Fernseh-Pils-a-thon 2013

What brands do Kulmbacher advertise on TV? You're not thinking of Krombacher are you?

 

You're right... oops. However, their brands, such as Mönchshof, Kapuziner, EKU can be found in most supermarkets, which though not on TV, makes it a mass market beer.

 

It's been a while since I was active in the FFM beer biz, but I know that the Mönchshof beers were growing quite well - the 16x0.5L case of flip top bottles was a breath of fresh air in the Hessen markets, and I for one drank more than my fill out in the Garten (...in 2008). Maybe they have simply found more fans?

 

Wouldn't the real challenge be to try those infernal made up names that are sold in discounters as their "house brands" like "Grafenwalder", "Falkenfelser" or "Karlskrone"...?

 

You have give me challenge even I might not be to survive! Karlskrone is Aldi's "generic," the other's... would have to hunt down.

 

I know, I'm such a sadist, aren't I ?

 

Have you had Lidl's Perlenbacher Pils brand? The 3.5% version they sell here is actually quite nice imo, and I can't imagine it getting worse with a 4.9% or so abv.

 

Tony, I was searching for the word "unremarkable".

Prost!

 

"unremarkable" is the best descriptor for all those beers!

 

Please, don't make me do it... I'll do anything to avoid that fate, Mr. Herr Stahlsturm.

 

One thing I noticed a while back with Jever is that they list hop extracts ahead of hops on the list of ingredients (water, barley malt, hops extract, hops). Afaik it's a EU wide law that you have to state the ingredients in the order of importance/percentage. Bitburger meanwhile lists their ingredients as water, barey malt, hops, hop extract.

I wonder at what point hop extracts took over hops in the ingredient list for Jever, I seem to recall it being in the reverse order not too long ago, but I might be mistaken (or else I should have made note of it earlier since I always check the list of ingredients).

 

You are correct.

 

Patrik, I personally was unaware that Jever used hop extract to brew Jever Pilsner. I don’t recall “hop extract” being listed on the labels of the Jever Pilsner that are exported to the US.

I did a quick web search; below is a posting by Martin Brungard from another beer forum:

“PS: Jever is now made with a stabilized hop extract and cannot be skunked even though it is packaged in a green bottle.
__________________
Martin Brungard, P.E. D.WRE
Carmel, IN
BJCP National
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)”

Cheers!

 

For those who like figures.
Breweries that have pils as a major style, mhl = million hektoliters (all styles)l. Figures are mostlyl from 2011, without export. The Pils share is between 50% and 99%, mostly > 90%

• Oettinger 6,21 mhl not on TV
• Krombacher 5,39 mhl
• Bitburger 4,03 mhl
• Beck’s 2,75 mhl ABinbev
• Warsteiner 2,72 mhl
• Hasseröder 2,71 mhl ABinbev
• Veltins 2,69 mhl
• Radeberger 1,96 mhl
• König 1,29 mhl Bitburger group
• Jever 1,09 mhl Radeberger group
• Sternburg 1,08 mhl Radeberger group
• Holsten 0,95 mhl Carlsberg brand
• Rothaus 0,80 mhl est.
• Paderborner 0,80 mhl est. Warsteiner 2nd line
• Wernesgrüner0,74 mhl Bitburger group
• Freiberger 0,70 mhl est. Radeberger group
• Lübzer 0,67 mhl Carlsberg brand #2
• Licher 0,6 mhl est Bitburger group
• Fürstenberg 0,6 mhl est BHI group
• Einbecker 0,6 mhl est
• Flensburger 0,53 mhl smallest brew on TV

Oettinger to Jever, Rothaus and Flensburger have a nation-wide distribution. Others are strong regional brand, which do not advertise on TV

 

Great list on what to avoid

 

Just found out that we now have Flensburger in our portfolio. Needless to say, I requested a few samples to remind of what a Norddeutsche (Fernseh)bier tastes like. Plop.

 

And here's what Norddeutsche (Fernseh)Humor looks like:

 

Nice hessich dialekt - sounds of my 2nd home.

 

Please report back when you taste your first sample. I wonder if Flensburger Pils is ‘suffering’ from IBU drop like what appears to be happening with Jever Pils.

Cheers!

 

Just *plopped* my first 0.33 liter Flensburger in years.

As my palate has certainly changed to accommodate West-coast brews, it's hard to say if the IBUs have been reduced, but it's still a very nice, hop-forward pilsner. Almost-perfect bittering level, and a nice noble hop aroma, it reminded me of former days. It clocks in at *only* 4.8% ABV, for some reason I seem to remember it being stronger. Maybe this is an export version, or my memory is simply fading.

Flensburger brings back great memories, so Fernsehbier or not, my heart will always flutter when I hear that *plop*.