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Friday, September 2, 2016

Wilkommen in Deutschland



Three weeks since my return to the land of beer and one thing is painfully obvious. Not much has changed in the German beer universe since last I lived here some 25 years ago.. The tried and true brews are still prevalent. Pilsner, Weizen, and Bock abound.  Who would have thought that Germany would ever lag behind the American beer scene. All hope is not lost though as German millennial’s strive to bring Germany, kicking and screaming into the 21st beer century.
My first introduction to the German craft beer scene came via an unexpected find. While eating dinner at a local bier garden I noticed a chalk board labeled “Craft Beer”. There were only three beers listed and as I would soon discover they are all from the same German Brewery. It Is probably also worth noting that most “Craft Beer “in this part of Germany is in bottle form, not available on tap.
Enter Lucky Hop. Lucky Hop is a German spin, on an American interpretation of a British IPA. Produce by Distelhauser Brewing it tips the scales at a whopping 7.7% ABV and 77 IBU. Maybe they should have called it “Lucky Sevens”. While not as Hoppy as most American IPA’s it still managed to scratch my hop itch. Distelhauser also produces “Black Pearl Classic Porter” and “Loch Ness Classic Stout”, along with several other traditional award winning German beers. While I have only sampled one of their beers you can expect a future post detailing a planned visit to their brewery.

 
Hohenzollern Castle
On the German Pilsner front one beer stands head and shoulders above the others . After a long arduous hike to a local castle on an uncharacteristically hot day (Low 90’s) I was rewarded
with a bier garden. While they only served Pilsner and Weizen there was a diamond in the rough. Furstenberg Pilsner is absolutely delicious on a hot day. The beer is refreshing yet strong
enough to remind one that they are actually drinking alcohol.

In conclusion it is worth mentioning that I have only sampled a small portion of available beer and visited a limited number of beer venues since I have arrived. This post is in no way intended to “poo poo” German beer, or portray myself as the “ignorant American”, but merely a reflection of my observations so far. There are undoubtedly some great German beers and I look forward to sampling as many as I can.

Until next time,
Stay Crafty

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