One of the more significant brewers in the development of the lager style within Germany is the Spaten-Franziskaner brewery of Munich. A brewery with a long history that stretches all the way back to 1397 and the formation of a small brew pub. Some 225 years later, the brewery was purchased by one George Spaeth in 1622. Due to local pronunciation, the brewery became known as Spaten "Spade". The Spaeth family ran the brewery for 7 generation before selling to Gabrial Sedlmayr, the brewmaster of the Bavarian Court in 1807.

With Gabrial Sedlmayr and later his sons and grandsons at the helm, Spaten became a major influence in the formation of modern brewing techniques and the creation of today's German beer styles. Continuing a period of rapid expansion and modernization, first started by Gabrial Sedlmayr, his sons Josef and Gabrial II took the helm of Spaten around 1836.

The younger Gabrial was well traveled and gleaned much ( including stolen wort and yeast samples) from his visits to breweries throughout Europe and created strong relationships with brewers across the continent in the process.

Gabrial and Josef went their separate ways in 1845 with Gabrial buying Josef's share of the business. Josef went on to acquire the Leist brewery and later the monastic Franziskaner brewery and is credited with forever changing the German Oktoberfest with his introduction of a Vienna style amber lager, "Ur-Märzen" or Marzenbier at the 1872 Oktoberfest.

Back at Spaten, Gabrial was busy modernizing. Introducing steam power and "modern" cooling systems to assist in meeting the ever growing demand for Spaten's products, while still maintaining the products quality. Gabrial trained others in his techniques including Jacob Christian Jacobsen who would later found Carlsberg in Denmark.

Like his brother Josef, Gabrial became interested in the pale beers of Vienna and Pilsner and despite much anger from the Munich brewing community, Spaten then in the hands of Gabrial's sons Johann, Carl and Anton introduced a golden lager or "helles" beer to the public in 1895.

Many felt Munich brewers should stick with dark lagers (known today as Dunkles, Bavarian or Munich style lagers) and saw tremendous costs involved in creating the light lagers. The demand however outweighed the cost and eventually most brewers introduced a pale beer of their own.

Following the death of the elder Sedlmayr brothers, The grandchildren merged the two family companies, Spaten and the Franziskaner-Leist into one and became The Spaten-Franziskaner brewery in 1922. The rest you can say is history.

Today a wide range of Spaten products are available in the United States, including the pale lagers of Spaten and a line of traditional top fermented beers under the Franziskaner name.

August 21, 2000 profile #5