also includes the other usual suspects. Prost! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
Twenty-Six Beers for 2026 • A Tempest in a Tankard
Fifty beers worth your time in 2026. My favourites from my travels in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Japan, Slovenia, and elsewhere.
tempestinatankard.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:58 PM
My annual roundup of tasty beers I had the pleasure of drinking in the year previous. 2025 saw me return to Japan and the Czech Republic for the first time in ages, and I visited Slovenia for the first time. Also includes the other usual suspects. Prost! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/30/t...
In which I write about the folks who helped fuel my beer adventures in 2025.
Not pictured:
@stanhieronymus.bsky.social
@evanrail.bsky.social
Joe and Will of Big Friendly, OKC
Gregor Fransson
Rich Carbonara
Manuele Colonna
Etc.
Prost, everyone!! 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/15/2...
Not pictured:
@stanhieronymus.bsky.social
@evanrail.bsky.social
Joe and Will of Big Friendly, OKC
Gregor Fransson
Rich Carbonara
Manuele Colonna
Etc.
Prost, everyone!! 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/15/2...
January 15, 2026 at 10:33 PM
In which I write about the folks who helped fuel my beer adventures in 2025.
Not pictured:
@stanhieronymus.bsky.social
@evanrail.bsky.social
Joe and Will of Big Friendly, OKC
Gregor Fransson
Rich Carbonara
Manuele Colonna
Etc.
Prost, everyone!! 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/15/2...
Not pictured:
@stanhieronymus.bsky.social
@evanrail.bsky.social
Joe and Will of Big Friendly, OKC
Gregor Fransson
Rich Carbonara
Manuele Colonna
Etc.
Prost, everyone!! 🍻🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2026/01/15/2...
U Slovanské Lípy, Prague
Been a while now since I've posted anything. Why not break the drought with a few photos from what quickly became my favourite tavern on my last trip to Prague?
Been a while now since I've posted anything. Why not break the drought with a few photos from what quickly became my favourite tavern on my last trip to Prague?
December 6, 2025 at 7:32 PM
U Slovanské Lípy, Prague
Been a while now since I've posted anything. Why not break the drought with a few photos from what quickly became my favourite tavern on my last trip to Prague?
Been a while now since I've posted anything. Why not break the drought with a few photos from what quickly became my favourite tavern on my last trip to Prague?
Lazy Leaves Märzen, The Big Friendly, OKC
I can't even begin to tell you how honoured I feel at being included as a collaborator in this beer set to release tomorrow at the Philbrook Museum's annual Lager Land Festival.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/11/07/l...
I can't even begin to tell you how honoured I feel at being included as a collaborator in this beer set to release tomorrow at the Philbrook Museum's annual Lager Land Festival.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/11/07/l...
Lazy Leaves Märzen: Autumn in a Glass, Brought to You by OKC’s Big Friendly • A Tempest in a Tankard
Lazy Leaves, a Märzen brought to you by The Big Friendly in OKC. Who says Märzen should be confined to Oktoberfest?
tempestinatankard.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Lazy Leaves Märzen, The Big Friendly, OKC
I can't even begin to tell you how honoured I feel at being included as a collaborator in this beer set to release tomorrow at the Philbrook Museum's annual Lager Land Festival.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/11/07/l...
I can't even begin to tell you how honoured I feel at being included as a collaborator in this beer set to release tomorrow at the Philbrook Museum's annual Lager Land Festival.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/11/07/l...
Wine gardens for beer lovers
I've been lurking more than posting these days, but today I have a reason to post something: the Viennese Heuriger!
If you're a fan of beer gardens, you'll love the Heuriger (wine garden). There's tasty wine, food, and Sturm!!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/10/13/b...
I've been lurking more than posting these days, but today I have a reason to post something: the Viennese Heuriger!
If you're a fan of beer gardens, you'll love the Heuriger (wine garden). There's tasty wine, food, and Sturm!!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/10/13/b...
Beyond Beer: The Viennese Heuriger (Wine Garden) • A Tempest in a Tankard
Much like the first beer gardens, the Viennese Heuriger was an open-air tavern where people could bring food to enjoy with their wine.
tempestinatankard.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Wine gardens for beer lovers
I've been lurking more than posting these days, but today I have a reason to post something: the Viennese Heuriger!
If you're a fan of beer gardens, you'll love the Heuriger (wine garden). There's tasty wine, food, and Sturm!!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/10/13/b...
I've been lurking more than posting these days, but today I have a reason to post something: the Viennese Heuriger!
If you're a fan of beer gardens, you'll love the Heuriger (wine garden). There's tasty wine, food, and Sturm!!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/10/13/b...
La Fleur en Papier Doré, Brussels. One of the more fascinating tavern interiors I've come across. More in the post 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/09/17/l...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/09/17/l...
September 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
La Fleur en Papier Doré, Brussels. One of the more fascinating tavern interiors I've come across. More in the post 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/09/17/l...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/09/17/l...
If you're a lover of beer festivals and you happen to find yourself anywhere near Bamberg this weekend, head on over to the Sandkerwa, perhaps one of the "best" beer fests in Bavaria.
Best or not, it's among my faves. Great selection of Franconian beer! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/18/b...
Best or not, it's among my faves. Great selection of Franconian beer! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/18/b...
Bamberg’s Sandkerwa: A Beer Lover’s Beer Fest • A Tempest in a Tankard
In August, the entire Altstadt of Bamberg is turned into an open-air beer hall with music on every square for Sandkerwa.
tempestinatankard.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
If you're a lover of beer festivals and you happen to find yourself anywhere near Bamberg this weekend, head on over to the Sandkerwa, perhaps one of the "best" beer fests in Bavaria.
Best or not, it's among my faves. Great selection of Franconian beer! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/18/b...
Best or not, it's among my faves. Great selection of Franconian beer! 🍻
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/18/b...
"All Schnitzel cooks agree that the color of a Wiener Schnitzel should be light golden brown. Certain Breughel paintings and Stradivari violins have the perfect Schnitzel color."
Fine food writing.
Joseph Wechsberg, The Cooking of Vienna's Empire (1968)
H/T @evanrail.bsky.social for the book tip
Fine food writing.
Joseph Wechsberg, The Cooking of Vienna's Empire (1968)
H/T @evanrail.bsky.social for the book tip
August 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
"All Schnitzel cooks agree that the color of a Wiener Schnitzel should be light golden brown. Certain Breughel paintings and Stradivari violins have the perfect Schnitzel color."
Fine food writing.
Joseph Wechsberg, The Cooking of Vienna's Empire (1968)
H/T @evanrail.bsky.social for the book tip
Fine food writing.
Joseph Wechsberg, The Cooking of Vienna's Empire (1968)
H/T @evanrail.bsky.social for the book tip
The very sound of the word Munich is enough to conjure up fond memories of languid afternoons in beer gardens, of joyous and occasionally raucous beer festivals, of winter evenings in beerhalls drinking mugs of beer to drive the cold away.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/06/i...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/06/i...
Your Guide to Munich's Beer Gardens, Breweries, and Beerhalls • A Tempest in a Tankard
The very sound of the word Munich is enough to conjure up memories of languid afternoons in beer gardens, or winter evenings in beerhalls.
tempestinatankard.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:39 PM
The very sound of the word Munich is enough to conjure up fond memories of languid afternoons in beer gardens, of joyous and occasionally raucous beer festivals, of winter evenings in beerhalls drinking mugs of beer to drive the cold away.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/06/i...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/08/06/i...
Some "classic-ness" happening this afternoon right here in Oklahoma. Seems I haven't had Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo since 2012.
That's not for lack of tryin'. It's not something we see here where the wind blows down the plains. Had to go to Wizard of Oz country (Goebel in Wichita) to get sum.
That's not for lack of tryin'. It's not something we see here where the wind blows down the plains. Had to go to Wizard of Oz country (Goebel in Wichita) to get sum.
August 4, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Some "classic-ness" happening this afternoon right here in Oklahoma. Seems I haven't had Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo since 2012.
That's not for lack of tryin'. It's not something we see here where the wind blows down the plains. Had to go to Wizard of Oz country (Goebel in Wichita) to get sum.
That's not for lack of tryin'. It's not something we see here where the wind blows down the plains. Had to go to Wizard of Oz country (Goebel in Wichita) to get sum.
A "counter-factual": What would the history of beer (or the history of anything, for that matter) look like without myths and legends?
I ask this as a historian, but also one who is decidedly *not* a positivist historian.
(The myths and legends we tell ourselves can be revealing for historians.)
I ask this as a historian, but also one who is decidedly *not* a positivist historian.
(The myths and legends we tell ourselves can be revealing for historians.)
For centuries, people have repeated myths or “romantic facts” about beer, misinforming the public about its history and science. But which of these are the biggest whoppers? Our crack team of researchers has put together the definitive list.
The Ten Wrongest Myths / “Romantic Facts” About Beer — Beervana
For centuries, people have repeated myths or “romantic facts” about beer, misinforming the public about its history and science. But which of these are the biggest whoppers? Our crack team of research...
www.beervanablog.com
July 31, 2025 at 5:59 PM
A "counter-factual": What would the history of beer (or the history of anything, for that matter) look like without myths and legends?
I ask this as a historian, but also one who is decidedly *not* a positivist historian.
(The myths and legends we tell ourselves can be revealing for historians.)
I ask this as a historian, but also one who is decidedly *not* a positivist historian.
(The myths and legends we tell ourselves can be revealing for historians.)
Wasn't expecting to find a reference to Braudel in the intro @eoghanwalshbxl.bsky.social 's delightful History of Brussels Beer. Much as I love Braudel (I wrote a paper in grad school on narrative scale in history and read the whole damn Mediterranean), I'm glad you stuck to 50 objects. 🙂🍻
July 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Wasn't expecting to find a reference to Braudel in the intro @eoghanwalshbxl.bsky.social 's delightful History of Brussels Beer. Much as I love Braudel (I wrote a paper in grad school on narrative scale in history and read the whole damn Mediterranean), I'm glad you stuck to 50 objects. 🙂🍻
Annafest, that beer garden festival to end all beer garden festivals, is coming up soon. Here are a few more beer places you can visit in Forchheim once you're done exploring the Kellerwald (cellar forest).
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/21/f...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/21/f...
Forchheim: Three Breweries and a Forest of Beer Cellars • A Tempest in a Tankard
Forchheim, home to three breweries and a forest of beer cellars, is the gateway to Franconian Switzerland.
tempestinatankard.com
July 21, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Annafest, that beer garden festival to end all beer garden festivals, is coming up soon. Here are a few more beer places you can visit in Forchheim once you're done exploring the Kellerwald (cellar forest).
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/21/f...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/21/f...
In case you find yourself in Munich this summer or autumn and are looking to visit some beer gardens away from the center.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/14/b...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/14/b...
Beer Garden Ambles in Southern Munich • A Tempest in a Tankard
Beer garden ambles in southern Munich along the Isar to several top-notch beer gardens, including the Waldwirtschaft and Flaucher.
tempestinatankard.com
July 14, 2025 at 10:39 PM
In case you find yourself in Munich this summer or autumn and are looking to visit some beer gardens away from the center.
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/14/b...
tempestinatankard.com/2025/07/14/b...
The Oberpfalz is one of my favourite German beer regions. Why? Zoigl.
Zoigl's more than a kind of beer. It's an ethos that upholds an age-old brewing tradition that has vanished in the rest of Bavaria.
One of the most important "ingredients"? The Zoiglstube
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/29/a...
Zoigl's more than a kind of beer. It's an ethos that upholds an age-old brewing tradition that has vanished in the rest of Bavaria.
One of the most important "ingredients"? The Zoiglstube
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/29/a...
At Home in the Zoiglstube: Zoigl Pubs in the Oberpfalz • A Tempest in a Tankard
The Zoiglstuben, those enchanting pubs where locals gather to drink Zoigl, are among the most important ingredients in the Zoigl tradition.
tempestinatankard.com
June 29, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The Oberpfalz is one of my favourite German beer regions. Why? Zoigl.
Zoigl's more than a kind of beer. It's an ethos that upholds an age-old brewing tradition that has vanished in the rest of Bavaria.
One of the most important "ingredients"? The Zoiglstube
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/29/a...
Zoigl's more than a kind of beer. It's an ethos that upholds an age-old brewing tradition that has vanished in the rest of Bavaria.
One of the most important "ingredients"? The Zoiglstube
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/29/a...
Me, I don't need Chat GPT or other generative AI software to help me blunder my way through writing. Plenty of alcohol seems to do the trick.
June 19, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Me, I don't need Chat GPT or other generative AI software to help me blunder my way through writing. Plenty of alcohol seems to do the trick.
Adler Bräu (Stettfeld, Franconia), Altfränkisches Lagerbier.
One nice-looking beer. And one of the 25 delicious beers on my summer beer travel list. Cheers!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/18/t...
One nice-looking beer. And one of the 25 delicious beers on my summer beer travel list. Cheers!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/18/t...
June 18, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Adler Bräu (Stettfeld, Franconia), Altfränkisches Lagerbier.
One nice-looking beer. And one of the 25 delicious beers on my summer beer travel list. Cheers!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/18/t...
One nice-looking beer. And one of the 25 delicious beers on my summer beer travel list. Cheers!
tempestinatankard.com/2025/06/18/t...
Latest work from my old friend, @daeganmiller.bsky.social , on one of my favourite travel writers, Robert Macfarlane.
I spent the spring reading through Robert Macfarlane's catalog to understand his remarkable new book, *Is a River Alive?* @literaryhub.bsky.social let me go long on the book that I think Macfarlane has spent his entire life writing toward. #nature #writing #booksky
lithub.com/the-world-is...
lithub.com/the-world-is...
The World is Alive; or, How Robert Macfarlane Came to Trust His Senses
“While writing about landscape often begins in the aesthetic, it must always end in the ethical.” –Robert Macfarlane, Landmarks * There is a sentence 256 pages into Robert Macfarlane’s newest book,…
lithub.com
June 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Latest work from my old friend, @daeganmiller.bsky.social , on one of my favourite travel writers, Robert Macfarlane.
Lots of interesting interpretations of beer and pubs in art/literature in @beerdiary.bsky.social 's round-up of last week's Session.
Who fancies hosting the session in June?
New post up on Beer Diary — rounding up contributions to #TheSession on the topic of beer and pubs in art and fiction. My thanks to everyone who participated; I think it's a great set of observations. (We don't yet have a host for June, so if you have an idea, let me know.)
June 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Lots of interesting interpretations of beer and pubs in art/literature in @beerdiary.bsky.social 's round-up of last week's Session.
More poems, indeed! And long live (the memory of) Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip.
Join in! Here’s my post for The Session…
May 30, 2025 at 8:47 PM
More poems, indeed! And long live (the memory of) Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip.
If you ever find yourself in any of these cities, check out these pubs. Jack knows his stuff. A few cities on the list I haven't been to yet. 🚂🍻
Do you have a "local" outside your place of residence, a pub or bar you always go to when visiting?
For us
🇦🇹 Kangüruh, Vienna
🇧🇦 Zlatna Ribica, Sarajevo
🇨🇿 U Černého vola, Prague
🇩🇪 Altstadthof, Nuremberg
🇭🇺 Szimpla, Budapest (sorry, bit obvious)
🇵🇱 Eszeweria, Kraków
🇸🇰 Bernard pri Lyceu, Bratislava
For us
🇦🇹 Kangüruh, Vienna
🇧🇦 Zlatna Ribica, Sarajevo
🇨🇿 U Černého vola, Prague
🇩🇪 Altstadthof, Nuremberg
🇭🇺 Szimpla, Budapest (sorry, bit obvious)
🇵🇱 Eszeweria, Kraków
🇸🇰 Bernard pri Lyceu, Bratislava
May 30, 2025 at 6:46 PM
If you ever find yourself in any of these cities, check out these pubs. Jack knows his stuff. A few cities on the list I haven't been to yet. 🚂🍻
The Session: Beer Blogging Friday was an institution in the 2000s and 2010s. Alan at @agoodbeerblog.bsky.social revived it earlier this year. Phil at @beerdiary.bsky.social hosted this month.
I finally got around to writing something for the occasion. 🍻🙂
tempestinatankard.com/2025/05/30/e...
I finally got around to writing something for the occasion. 🍻🙂
tempestinatankard.com/2025/05/30/e...
Eduard von Grützner, Painter of Beer-Quaffing Monks • A Tempest in a Tankard
If you've ever spent any time in a German tavern, chances are you've come across Eduard von Grützner's paintings of beer-quaffing monks.
tempestinatankard.com
May 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The Session: Beer Blogging Friday was an institution in the 2000s and 2010s. Alan at @agoodbeerblog.bsky.social revived it earlier this year. Phil at @beerdiary.bsky.social hosted this month.
I finally got around to writing something for the occasion. 🍻🙂
tempestinatankard.com/2025/05/30/e...
I finally got around to writing something for the occasion. 🍻🙂
tempestinatankard.com/2025/05/30/e...