There's a number adorning every bottle of Augustiner. 1328. The year the Augustiner monks first began brewing beer at their monastery, near Munich. An occupation designed to keep their minds on prayer, and their thirsts quenched. And to raise a few coins for the coffers at the same time.

It stayed that way for nearly 500 years, with the results of their efforts sold at the monastery tavern in the city - much to the delight of the locals, who developed a taste for the revered beer that flowed from Augustiner's barrels.

During the 1880s, the brewery had passed into private hands, but that same number still marked each bottle. A reminder of Augustiner's heritage and history. It's a tradition that has seen the brewery well into the modern era too, with substantial investment, and an expanded contemporary brewhouse that has made Augustiner a bastion of Munich beer culture.

Whether it's the Lager Hell, the classic Pils, or the celebratory Oktoberfest brew created for the festival each year, an Augustiner beer is an exercise in quality and tradition. So here's to the next 500 years.