Fading in Popularity: East Germany’s Beer Styles

Doppel-Karamelbeir sounds like the beers brewed in the Middle Ages where beer was a safe substitute for fresh water of questionable purity. The whole family could partake from the aged granddad to the wee bairns. It's what's for dinner!

 

Doppel-Karamelbier, which after WWII seems to have been specific to East Germany, is an odd one. Despite being brewed to the original gravity, around 12º Plato, of a normal-strength beer, it was no more than 1.5 percent ABV. That seems a bit of a waste, if you ask me. Not so much an intoxicating drink as a meal in a glass. Judging by the number of different labels I’ve seen, it was pretty common, though I can’t remember ever seeing it.

Not that this beer would have been "sweet", but with an OG of around 1.050 and a FG around 1.040, it certainly wouldn't have been a refreshing beer.

I also like the idea of a Pils-bock.

Pilsator, a slightly stronger and hoppier version of Pils, was a particular favorite of mine. All of the examples I tried were lovely drinking beers. That is, beers you’d want to drink more than one of, which is the highest praise I can give.

 

American brewers may have accidentally stumbled upon something similar to the Pils Bock with the Imperial Pils craze of about 5 years ago. Too bad that the IPL seems to have usurped it, those were indeed some tasty beers.

 

REALLY enjoyed those beers, especially the Sam Adams product. Not everything needs to be a tropical fruit bomb.

 

That was definitely the best of the bunch. SA did brew another version a few years later for a specialty mixed case, but it wasn't on the same level. I bet they decided to go cheaper with the hops.

 

Too bad. Some of those styles sound pretty good.

 

And for breakfast and for lunch and . . .

 

No rare styles but my favorite German imports are Radeberger Pilsner and Kostritzer Schwarzbier both from the former DDR.

 

A great little article of mostly forgotten beer history. Thanks @patto1ro!

To each their own! I thought that [thankfully] short-lived trend of American brewers making craft versions of malt liquor/strong euro lagers was silly. I'm not wild about the current IPL trend either but at least it feels like a more distinctly "American craft" twist to things.

 

Fair enough, but at least these were different (and in the case of Imperial Hallertauer, spectacular ). I pretty much see IPLs as being along the same spectrum as IPAs, with a more attenuative yeast.

 

Agreed, and that's exactly why I'm not wild about the IPL trend either. But, seeing as how I don't like either interpretation, I'm probably a really poor judge of them, so just ignore me.

 

But Pilsator isn't a Bock. It's just a slightly stronger Pils.

 

How do they get away with using the "ator" suffix? I'd think German brewers and beer drinkers alike would be admonishing that.

 

Then why the suffix?

 

Export only?

 

Export to where? Ron's article is talking about beer he's found in eastern Germany.

 

Hence my use of a question mark.

 

Yeah -- I used one too, still doesn't answer our questions.

Looking up the Pilsator brewery I see that they export 3 brands -- that all look very much like contract beers (As the largest Private Label beer producer in Europe, we will deliver your personalised product to you, packaged according to your wishes. Together, we will create your own brand!).

What catches my eye is that one of their export brands is Feldschlösschen -- a label carried by Aldi here in the U.S. and some pretty tasty beer.

That said, they don't so the Pilsator in their product listing. Maybe too local? Maybe BA has the wrong brewery listed? Dunno. But since Ron was sampling this in Germany, I have to wonder on the -ator suffix with all of its historical background. @patto1ro ?

 

They didn't give a toss about West German rules. Plus there's no official protection of simply the -ator suffix. Just trademarks for Salvator, etc.