Munich 2011 Day 3 – Erdinger factory tour and Home Sweet Home

The last day of our free tour was a visit to the factory where the awesome Erdinger beer were bottled. The representative came in a car to pick us up from the hotel and it was a short drive to the factory. Joined a group of beer loving people which was led by a lady guide.

Dawn at Erding.
Dawn at Erding.
Pinkish skies before sunrise.
Pinkish skies before sunrise.
Erdinger shop.
Erdinger shop.
Packaged bottled beers.
Packaged gift sets of bottled beers.
Singapore represent!
Singapore represent!
Entrance to the tour.
Entrance to the tour.
Our factory tour guide.
Our factory tour guide.

The factory had a couple of levels and a few other sections for the different phases from brewing to storage and bottling and finally to the warehouse before these were sent everywhere in the world. The warehouse impressed me the most, with the automation.

Equipment.
Equipment.
Huge vessels lined up.
Huge vessels lined up.
Bottling facility.
Bottling facility.
Lines of bottles moving.
Lines of bottles moving.
To crating.
To crating.
Warehousing.
Warehousing.
A wide range of beers.
A wide range of beers.

Then the grand finale of beer testing which I couldn’t fully utilized as there were too many to try and I couldn’t do it all! After the beers and a nice photo opportunity inside one of the chambers, it was the end and we were transferred back to the hotel.

Fresh from the tap.
Fresh from the tap.
Another beer in another glass, of a different name.
Another beer in another glass, of a different name.
Beer tasting with sausages.
Beer tasting with sausages.
More equipment.
More equipment.
A photo souvenir with the equipment to bring home.
A photo souvenir with the equipment to bring home.

We had about half a day left, so we spent it exploring the town of Erding, walking into the Xmas markets and trying out the food on offer. It was a little snowy but a whole lotta of Xmas feels.

Heating for people to keep warm.
Heating for people to keep warm.
At the markets near the hotel.
At the markets near the hotel.
Snowing heavily.
Snowing heavily.
Rides available.
Rides available.
In one of the small mall.
In one of the small mall.
Street in Erding.
Street in Erding.
One of the cathedral in Erding.
One of the cathedral in Erding.
Lining up for some food.
Lining up for some food.
Some sort of bun.
Some sort of bun.
Warm wine.
Warm wine.

All good things have to end, ours ended with a final ride to the Munich airport for our night flight home. The icy weather was a problem for the planes and some defrosting had to take place on the planes before the plane could take off.

Waiting for flight home.
Waiting for flight home.
Defrosting of the plane before flying.
Defrosting of the plane before flying.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Flying into day.
Flying into day.
Breakfast.
Breakfast

This trip was awesome because it was sponsored by Lufthansa and Erdinger for the flights and the accommodation. This was also the biggest prize I had won in my entire life!

This was also a first for me traveling with someone other than my partner, which was a different mode of travel, more spontaneity with the lack of plan, triggering our spirit of adventure.

Erdinger factory tour was an eye opener for me (more so as I had never through one myself), a lot of work had to be done to deliver that bottle of tasty Erdinger right to my mouth, and with guaranteed freshness. All this learning was complemented with the good company of Erdinger representatives, making the value of this prize so much higher than priced!