Have We Been Here Before?

I well remember taking the train out of Munich, to the outskirts of the city. We were determined to trek into Yugoslavia, but we had to drop down through Austria. We had a number of stops and starts, hitchhiking,and being young crazy people. Gosser Spezial figures large in my memory. It's likely that the first one I ever had, at some roadhouse out in the boonies, saved my life! Anyway, we went down into Slovenia (then Yugoslavia), across over into Croatia, then down into modern day Bosnia-Herzegovina. All Yugoslavia under Tito. We drank nameless wonderful dark beers. Rustic, real, and a gorgeous slice of time.

 

Although the beer has changed, the changes might not be all that noticeable. The drop in IBUs that some crow about on here was concomitant with a drop in SG (which these same folks typically fail to mention), so the overall balance may feel quite the same.

 

That is what I love about Bamberg, too. The mix of very traditional culture (about as stubbornly so as you will find in Germany) and the young student scene. Abseits certainly fits the bill for catering to both tastes (though I don't remember ever seeing many of the old timers hanging there).

As to your point about places having to be one or the other, I think I disagree. Schlenkerla "has" to be old traditional. That's its MO. I mean, would its brand (or its beer offerings) be improved if it offered an IPA? Would Mahr's be "better" or be taken more seriously if it made a saison?

The great thing is that if you want both modern and newer styles and older, traditional styles, you can literally walk from Abseits to Mahr's or Schlenkerla (or Keesmann or Faessla or Spezial or Klosterbrau etc.) in 15-20 minutes.

 

I remember that little passage from MJ too.

 

I had forgotten about this until today. A friend has been there and liked it, because you could get an American Burger and fries. Oh, and lots of Craft beer and some traditional German beer styles. We didn’t go out there as it would be a hike to Gaustadt. When we were at Sandkerwa, there were 3 or 4 youngsters wearing black T shirts that had “Straight out of Gaustadt” in white letters. That was not the deterent to going there. It was not what we were seeking.

http://www.kronprinz.beer/

 

I think this exemplifies what the original article is talking about. This place looks, feels, and no doubt tastes (in terms of both food and drink) like almost every "craft" beer bar the world over. Hoppy PAs and IPAs, stouts, whisky beers, etc. and pulled pork, ___ with aioli, and other small plates. Abseits is very different from this place.

 

Genau.

 

I'd like to think not, but who knows. Maybe it depends on the drinker. I remember doing such a double take when I first saw the art below. I never had the beers, the execution was probably more "German" than "US craft," and in hindsight, the beers seemed to be more of a footnote than anything that would actually shake up Weihenstephan's lineup... but the marketing sure connected the product to US craft (even though the brewery uses its history as part of their marketing) . It created a strange brand mashup from the perspective of an American drinker (me) who might have unfairly put Weihenstephan in a certain box where they had to remain or be punished. Being judgmental about being "traditional" can go both ways.

 

I guess maybe you have to understand just how stubbornly traditional Franconia is. They see Munich and environs as hugely progressive and "foreign." When Schlenkerla introduced Weizen in the 1990s, the locals could hardly believe that a "Munich-style" beer was being served. But that beer has, in fact, stuck around, so, like you say, who knows...?

 

Question (since I have been thinking about it myself): if a "craft" style were to be served at a place like Schlenkerla, what style would it be? I imagine an IPA would be most likely? Would you say it'd be cool if a fruited saison were served? Maybe a cask of UK best bitter from the hand pump? If not the latter two, why not? My point, and that of the article (I think), is that there seems to be this cult around the US-style hoppy beer than demands it be ubiquitous the world over. Yes, market demand could bear this out, but not everyone needs to follow every market trend. That was another thing I loved about Bamberg -- and still do: you can live there and return 20, 30, 50 years later and not much has changed. Call it what you will, but I find it refreshing and comforting, not judgemental or in any way limiting to my beer appreciation.

 

Craft brewers around the world need to embrace their provenance. Example, it would be wonderful if German craft brewers would revive some extinct German styles that died under the weight of the purity law instead of brewing an American IPA. That is one example. Another is British Brewers revive Burton Ale. Americans could produce a classic American pilsner, American Cream Ale. Heck, even Kentucky common and Pennsylvania swanky.

 

While I'm no believer in the myth of the "good ol' days," the real value is in distinct local and regional beer styles being preserved and kept in our portfolio of brewing and drinking. How do we do that? Keep asking for them... cheers all...

 

I'd argue not only distinct beer styles but also distinct serving methods, glassware, taverns/pubs/cafes, accompanying food, geographical settings, etc etc.

 

That would be fantastic, but American craft beer is proving that brewers should just leave those names off the bottles if they insist on remaking them in a new modern image.

 

I am under the impression that Eiche was also considered a departure from tradition. Maybe due to pressure from B United to think outside the box... but I could certainly be remembering that wrong. Maybe I fabricated it.

In my personal life, drinking beer at Schlenkerla is what lit the flame in me for beer in general. Of course I like it just the way it is. I'd selfishly like all brewers to be frozen in time like museum pieces. Steam engines and horse drawn carts. I'm much more drawn to that than brewer tattoos. I know it's a selfish response rather than one that puts business realities at the forefront. I suppose Schlenkerla is in an envious position. They have the advantage of being prized by locals but also a tourist stop due to their (now) individuality. I would imagine that a brewery like Fullers is in a different reality. They are interested in diversifying their audience because they probably see it as essential to their continued survival. While they continue to make London Pride, they are also doing exactly what you are describing - inspired (or pushed) by American craft, they seemed to be early adopters of new American hops, they are making German and Belgian styles, and collaborating with the new UK brewers to produce things like "New England IPAs." Maybe this is seen as essential in the English market where the divide between traditional cask and American-ish craft is seen as a pretty serious generational split. At the same time, people in the US view them as arbiters of English beer. The realities of this are very complicated. The hope is that things that are seen as valuable are continued to be seen as such. The opposite is a serious issue in beer appreciation.

 

Fantastic back and forth being had in this thread! Really enjoyed thinking about the following:

And found the answer to be this:

Brewing doesn't have to abandon tradition to evolve. It needs to embrace it. The differences in breweries and brewing traditions that some think serve to divide craft beer only serve to make it stronger. I shudder to think of a future where every brewery produces similar products and the industry only strives to be the initiator of new trends.

 

When our (traditional) beers appear on the tap lists of local "craft" beer places, they are often the most exotic up there. Most people these days have had a fruited sour, a wine-barrel-aged saison, a NEIPA, or a flavored stout. Most haven't had a Fastenbier, a Franconian Kellerbier, or a Bamberg-style Braunbier. I see zero need (market or otherwise) for us to follow current trends.

 

Always nice to see someone doing something differently (and thinking about beer differently) than most everyone else. I'm constantly amazed at how long some fantastic, and in some instances world-class, beers stay on tap at my local because people don't know any better and basically just drink IPAs and imperial stouts. More for me, I guess.

 

The owners of the bars and restaurants where our beer is served say it's the opposite with our stuff. When people order ours vs the big flavored or high ABV beers, they tend to drink 3-4 instead of bouncing around from one style/brand to another. So our kegs are usually the first to kick. Market trends develop in various ways!

 

Sounds like you also have informed consumers, a loyal following, and an excellent reputation.