Scherdel Schlappenbier

Scherdel Schlappenbier is one of Germany's most distinctive festival beers — brewed exclusively once a year in strictly limited quantities for the Hofer Schlappentag, a traditional festival held in Hof, Bavaria, in May or June. At 6.5% ABV it is significantly stronger than the brewery's regular range, and its original recipe has been carefully guarded and passed from brewmaster to brewmaster across generations. Scherdel began producing the Schlappenbier in 2011. The brewery itself traces its origins to 1831 when Georg Matthäus Scherdel began brewing in Hof's communal brewhouses. The Heineken connection comes through the brewery's ownership chain: Scherdel is a subsidiary of Kulmbacher Brauerei AG, which is part of the Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe, connected to Heineken through the Brau Holding International joint venture structure. The Hof brewery will cease production at end of 2026, with the brand continuing at Sternquell in Plauen-Neuensalz.