Germany has more breweries than any other country in the world and many would list the state of Bavaria (Bayern) (centered around Munich, the largest city in Bavaria) as the region of Germany with the most significant brewing tradition. In fact, the famous Reinheitsgebot (purity law) of 1516 is really a Bavarian creation that was adopted by the rest of Germany at the time of unification.
Within Munich itself are five, six, or even seven major breweries, depending on how you count them. They are listed below along with some other breweries. Their beers are served at beer halls at some of the breweries, at restaurants and pubs all over the city, and are also sold in bottles.
* See my beer ratings separately for beer listings and comments on each.
The photo above shows a large sign on the even larger Maypole in the Viktualeinmarkt (the outdoor market), near the center of Munich (near the Marienplatz), of six barrels representing six major breweries, plus one commemorating 500 years of the Reinheitsgebot.
Joined for a long time.
At Mars Strasse 46 at Spaten Strasse.
Spaten makes a variety of beers, many of which are exported to the U.S.
The Franziskaner wheat beers (regular and dark) are good.
Optimator, Spaten's doppelbock, is also good.
The standard size beer, for lighter-bodied beer (Helles) at least, used to be a liter (called a "Mass"). With the increased awareness that excessive alcohol consumption isn't so healthy, the standard size for most beer now seems to be half of a liter (0.5 l = 50 cl). For some reason, however, most Pils beers come in a third of a liter (0.33 l = 33 cl). Many of the beers are served in their own glasses.
The traditional beer halls have long wooden tables with benches on both sides. If it is crowded, just find a place where no one is sitting and have a seat. Greet your fellow beer drinkers and check that the seat is free.
Many restaurants have tables with a sign saying "Stammtisch". This is a table reserved for regulars.
All of the beer halls I've seen serve food. In addition to ordering from a waitress, there is often a basket of bread and rolls from which you help yourself, then pay later.
Bier = beer
hell = light; Helles = clear or light-bodied beer (similar to American lagers)
dunkle = dark; Dunkles = dark beer
stark = strong
Weizenbier = wheat beer (Weizen = wheat). Uses ~50% wheat malt (the rest is barley malt)
Weissbier = wheat beer (Weiss = white). These terms seem to be used interchangably
Hefe = yeast
Pils = pilsner, a crisp, hoppy, lighter-bodied beer
Bock = a heavier, stronger beer, often dark
Doppelbock = double bock, an even heavier and usually dark beer
Oktoberfest = not quite as heavy as Bock
Märzen = "March" beer. Same as Oktoberfest
Alt= "old," an older style of beer that uses ale yeast rather than lager yeast
ur = original
vom Fass = from the keg
Holzfass = wooden keg
Flasche = bottle
-ator = this suffix denotes a Doppelbock, in tribute to Salvator, the original
-tus = this suffix denotes a Weizenbock, as in Vitus and Pinkatus