German craft beer

Would you agree with that snippet Jack? I don't find German beer boring at all. Honestly, I'm finding American beer a little boring (as of right now - I'm still re-integrating).

One specific quibble with the article itself:

Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr are not independent, are they? According to Wikipedia, Paulaner & Hacker-Pschorr are part of Brau Holdings International AG, owned by Schörgruber Ventures and Heineken (at 49.9%). I think Augustiner is the only "independent" brewer left in Munich - Lowenbrau, Spaten, and Franziskaner are owned by AB-InBev, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr are part of the BHI Group, and Hofbrau is owned by the state.

 

Wouldn't agree with this statement. If it were so, there wouldn't be a need for any new "craft" beers.

 

Exactly. Around 1915 there were 36 breweries in Bamberg alone making still more "styles" than are made today. If anything, German breweries need to make more of the styles they were making 100 years ago rather than copying US "craft" styles or flavor profiles.

 

Uerige recently celebrated their 150th Anniversary. If you go to their pub you can get their Alt or their Wheat. As far as I know, that's how it has always been for 150 years. I could go to that pub every day for the rest of my life and not be bored.

 

I had to read this a couple of times, but what you are saying is that Bamberg breweries TODAY only make a few popular styles. Whereas back in the day they followed the seasonal traditions of the area that resulted in much more variety. Did I get that right? Never been, just curious, that town is on my bucket list,...

 

No, actually. There still exist many, many "styles" from Bamberg brewers -- Rauchbier Maerzen, Rauchbier Lager, Rauchweizen, Krausenbier, Fastenbier, Heller and Dunkler Bock, Doppelbock, Ungespundetes (in multiple different iterations, from smoked to pale to amber to dark), Braunbier, Schwarzbier, Kellerbier (in multiple different flavor and color profiles), etc., etc. -- in addition to the "standard" Pils (if Keesmann is "standard," then I'll take standard all day any day), Weizen, Helles, Dunkles. This doesn't even begin to address the "craft" beers being made: from Weyermann's licorice porter, wheat wines, stouts, and IPAs to Mahr's Saphir Weisse to -- most recently -- Greifenklau's six dry-hopped and two barrel-aged variations on their seasonal bock. Nor does is account for the 250 breweries on the outskirts of Bamberg that are all doing their unique takes on these "styles" and more (including many "craft" styles). Rather I was talking about the fact that 100 years ago there were *even more* variations to be had (many known simply as "Bamberger" style).

In short, Koch seems to have chosen his words very poorly, and it's really no wonder people "didn't like what he had to say."

 

Must have been hammered again....

Prosit!

 

David, I guess when you are a billionaire you can drink all the beer you want!?!

Cheers!

 

See - someone has been reading!

http://feinerhopfen.com/2015/01/07/uerige-altbier-handwerk-mit-tradition/

"Ein Beispiel dafür, dass Tradition nicht langweilig sein muss", which translates, "An example that tradition(al) does not need to be boring." Hell, she even used my example of Uerige. I mean, a little credit would have been nice...

 

Absolutely. I'm just amazed this hasn't already occurred. Hopefully once Germany has there little dip in the craft beer pool it will happen.

 

I was in berlin between the years........have not been there for a year. a lot of stuff happened beerwise. and so i was counting the breweries there are now....and it was like wow.......
bamberg and berlin have kinda the same number of breweries now.

 

Just watched it online. It's quite a good report and touches on many of the subjects we have discussed here -- as well as a number of others. It also does a good job of pointing out how the price wars hurt German beer in the long run. Another interesting fact: it is the hops (and specifically the bittering components) that cause people to eat more -- and get fat -- from drinking beer. (See, and I thought it was the donuts and chocolate bars we throw in there....). Prost!

 

For someone who can't readily watch a video at work (and would probably stumble over the language), can you explain what the "test" is? Some sort of blind tasting?

 

The "test" was, IMO, a *major* weakness of the piece. Basically they take 4 Industriebiere and 1 "local" beer (all pilsners) and ask the Bamberg Folk Dance club to try and pick out their "local favorite." Spoiler: they are not able to do so. Weaknesses: the "local favorite(s)" they select are Kulmbacher -- basically an Industriebier itself -- and Neder (from Forchheim). What's more, they are filming the test not in Bamberg (as is implied) but in Forchheim. But the biggest problem is that the piece focused solely on these issues -- completely ignoring the true Bamberg and Franconian (and Bavarian and Koeln and Duesseldorf etc.) beer cultures where true individuality, craft, and unbroken tradition both exist and form a model for the rest of the country to follow in reviving German brewing.

Hmmm...sounds familiar.

(BTW, there is some major pushback on the piece taking place on the Bier des Tages, Fraenkisches Bier, and other FB pages/sites. There is even a formal criticism from the local newspaper, InFranken. And I say more power to them.)

 

Thanks for the insight. I asked because I've been collecting some German Pilsners and a couple Ami nouveau Pilsners for a blind tasting next month. So far I have EKU, Krombacher, and Lammsbrau; probably an industrial mix, but still head and shoulders above American Industrial. I have some Nooner, Firestone, and Lagunitas to compare. Might have to get some Trumer as a hybrid.

Any suggestions? Might try to find some fresh Prima Pils, but that's not easy around here.

 

How about Koenig?

 

Good thinking, I'll keep my eyes open -- it's not always available... or fresh.

Where does this fall into the Industriebiere realm -- do they really only brew a Pils?

Love the do-it-yourselfer working on his Porsche...
http://www.koenig.de -- but the bottle isn't open.