The existence of the first beer bar in Bamberg is first officially documented in 1093. The first brewery followed around 30 years later in the year 1122. The Benedictine monks were the first to obtain brewing rights in the town which is fitting, as according to their role model Saint Benedict, each monk of the order was supposed to have a daily portion of beer. In order to see them through the fasting periods the monks had the clever idea of brewing particularly filling beers such as bock beer and strong beer: in line with the motto "Liquida non frangunt ienum" (consumption of fluids does not break a fast)!
The pious Bambergers lived according to the motto of their monks and also sought their own daily portion of beer. This resulted in an increase in breweries in Bamberg until the number reached 65 in the year 1818! Although “only” nine breweries remain today, the Franconian town still has the highest concentration of breweries in the world and approx. 280 litres of beer is drunk per resident per year (the average German drinks only 121.5 litres per year).
In 1979 an interesting museum was set up in the restored historical vaults of the former Benedictine brewery on the Michelsberg Mountain.