König Ludwig feels exactly like Bavarian royalty should probably feel in beer form. Traditional, smooth, slightly grand and extremely comfortable with giant quantities of wheat beer.

The brewery traces its roots back to the Bavarian royal Wittelsbach family, which already gives the whole thing a certain old-world German confidence before you’ve even opened the bottle. Weissbier is the main event here and they do it very well indeed. Banana, clove, soft breadiness and that fluffy creamy texture proper Bavarian wheat beer practically invented.

Unlike some heavier German wheat beers, König Ludwig usually stays really smooth and easy-drinking. Plenty of flavour but no exhausting sweetness or spice overload. Exactly the sort of thing that works brilliantly with pretzels, roast pork and accidentally ordering another litre.

The dark wheat beer deserves attention too. More caramel, toasted malt and gentle cocoa notes without losing that classic soft wheat beer character underneath.

There’s also something refreshingly unconcerned about the brewery. No endless reinvention, no desperately trendy releases, just very solid Bavarian beer made with centuries of brewing culture behind it.

Which Germany honestly solved a long time ago.