German craft beer

I think they only brew a Pils. They are part of the Bitburger Gruppe, so I guess that makes them Industriebier. Funny I have never seen them in these blind tests, though. Usually it's Krombacher, Oettinger, Bitburger, Warsteiner, and one or two others. Maybe the Koenig would stand out too much?

 

Metropolitan Flywheel? http://metrobrewing.com/flywheel/

 

I find it funny that it's always Pilsener blind tastings....
Ever did a Alt blind tasting between the Düsseldorf altstadt-Alts? Telling esp. Füchschen and Uerige apart is very easy.
Or a Dunkel Blind tasting with Franconian beers is also VERY easy. Leupser Dunkel, Hoffman Export, Nothelfer Trunk for instance are all radically different. I think same goes for all traditional "craft" styles. I think it's way easier to tell Kellerbiere apart than german "craft" PAs or IPAs.

 

I was looking over my past reviews of Pilsners and that one stood out because I haven't had it in a while. Although, it suffers from shelf-rot -- even around here, mostly because it's not one of the styles that's "in with the in crowd." Have to see if I can find a fresh 6.

 

That doesn't fit the currently popular narrative: that German beer is in decline and lacks creativity and individuality. Again, this narrative is mainly parroted by those who have no real idea of what the intact cultures are like, because they have never explored them at the source.

 

That's right, and you never see them outside their native habitat in germany.
That is what bothers me about the emerging craft scene here the most. There are a lot of german beer enthusiasts in there early to mid 20ies, who enjoy IPAs, visit beer festivals, craft beer bars- who have no idea what a proper Alt, Dunkles, or even Bock or Export are like at their best. So I think the popular narrative comes from a lack of understanding, not only from the ones who tell the story, but also from interested people who should know better.

 

As the old saying goes: "Every **** crows loudest from its own dung heap."

 

I push German beer tourism whenever possible, but it's tough to find a lot of interest. I think it's the lack of high-profile bottles, which is a bit sad. Prior to my first trip I remember Celebrator, Andechser doppelbock and weiss, Korbinian, Aventinus, and several other beers being in the top 100. That actually caused us to change our vacation plans from Berlin to Munich as a result. It seemed like a legit geek destination at that point. Since none of those are really "geek friendly" anymore, that probably doesn't help.
The idea of a focus on draft doesn't hold much appeal either. You can box-up a dozen Cantillon bottles for $30 in Brussels to make you a trading rockstar. Unfortunately that 1/2 Euro bottle of Augustiner hell probably wouldn't even trade for a Sculpin in California. It's also tough to trade away a biergarten experience in the ISO forum
While it's definitely not the same, I find that towns like Denver and Portland that have a draft-focused scene tend to run into the same biases. If you can't trade it, it can't generate hype or insane ratings thanks to the difficulty in getting it.

 

Chris,

There is no doubt that beer styles like Helles, Pilsner, Kolsch, etc. are not sexy beers by craft beer drinker standards. When you factor in that it can cost thousands of dollars to fly to Europe (for example for a family of four) there will not be lots of folks making this sort of expenditure for beers that are not ‘thrilling’ beers to them.

Think about the number of folks who regularly participate on the BA Germany forum; maybe 50-60 folks (and that is a generous estimate).

Cheers!

 

Most definitely. I do know a fair number of people that have been to Belgium and the Netherlands, although I think the fact that you can bring back high-dollar bottles probably plays a role in that.
Whenever I bring up Munich, the assumption is that I'm headed to Oktoberfest. I think people would be surprised to know that the fest is probably one of the worst times to go...at least from an exploration perspective.

 

I have also seen more and more posts of folks traveling to the UK as well (the latest being breadwinner in a Germany forum post).

I have consumed more than my fair share of British and Belgian beers at the source (British pubs and Belgian cafes) and there is no doubt that drinking at the source is very pleasant on many levels!!

It is funny that you should mention the Munich/Oktoberfest connection. I am still awaiting my travels to Bavaria (Franconia) but I can tell you that it will not include a visit to Oktoberfest; too rowdy of an environment for my personal tastes. When I met up with Dave (@Bierman9) he had lots of great stories about his numerous visits to Oktoberfest. I am guessing that you need to approach Oktoberfest as being more of a party with beer vs. a beer event. I would prefer to sip some beers from a big glass under a spreading Chestnut Tree; I suppose I am getting old.

Cheers!

 

I remember the folks at Augustiner being a little peeved at Michael Jackson for promoting it as being the go-to spot for Münchners to enjoy beer. Suddenly tourists were flooding zum Augustiner (ahem... yes, me included) and the regulars were getting pushed out. Maybe not being geek friendly has its benefits!

 

It's also the fact of the matter that most U.S. "craft" consumers also consume BMC products. Should a U.S. documentary/report filmed in, say, Denver, on the state of U.S. beer focus *solely* on a taste-test between Coors, Bud, Miller Lite, and Mama's Little Yella Pils?

 

“…for half the price, pretty much the same product. Whey pay more?” That is indeed a fair statement.

I don’t understand German but I thought that all of the taste testers had nice hats!

Cheers!

 

I've run into this. We're supposed to go on a tour to Bamberg in June and so far my wife and I are the only ones signed up. While we don't need a tour, this one is to go to Bierkellers and we thought it would be more fun with a small group. We'll go anyway, hit many of the same spots, but it won't be quite the same. OTOH, we'll have more time to hang out at Spezial. We tried to go on another tour in October 2013 and the same thing happened. We still had a great time.

The same guide does tours of Belgium and they always have enough people sign up. Many sell out. Oh well.

If anyone wants to join us, let me know!

 

I have to admit that if Sly Fox Helles -- which tastes a lot like Oettinger -- were $7 a case, I'd probably buy it, too.

 

Yeah, that's actually one of the things I appreciate about Munich, so maybe it isn't all bad. We've been there are the height of tourist season (not counting Oktoberfest) and it's relatively still light on American tourists.
Disregarding the Hofbrauhaus, BAY FAR the most American tourist-frequented spots in Munich I've been to are the Chinese Tower and Andechser Am Dom. Both are prominently featured in Rick Steves' Munich book. At both locations you're nearly guaranteed to hear a fair amount of English and you can expect to see copies of that book. While I want to roll my eyes a little, I also recommend both spots myself. It is a little odd, though. On our trip in 2013 we stopped into Andechser Am Dom for our first beers and there were 7 (separate) Americans sitting on the patio. That's more than you'll see in a month at a place like Forschungs or Menterswaige.

 

“The same guide does tours of Belgium and they always have enough people sign up. Many sell out.”

Yup, Belgian beers are more ‘sexy’ to the craft beer drinking crowd.

Cheers!

 

Just watched the ZDF beer documentary and have a couple of questions.

Does the pouring method they showed make much difference?

Does drinking Pilsners, Helles etc from a tulip style glass instead of the recommended tall thin glass have a negative effect?