Pilsner and Lager Beers

Augustiner Helles, served by gravity, is one of the best beers I've drunk.

Next Sunday - my son's joints permitting - I'll be in the Löwenbräu Keller drinking their lovely Kellerbier.

 

Global Village Imports imports Augustinerbrau Munchner Bier Edelstoff. BeerAdvocate states: “ Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff - Munich Helles Lager.”

I guess that I have been lucky because I have had Mahr’s many times on cask and draft and those beers (Mahr's Ungespundet-hefetrüb, Mahr's Bock-Bier, Mahr's Pilsner, etc.) have been in excellent condition. The several bottles of Mahr’s that I have had were also in very good condition. I suppose the beer gods have been smiling on me!

What a great country we live in (with assistance from the beer gods)!

Cheers!

 

Yes, lager beers on cask are indeed enjoyable. I have always really liked the Mahr’s cask lagers that I have drunk – Yum!

Cheers!

 

We get the Edelstoff. This is the Helles:

 

Don't forget Kolsch! Another great summer beer. Mother Earth Endless River is perfect for those hot days when you can't handle the IPAs.

 

I am heading down to a Phillies game where I will be drinking Victory Lager (Munich Helles) beer and eating Frankfurters (Hot Dogs). Baseball, Munich Helles beers and Frankfurters: what a glorious American/German way to spend a pleasant summer afternoon.

To quote Yakov Smirnoff: what a great country!

Cheers & Prost!

 

And Munich Lowenbrau is only imported into one or 2 states right now. Unfortunately.

 

Massachusetts must be one of them. Seen it in three stores now.

 

I had heard New York and maybe another East Coast state, so Mass could be right.

My "right now" caveat is because Lowenbrau is owned by Spaten, who was bought by InBev -- now AB-InBev, who is now sole importer of Spaten beers to the U.S. So Lowenbrau might be more prominent if AB-InBev is bringing it over -- but I have no inside knowledge.

 

It's not as if Spaten needed a boost. They've been here for a long time. It's interesting, though. Miller used to own the US trademark via license, but they brewed god-awful piss. There was, however, also Swiss Lowenbrau that was allowed to be distributed. Then both kind of disappeared in the late 1990s, I think. SwL was never particular popular, although, ironically, they cost about the same. The Real Thing is much better, but it's slow in distribution, as you said.

 

Shelton Bros. has imported Lowenbrau Buttenheim - or, at least, had a TTB COLA approval for it - both bottled [below] and draught.

After the Miller licensing deal ended in 1997/8, InBev-owned Labatt USA imported Lowenbrau. At first, the US market's Lowenbrau was brewed under license by Labatt, IIRC with a more authentic all-malt recipe (keg label below)

(I guess they were trying to ease us back into the real thing) but that changed around 2002 and we started getting German brewed Lowenbrau again.

AB's subsidiary Import Brands Alliance then took over the importation of most of the European-owned InBev brands from Labatt USA in the controversial deal AB and InBev made a year BEFORE InBev bought AB. So, Lowenbrau has been imported by AB since 2007.

At one point, after ABInBev merger, there were industry rumors (IIRC, based on a comment by a US ABInBev exec) that they were going to drop Lowenbrau from the US market (along with Leffe Braun and Tennents), but, in the case of Lowenbrau, that never happened - though it does appear it's limited to just certain states. Not sure which states get it (I thought it was more than two), but NJ is one of them.

 

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39/133

Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier has been making it's way around Boston on draft this past week. Incredible beer on tap, tastes exactly how I remember it when I first got to Munich.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. If those (Konig/Radeberger) are the BMC of Germany, I'd love to try all of the smaller breweries offerings as far as pilseners go as I happen to enjoy Konig&Radeberger. Damn, I need to get to Germany one of these days!

 

Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager mmmmmm...

 

New Glarus Two Women Lager. Someone mentioned Bohemian Lager, best lager i have ever had. I wish they still made Yokel, one of my favorite summer brews ever.

 

I have never had a craft Pilsner that was not good!

 

Had my first bottle brought into NC from someone passing through. FANTASTIC--great bite. I really wish they would distribute here. Headhunter is a top 5 IPA for me.