Advent Zoigl 2026: the Oberpfalz Zoiglstuben's final weekend of the year (18-21 December)

In Bavaria's Upper Palatinate, Germany's most authentic beer is not drunk at a festival but in private parlours. Zoigl, an unfiltered beer brewed in the communal brewhouses of Eslarn, Falkenberg, Mitterteich, Neuhaus and Windischeschenbach, is served in rotation by the "brewing citizens" in their Zoiglstuben, whenever the six-pointed star — the Zoiglstern — hangs on the facade. The official 2026 calendar ends just before Christmas: from 18 to 21 December, the last Stuben of the year open their doors for one final weekend of Zoigl, Brotzeit platters and shared tables, in a tradition listed since 2018 in Germany's national register of intangible cultural heritage under the UNESCO convention. Entry is free; you pay only for the beer and the board, and you sit wherever there is space — that is the spirit of the place. Before setting off, check the Zoiglkalender (zoiglbier.de) to see which Stube is flying the star that weekend: that is the rule of the game. Plan your beer trip with beBeer.