Löwenbräu beer was born at what we might call a microbrewery today – basically a pub that brews its own beer. The pub in question was the Zur Löwen, which was cooking up ale as early as the 14th century. Over the centuries the operation grew into one of the city’s biggest and even exported to other countries. It’s the Munich lager you are most likely to find on the shelves of your local supermarket, though the contents in bottles found abroad are not likely to have been brewed in Munich – only Löwenbräu drunk in Bavaria is guaranteed to be the real deal.