When in Rome

 

While Rome is often celebrated for its exquisite wine culture, there’s a hidden gem that deserves equal attention: the burgeoning craft beer scene. As a traveler who appreciates a good brew, I set out to explore this vibrant movement, fueled by recommendations from fellow beer enthusiasts who spoke of an underground beer culture waiting to be discovered. However, my adventure proved to be an exhilarating exploration of above-ground breweries that truly surprised me.

Waking up bright and early at 8:30 a.m., I was ready for a day filled with sightseeing and, of course, beer tasting. My mission was clear: to find exceptional beer venues near iconic tourist spots while soaking in the rich history of the Eternal City. First on my list was the magnificent Colosseum, a symbol of Rome's glorious past. Its ancient stones whisper stories of gladiators and emperors, but my focus today was on discovering refreshing pints of craft beer.

After marveling at the Colosseum, I set off in search of hydration and sustenance. The bustling streets of Rome are lined with charming bars and restaurants that offer a delightful range of craft beers, showcasing the creativity and passion of Italian brewers. One of my first stops was a cozy little brewpub tucked away from the tourist crowds near the 18th-century Trevi Fountain. The atmosphere was lively, filled with locals and travelers alike, all eager to try the latest creations.

                                                                        

Trevi  Fountain

As I sampled a variety of beers, I was struck by the unique flavors that   Italian brewers bring to their craft. From hoppy IPAs to rich stouts, each sip told a story of local ingredients and brewing techniques. It was refreshing to how thes brewers are taking traditional styles and giving them an Italian twist. A testament to the growing appreciation for craft beer in a country often overshadowed by its renowned wines. 

Continuing my beer quest, I ventured to another nearby venue, where I found a rotating selection of seasonal brews. The bartender, passionate about his craft, shared insights into the brewing process and the inspiration behind each beer. It was clear that this wasn’t just about  pouring pints; it was about creating an experience that celebrated the artistry of brewing.

As the sun began to set, I reflected on my day of exploration. Rome's craft beer scene may not be as famous as its wine counterpart, but it is undeniably vibrant and worth discovering. With each brewery I visited, I found not only exceptional beers but also a community of passionate individuals dedicated to their craft. So, if you find yourself in Rome, don’t just stop at the wine bars. Take a detour and explore the city’s exciting craft beer offerings. After all, there’s a whole world of flavors waiting to be uncovered beyond the vineyards. Cheers to the unexpected joys of exploring Rome’s craft beer scene!

 

Whatever Floats Your Boat

 Northern New York is one of the least populated areas in the state. This is reflected in the number of breweries. There are currently 20 breweries within 40 minutes of Syracuse, according to Brewery Info. A mere 75 miles north the city of Watertown is home to at least four. Travel further northeast, along the Saint Lawrence River, breweries are few and very far between. 

A mere 22 miles northeast of Watertown lies the village of Clayton. Nestled in the Thousand Islands along the Saint Lawrence River, Clayton is a boating town, for obvious reasons. Clayton is home to the Antique Boat Museum which host an eclectic assortment of boats from canoes to speed boats.

Directly across the street from the museum is the Wood Boat Brewery.  Despite its name it is not on an actual boat, but a tribute to the regions boating history. Arriving around noon with the Navigator, and the Navigator-in-laws (because you can never have to many navigators) we found the brewery quite busy. With both indoor and outdoor seating, we had difficulty making our way through the people gathered around the entrance. Always a good sign.

Entering the tap room, we immediately pick up on a nautical theme. Artwork depicting various craft of the water variety, not craft beer, adorn the walls. I am ecstatic to find an image of one of the best canoes ever made, an Old Town Canoe from the great state of Maine. Motif aside, the food and staff were up to the task. Our server, Ethel, probably not her name, gave as good as he got with a retort quickly at hand. The food is nothing to sneeze at, or on. Brick oven pizza and sandwiches comprise the majority of the menu. Solid food without detracting from the main attraction, beer.  Call me old school, but if you visit a brewery for the food, you should probably look for a restaurant. Breweries are for beer drinkers, first and foremost. 

In conclusion, if you find yourself on the Saint Lawrence River, by plane, train, automobile, boat, horse, camel, mule, you get the idea. Stop by the Wood Boat Brewery.  Tell them Matt sent you and they will either reply "who?" or call local law enforcement. Either way, it will be a memorable visit! 

 Until then, stay crafty.

                                  

Kicking it Old School

NASA Space and Rocket Center

Let me begin by saying I am not from Alabama. When I think of craft beer states I think of the west coast, Colorado, North Carolina, and New England. No offense to my tens of readers from other than the above-named states.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered the most unique brewery location I have ever layed  intoxicated eyes on. Huntsville Alabama is known for rockets. Not the basketball team or those illegal fireworks your neighbor shoots on Independence Day. I'm talking rockets of lunar proportions, the kind that helped put people in space.There are a mere 47 craft breweries in Alabama, according to the Brewers Association. Of those 47, at least five are in Huntsville. Arriving in Huntsville I was surprised by the weather. It was unseasonably cold, with temps hovering near freezing at night. Fortunately, I didn't pack any warm clothes, increasing my need for some "antifreeze", so I phoned a friend. My friend Fred is a fellow beer enthusiast who I have known for years and hadn't seen since he moved to Huntsville. Fred suggested we make our way to the "Campus". Arriving at Campus 805 I'm surprised to discover it's not a college, but a 13-acre multi-use area, within which sits the coolest middle school in Alabama, maybe the coolest in the country. The Roy L. Stone Middle School looks like any other on the outside however once inside, everything changes.                                      

The halls remain as they were, with wall lockers and trophy

cases along both walls. The classrooms are now occupied by 

restaurants, bars and other assorted businesses, including Straight to Ale Brewery. Founded my homebrewers in 2009, Straight to Ale occupies one of the largest spaces within the school. Entering the brewery from within the school you pass through the gymnasium, complete with basketball hoops, and a commercial brewing system. Beyond the "brewnasium" you find the tap room and restaurant, Ale's Kitchen. Gordon Ramsey should be so creative. Beer offerings run the gambit, from pilsners to Belgian beer, and everything in between. The food rivals the beer with a wide variety of menu options. 

Alabama breweries may be small in number, but at least one is big on ingenuity. If you find yourself in Huntsville Alabama, the old school on Campus 805 is a must visit! Class is now in session! 

Brewnasium

Stay crafty my friends!

What’s in a Name

 What’s in a name? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a time without access to draft beer. The COVID Pandemic changed lives around the world while relegating my blog title to obscurity. Removing the “Wanderer” from my homebrewing blog is akin to removing hops from beer. It may look the same but its very hard to swallow!
 
With prohibition-like precision the German government ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants. What is a beer drinker to do?  Unlike many state in my native “United” States most of Europe allows delivery of alcohol to YOUR DOOR. Suffice to say for more than a year the local DHL delivery team wore a path to my front door.
 
Two breweries stand head and shoulders above the rest. Brewheart, an upstart Bavarian craft brewery whose owner Andreas I consider a personal friend. Born of home brewing roots Brewheart came onto the German beer scene in late 2018 focusing on IPA’s, my beer of choice. As a completely self funded brewery they are leaving an indelible mark on German craft beer. During the first year of the pandemic I ordered so many cases of Brewheart that I may have single handedly kept them in business!

I don’t have a personal connection to the second brewery however their beer naming convention continuously drew me to them. Using their experience with US craft beer and their love of of hockey they developed some great IPA’s. With beer names like Boogie Til You Barf, Juice Willis, and Steven Seagull, Sudden Death Brewing helped me through the darkest days of the pandemic. I routinely ordered their beers and have the belly to prove it.
 
Eighteen months removed from the onset of the pandemic the navigator and I have returned to the U.S. having both received our vaccinations With U.S craft breweries returning to full capacity we look forward to putting the “Wandering” back in Wanderinghomebrewer.
 
Stay safe and drink beer!

Six Country Tour

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale

A tale of an epic trip

That started from this Schwabian port

At the Alps tiny tip

 The mate was a mighty drinking man

The driver brave and sure

Two people set off that day

For a six-country tour….a six country tour

Every now and then friends propose something so radical you can’t help but jump on the beer wagon. Such was the case when my friend Peter proposed a one-day car trip visiting six countries. Because I eat sleep and breathe beer I thought “Hey, what if we visited or purchased beer from each of those countries?”  Peters rationale was sound, “How many people can say they visited six countries in one day?”  You had me at hello. Trip planning began in mid-April with Peter doing all the heavy lifting, identifying routes and brewery stops along the planned route. In Peters expert opinion the trip could be completed in 10 hours with no stops. We estimated 12 hours with our “Quick” brewery stops.  As the launch date drew closer it became clear that many European breweries are inexplicably closed on weekends, forcing us to seek an alternative. Where breweries were closed we would purchase locally produced beer at stores near the brewery.

The Route

The route would have us driving from Germany through Austria into Northern Italy. From Italy we would backtrack into Austria crossing into Switzerland and on to Lichtenstein. From Lichtenstein back into Switzerland then into the Alsace region of France before finally returning to Germany. For those keeping track that’s six countries including Germany.

It’s a cold rainy morning when the navigator drops me off in front of Peters house. A little after 6:00 am on Saturday morning we strike off in eager anticipation of the adventure ahead of us. Travelling south through the Schwabian Alps the rain tapers off. Approaching the Austrian border the sun breaks through the clouds revealing the amazing snow-covered peaks of the Alps.

Approaching Austria

Austrian Alps

 At 9:00 am we make our first stop of the day, purchasing a vignette (Road Tax) at a gas station just across the Austrian border. Travelling through the Austrian Alps the sites are awe inspiring. At every hairpin turn snow-covered mountains kiss the sky as beautiful ponds fill the valleys. I nearly forget about our beer mission. 

Entering Italy we opt for an unscheduled stop at Reschensee, the largest lake above 1000 m elevation in the Alps. Reshcensee is also manmade. Completed in 1950 a total of 163 homes were submerged during its creation. Only the steeple of a 14^th century remains.  A stark reminder of the houses that were destroyed.

Reschensee Steeple

Leaving Reschensee it takes only a few minutes to reach Malles Venosta, home of Forsterbrau -Forst and our first beer stop of the day. Forsterbrau is the largest brewery in South Tyrol. They are also closed on Saturdays. Forsterbrau-Forst is a restaurant serving, you guessed it, Forsterbrau. Entering the smallish restaurant we ask the hostess if she speaks English, she does not. We also strike out with French and German. Fortunately a local diner offers translation services, explaining we can’t purchase bottled beer there, but we can find some at the grocery store down the street. Twenty minutes and 14 bottles of beer later we strike off back the way we came, next stop, Lichtenstein.

Leg Two

The rain returns as Italian sprinklers shoot across fields of dandelions; we don’t know why. The second leg of our journey has us briefly back-tracking north to Austria, then west into Switzerland, with a scheduled beer stop in Lichtenstein. Much like the first leg the second leg takes us through amazing scenery, not the least of which is the Arlberg tunnel. The Arlberg Road Tunnel is Austria’s longest at 13.9 kilometers long. At the time of its opening in 1978 it was the longest tunnel in the world.

Arlberg Tunnel

 Since our return route took us through Austria and Switzerland we decide to make our beer purchases on our return. Both Austrian and Swiss beer are heavily influenced by Germany, sharing many of the same styles. The same can be said of at least one brewery in Lichtenstein. The Lichtenstein town of Balzers is home to Prinzenbrau. Founded in 2010 Prinzenbrau adheres to the German Purity Law of 1516. They are also closed on weekends, which is why we found ourselves in a small locally owned liquor store. While the store contained all sorts of liquor there were only a few bottles of Swiss beer on the shelf. Inquiring about beer we are once again directed to a grocery store around the corner. Here not only did we find various styles of Prinzenbrau but also a wide variety of craft beer brewed by Lichtensteiner Brauhaus. Exiting the store with two large bags of beer we hit the road again. Next stop France.

The Third Leg

Leaving Lichtenstein we struck off northwest for France. The Alsace region of France is well known for its vineyards and wine. What most people don’t know is that the Alsace region is also home to many French Craft Breweries. In the Colmar region alone there are more than six breweries. Just northwest of Colmar is Brasserie du Vignoble, a nano brewery with a quaint tasting room. Unlike the rest of Europe French breweries are open on the weekend. Entering the tasting room I immediately order their BDA (Belgian Dark Ale). Unlike traditional Belgian beers BDA is stout-like with hints of coffee. Color me impressed. We leave Brasserie du Vignoble with a variety of bottles, tossing them in with the dozens of other beers we have purchased throughout the day.

Brasserie du Vignoble

 

Homeward Bound

As we drive from France back to Stuttgart we reflect on the days adventures. Mountains, tunnels, vineyards, and yes, let’s not forget the beer. SO much beer. So much so that it takes Peter and I a full 20 minutes to sort out. “One for you, one for me. Two for you, one for me”.  While most people don’t understand the intrigue and impetus for this trip I can some it up in one word, memorable. Not many people can say they travelled 15 hours, 650 miles, visiting six countries while buying beer along the way. Good friends+good beer=great memories.  Next year, seven countries!

Until next time,

Prost!

 

Black Forest Brew

With falling leaves and falling temperatures the end of beer garden season is upon us here in Germany. This is by no means the end of beer drinking but rather a change of venue from outside gardens to a more climate controlled environment. Finding ourselves at the seasonal crossroads our friends, “J” and J”, asked us to join them on a trip to a beer museum in the Black Forest.

Approximately 40 miles southwest of Stuttgart on the eastern edge of Germany’s Black Forest lays the village of Alpirsbach. Nestled in a valley Alpirsbach is typical of most villages in the area with one exception, Alpirsbach is the home of the Alpirsbacher Klosterbrau brewery. Founded in 1880 by then 18 year old Carl Albert Glauner the original brewery, serving primarily as a museum, sits adjacent to The Alpirsbach Monastery.

We arrived around noon, ensuring we could get tickets for the 2:30 museum tour. Fortunately “J” and “J” made lunch reservations at Zwickel and Kaps, a local burger/ steakhouse specializing in Nebraska beef. A quick scan of the menu revealed that “Imported” beef is not cheap, with some of the steak prices tickling 100 euro. Traditional German food it is! I quickly ordered a Jager Schnitzel, which in hindsight could have fed at least two people. If it weren’t for the occasional “Belly Rub” from our waitress I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish my meal!Returning to the brewery after lunch we met up with our tour guide along with a dozen other people. The original Alpirsbacher brewery is a traditional German brewery

complete with copper mash tuns. The brewery and monastery have always been separate institutions, according to our tour guide. After the reformation circa 1530 the citizens of Alpirsbach were forced to take on the same religion as the ruling Duke, which was protestant. As a result all of the Benedictine monks departed with the exception of one, Ambrosius Blarer, who converted to Catholicism. The brewery has named their “Ambrosius Barley Wine” in his honor.   Having been replaced with a larger facility in 1970 the original brewery with its belt driven pumps, remains fully operational and is still occasionally used! The brewery currently employs more than 80 people and uses Black Forest spring water from their privately owned spring to produce their beer.

At the conclusion of the tour the “Tourists” are ushered into the cellar where they are given two .330L samples of beer of their choosing. Thanks to  an extra token from the navigator  I tried three of their beers the Dunkel, Export, and Zwickel, an unfiltered cellar beer that was surprisingly good. Following the beer tasting we made our way to the gift shop where a variety of trinkets and all of their beers are available for purchase. Additionally, depending on your tour ticket the gift shop provides complimentary beer mugs for every member of the tour. For approximately 10 euro tour participants receive a guided tour, two beer samples, and a complimentary mug. Furthermore I purchase eight of their half liter bottles racking up a whopping 15 euro bill. The tour and the beer purchase combined were significantly less than the cost of our lunch! A bargain for an afternoon beer adventure.

While many, including myself, complain about the lack of German beer variety compared to the craft beer revolution in the States there is no substitute for the rich history that is German beer. If not for these early pioneers we wouldn’t have the privilege of enjoying the wide variety of beer available in the world today.

Until next time,

Prost!

                                 

German Homebrew: Trial by Jury

Cases of Homebrew

Approximately 100 km east of Stuttgart is the town of Gundelfingen, home of the Camba Old Factory brewery. I first visited Camba in August(http://www.wanderinghomebrewer.com/2017/08/german-craft-beer-scene-going-nuclear.html) where I learned of their mid-September Hobbybrauer festival. Feeling confident I quickly secured brewing ingredients for my award winning double IPA which took a silver medal at the D.C. Cherry Blossom Homebrew competition. Award winning is a relative term; basically my beer sucked less than the other entries. In any event I dusted off my score sheets and tweaked my recipe based on the judges’ feedback. The result, a 9.2%ABV double IPA. GAME ON!

The Camba Bierfestival & Hobbybrauerwettbewer is a three day weekend event, attracting more than 80 homebrewers from around Europe. The winning homebrewers beer is produced at the brewery, with the winner receiving 200 liters, roughly 400 cans of their beer! Additionally the winning beer is served in the Camba taproom for a year. Friday is homebrew drop off day, with the actual competition on Saturday, culminating with a standard festival on Sunday. I arrived at the Camba Old Factory on Friday afternoon with eight bottles of my double IPA under my arm. This American was prepared to show the Germans how a true American IPA should taste! At the check-in table I was asked if I would be serving my beer. Unsure of the implications of such a question I quickly replied “Ummm No”. I was told that the “Jury” begins sampling the beer at noon on Saturday, with results no later than 2:00 pm.                                          

 At 1130 on Saturday morning the navigator and I arrive at the brewery. Tents and campers were scattered near the playground area where long distance competitors had spent the night. There were only a handful of people in the brewery where a series of tables were arranged in a horseshoe formation for the competitors to in fact serve their beer. For 1 euro a piece customers purchase tokens which are good for both beer and food. Each homebrewer had a basket at their table where customers pay to sample their beer. Not your typical American homebrew competition.           

Within 2 hours most of the homebrew tables were filled with homebrewers. Cases of their best offerings under the table, and in commercial coolers strategically place behind them. As we wandered along the tables it became very apparent to me that some of the competitors were far from traditional “Homebrewers”, with business cards, banners, and even stickers! Not wanting to sample commercial-like “homebrew” I stopped in front of two young men frantically making signs with a sharpie. These are my people! The two men were from Austria and had been homebrewing for about a year. They offered me a very dark honey wheat beer, warning that its “A Very Strong Beer 8% Alcohol”. As I sipped their beer it was obvious that the beer was much stronger than 8%. It was then that they explained initially it didn’t taste very good so they added a kilo of honey. The honey hadn’t helped. No Token For YOU!

Near the far end of the horseshoe of tables I came across a Wintergreen Pale Ale. Intrigued I asked for a sample. At first sip it was quite refreshing, with a hint of wintergreen after taste which unfortunately kept building to peppermint patty status. When I asked the homebrewer how he managed to get that flavor he replied “I have no idea, I was just trying to brew a Pale Ale”. I gave him a token for being honest. Of the 60 or so homebrewers actually offering their beer I encountered only one American. This was his second time entering the competition but his first time actually serving his beer because like me he was initially confused by the process.

Beer Samples for the Jury

At 3:00 pm the “Jury” reached its verdict, proclaiming a Russian Imperial Stout as the winner. Unfortunately I had not sampled the winning beer as it was produced by one of the commercial-like homebrewers.  While I didn’t receive any awards I did interact with some amazingly interesting homebrewers. Some of those interactions were omitted from this post for the sake of brevity, and the PG-13 rating. Most all of the German homebrewers I spoke with had nothing but praise and amazement for the American Craft Beer movement, criticizing the traditional German beer scene. That being said, all were optimistic that Craft beer could, and would become as prevalent in Germany as it is in the U.S. Based on my experience at the hobbybrauer event I can only share their optimism.  I am already making plans for next year’s competition!

Until next time,

Prost!

Where There’s Smoke….

In July the navigator and I hosted our extended family from Maine for their first trip to Germany in more than two decades. Not surprisingly beer played a major role in the visit. Two days into the visit we found ourselves in Bamberg, home of Rauch Bier (Smoked Beer). Suffice to say Rauch Bier is damn near the ONLY beer offered anywhere in Bamberg. Home to nine breweries and a malting facility  a 24 stopover visit is not nearly enough time to visit every brewery, much less the malt house. Obviously a return trip was in order.

Weyermann Malt House

In mid-August we returned to Bamberg, focusing not on breweries, but malt. Weyermann Specialty Malt founded in the late 1800’s, originally malting grain as a coffee substitute. Today Weyermanns is the world’s leading malt producer with 85 different varieties of malt.  Each Wednesday Weyermann offers a facility tour, including beer samples from their pilot brewery for 15 euro per person. Yes Please!

We arrived at the Weyermann fan shop an hour prior to the tour, perusing the wide variety of gifts, craft beer, and liquor. By 2 pm approximately 20 people had gathered in the shop at which point the shopkeeper informs us that the tour will be divided into two groups, English and German. Much to my surprise at least 14 people opted for the English tour, four American’s and 10 Italians with Gregor, the self-proclaimed “Beer Pope of Slovenia” as our tour guide. Our tour started with the malting facility where locally grown grain is cleaned and repeatedly soaked in water to start the germination process. The grain is then sent to one of several germination boxes where the grain is slowly dried over a period of days then sent on to several large dryers for kilning and roasting.  More than 500 local farmers supply Wyermann with approximately 110 tons of grain at their offsite grain silos.

Pilot Brewery

Following the malt house was the pilot brewery, a 2 hectoliter system producing small batches to not only test the grain quality but also allow customers to try new recipes utilizing Wyermann specialty malts. Current production is limited by fermentation capacity in the form of six small horizontal lager fermenters (Lager Jacks). Because they are designed primarily for lagers it’s difficult, but not impossible to brew ales. Planning is underway for the addition of a conical fermenter, improving their ale capabilities.  

Fermenters

The façade of the 137 year old buildings comprising the original Bamberg facility have been designated historical landmarks, preventing the company from modifying the exteriors. Weyermann is a family owned business with the current owners occupying the second floor of the original Weyermann home, while the quality control lab occupies the basement.  Every truckload of grain, some 15 trucks a day, undergoes multiple quality tests prior to unloading. During one test grain samples are warmed with a heat lamp, drawing out any insects that may be present. The entire test process takes approximately 20 minutes, resulting in rejection of approximately one percent of all deliveries. No production facility is complete without distribution. The Weyermann distribution warehouse is a brewers dream with 25kg bags of malt stacked floor to ceiling, wall to wall. On average 40 truckloads of malt are shipped daily. Most impressive was the automated malt palletizer,   palletizing 800 bags of malt per hour.  

Beer List

Our tour concluded in the tap room which consisted of a standard size bar with six taps and a large seating area. Included in the 15 Euro tour fee were full pours (330ml) of any and all of the beer produced in their pilot brewery. Choices included, but were not limited to, a lager, bohemian pilsner, and of course two IPA’s. Gregor was both tour guide and bartender, pouring sample after sample as he shared his brewing and malting expertise.  It quickly became apparent that as long as we continued to drink, he would continue to pour. One beer in particular became a subject of conversation. Bamberger Hofbrau was purchased by a large Nurnberg based company and then subsequently closed 3 years later. In 2007 Weyermann purchased the Bamberger Hofbrau trademark, resuming production of the classic German pilsner, a testament to the importance of Weyermann to the Bamberg community.

In conclusion, I encourage anyone interested in beer or brewing to take the Weyermann tour. The process, facilities, and more importantly the people, make this one of the best tours I have taken. Where else can you sample as much beer as you want, served by none other than the Beer Pope of Slovenia!

Without malt there can be no beer

Until next time,

Prost!

A Visit With Carl

      

Carls Brauhaus , located in Stuttgarts Schlossplatz  (Palace Square), is named after the founder of  the DInkelacher brewery, Carl Dinkelacher. Founded in 1888 Dinkelacker brewing is an infant by German standards, selling their first bottled beer in 1897. In 1900 Carl Dinkelacher was the first brewer in Stuttgart to brew a beer with the Pilsner brewing method. Fast forward to 1996 when Dinkelacher merges with Stuttgart’s Schwaben Brau making Dinkelacher-Schwaben Brau Stuttgart’s largest beer producer. In 2004 Dinkelacker-Schwaben Brau makes a deal with the devil, becoming part of InBev. Fortunately in 2007 they are able to successfully purchase their independence from the InBev devil, no small feat by any standard.

 

I learned the history Dinkelacher while reading the menu at Carls Brauhaus (Thank You Google Translate) and enjoying a half liter of their Kellerbier (Cellar Beer), which dates back to their original recipe in 1888. According to their menu Carls Brauhaus serves “Fresh Beer Straight from the Barrel” and this beer doesn’t disappoint. Cloudy, as a Kellerbier should be, it tips the scales at a modest 5.6% ABV. Perfectly balanced this beer goes down with ease, leaving me wanting more. Unlike breweries in the states a “Sample” at Carls is a half liter, so I eagerly ordered a half liter of their Privat, a 5.3% ABV Dortmunder Lager. Again I am not disappointed. The beer lineup at Carls Brauhaus consists of 10 traditional German beers. Fearing I may not be capable of returning to my point of origin I cease my “Sampling” but will continue to visit Carls in an effort to sample the remainder of their lineup!

Beer quality aside, Carls location is nothing short of spectacular. Located near the “New Palace” (Original Heavily Damaged in WWII) the area is adorned with sculptures and water fountains, surrounded by shops and eateries. The original Palace was once home to the Kings of Wurttemburg and is currently the home to the ministries of Baden Wurttemburg state government. I can think of no better place to experience historic beer, than in such a historic palatial setting.

"New Palace"

Until next time,
Prost!