Pitfield's Organic Shoreditch Stout

In the first review of an organic ale for my new series spotlighting organic brews, we investigate Pitfield Brewery and their Shoreditch Stout.  Organic ingredients plus a little bit of hipster Shoreditch and you cannot go wrong, right?

The beer!

This stout  was produced using organic malt, hops and sugar cane.   On the pour it was thick and viscous in its colour, dark brown with little to no bubble and just a sprinkle of a beige head.  On both the nose and taste it carried notes of espresso with a little chocolate.  Overall, not of overbearing strength (4%)with an enjoyable mellow taste with enough to savour.

Pitfield Brewery

Pitfield Brewery used to be based in the Shoreditch neighbourhood of east London before moving out to Essex.  As per their bottle, ‘Pitfield Brewery has been producing award winning beers for over 25 years.  All of our beers are brewed by hand in small batches using the finest floor malted organic malt and the best organic hops available. In addition to our usual range of 12 distinct, quality beers, each month we are brewing to an historic recipe.  We hope you enjoy drinking our beer as much as we enjoy brewing them“.

While they began brewing in 1982 after opening a bottle shop the year before, it was in 2000 that their full range was certified organic by the Soil Association.  This came after the success of their Eco Warrior beer, named after those in the environmental movement who use a more hands-on approach to protest.  Since 2003, they have brewed a range of non-organic ales with historic recipes on a monthly rotation while the base range of 12 remains all organic.  If interested you can either order them on-line through their shop or at City Beverage Company.  You can find them located on my map here.

Organic Notes

This beer is certified organic by the Soil Association.  What exactly is the Soil Association, and what do they stand for? Here is a quick run down of the Soil Association, and our first organic facts.

1. The Soil Association is a charity which operates as a members’ organisation supporting organic production through direct action and advocacy.  It was founded in 1946 by a, ‘group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health’.
2. The Soil Association Certification is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil Association which certifies 80% of the organic products for sale in England.  It certifies products in line with European Union labeling legislation (no. 2091/92).
3. A product can gain organic certification if it has at least 95% organic ingredients.  There are non-food items such as salt, yeast and water plus some additives allowed, but no artificial colouring or sweeteners. For more information see here.

What’s in a name: Shoreditch Stout

Graffiti on Pitfield Street in Shoreditch

For centuries, Shoreditch, the area on the north eastern boarder of the City of London (the square mile area originally settled as Londinium in the 1st c AD) has had a notorious reputation for the seedier and sinful side of life.  Out of reach of the prying eyes and law of the Lord Mayor of London and his alderman, Shoreditch gained a notorious reputation for itself and what transpired in its dark alleys.  In Elizabethan times, this was the first haunt of Shakespeare as he worked for what was probably Britain’s first purpose built play house, aptly called The Theatre. In St. Leonard’s Church, more commonly known as Shoreditch Church, is buried a number of notable actors of the age of Shakespeare, but its also the inspiration for modern acts like Bloc Party as per below with their lyric ‘let’s sleep in St. Leonard’s on this alcoholic day’ – it’s a love song.

Today, Shoreditch is one of the trendiest areas of London with the faithful flocking there in droves and skinny jeans every weekend to be seen. In fact, it is so quirky that being Normal in Shoreditch warrants its own website and jingle.

According to London Lore (Steve Roud 2008) there is disagreement about where exactly the name ‘Shoreditch’ actually comes from, the mid 17th c. legend far exceeds any truth.  As legend has it, the area is named after one Elizabeth ‘Jane’ Shore, who was a courtier to King Edward IV.  Supposedly she died destitute and in a ditch, hence lending her name to the area as ‘Shore’s Ditch’ or Shoreditch.  While her story is historically accurate, her death and donation of her name to the neighbourhood are sadly not.  The term Shoreditch had been around for nearly 400 years before that, but regardless of its validity Jane Shore still lives on to this day in its myth.

Regardless of the origin of the name, the area is replete in history and continues to be writing its own each day.  For some fun, go seek out some organic Shoreditch Stout and hunt for the ghost of Jane Shore while plumbing the green of Hoxton Square.  You never know what you’ll find as Shoreditch is anything but normal.

Roma from the steps at National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II

(6% Italian make from 375ml bottle) What comes to mind when you think of Italy? The sophistication, opulence and conquering spirit of the Roman Empire? Perhaps the eroding decay of the Dark Ages accompanied by the loss of the Greek and Roman advances in art, knowledge and governance? Or perhaps the triumphal return in the Renaissance where we again began to see the humanism of the Greeks and Romans perfected and advanced under the quill pen stroke of Galileo, the chisel of Donetello or the paint brush of Michelangelo?

Or maybe, just maybe, you go immediately to a modern day Emperor Nero, the current prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his utter disregard for the future of his state. Maybe you just go to that kitchen calender of Tuscany and sigh for a glass of white wine and a slice of tranquility.

My Antonia!

One thing which might not come to mind is beer!  Italian beer is the stuff of Peroni and Moretti nightmares right? Apparently not. My interest in Italian craft beer was stoked by a collaboration brew between Dogfish Head and Birra del Borga called My Antonia.  And after a recent trip I can say that I have discovered what others have known for a few years now. Italy has a small but thriving craft brewing scene dedicated to creating artisan beers through the utilisation of local and sometimes inventive ingredients.  It is a fruitful combination of Italian style and creativity infused with the spirit of the American craft brewing scene.  Both start with the old world styles, and offer their own inventive spins personalising the beers to create unique signature beers.

Keep the wine, pass me an Italian beer…

Domus Birrae shop in Rome. Go there.

One of the pioneering and driving forces behind the Italian craft brewing scene is Ted Musso, “a brewmaster with near-rock-star status in the Italian culinary scene” (NYTimes 2008).  After running for a pub on his own for ten years he decided to pursue his interests in beer further, and trained in Belgium on the art of brewing.  He then founded his own brewery, Birrificio Baladin, in 1996 in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.  Within a few years he was winning international awards at the Great British Beer Festival and well on his way to becoming renown for his beers.  According to Teo, “I want people to think of my beer as something that belongs on a table in a good restaurant” (NYTimes 2008), and at his Casa Baladin restaurant and hotel this is what guests can expect .  Both the Italian and American craft beer scenes have found friends in the culinary scene by matching beers to food, and its a perfect pairing for when thinking about Italy.

While still small, the movement is creating some great results.  According to the Chicago Tribune:

“What results are intensely complex beers rich with flavor and deeply drinkable. Abundant local ingredients, like faro and chestnuts, are common, but you can also easily find fruit (peaches or blueberries), vegetables (green pepper) and spices (chili) in your Italian craft beer. Yet the flavors are handled so deftly that you might not know they’re in there. Whatever you wind up tasting, odds are it will be memorable” (Chicago Tribune 2011).

Albeit slightly more difficult to track down outside of Italy due to the limited trading abilities of these mostly small enterprises, if you have the chance to sample some it could be well worth a try.

Almond '22 Pink Pepper Italian Pale Ale

Our beer!

Seeking to start with something which embodied some of the central tenets of Italian craft brewing, I am reporting on something which combines Italian style with a traditional recipe. The brewer, Almond ’22, is so named because their brewery is housed in a factory which processed almonds to create the ‘famous confetti of Solmona“.  The ’22 is for the year the factory was founded (1922), but the art of making sweets called ‘confetti’ goes back Roman times.  Interestingly, honey had to be used until the introduction of sugarcane from the colonies in the 15th century.

As per their website (with their own translation):

The spices and raw cane sugars come from the fair trade and are carefully selected; the honeys come from the green mountains and hills of our region. Malts and hops are the best available and are carefully selected from our supplier. Pure spring water from the mountains near Farindola is used to brew and no chemicals or preservatives are added.

This beer is an Italian interpretation of a Belgian Wit brewed using pink peppercorns.  Sounds interesting and slightly daring, but why pink peppercorns?  And what the hell are pink peppercorns again?

True red peppercorns are the fully ripe fruit of the piper nigrum vine from which black, white and green peppercorns also come. (The differences in color, flavor and aroma are due to different harvesting times and processing methods.) Red peppercorns are left on the vine to soak up the sun until the berries are mature. Just as they turn yellow and red, they are plucked by hand (Spice Lines 2008).

And finally, why would you use them in brewing? 

According to Cambridge Brewing Co who brewed a beer recently using peppercorns, “Pink pepper provides a high, floral character mostly as an aromatic”.

Now, how did it all come together?  On the pour it was a hazy golden straw orange colour with a fluffy white head.  The smell carried a sweet fruity aroma, and the taste followed suit with a slightly dry, fruity sweet taste with mild hop notes and spices.  The mouthfeel was creamy, and not overly carbonated though there was a nice bubble.  Overall, more flavourful than the previously reviewed Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Walt Wit, and a nice first venture into the world of bottled Italian real ale.

The Italian Job

Forget the red wine, pass me a craft ale Judas!

The Italian scene has been credited as following in the pioneering footsteps of the American craft brewing scene in its level of innovation of classic styles along with the use of inventive and sometimes unconventional ingredients.  A further demonstration of their compatibility and collaboration is the nearly completed rooftop brewery in NYC high atop the Eataly Shop.  The brewery and restaurant will be serving up the Birreria Brothers’ best, and no surprise here, its a collaboration of some of the best in both American and Italian craft brewing including Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Teo Musso (Birrificio Baladin),and Leonardo Di Vincenzo (Birra del Borgo).

According to Calagione, “The goal for all the Eataly beers is to have them be super-flavorful, super-food friendly, and very sessionable” (Dogfish Head 2010).  In a very interesting note to those of us who prefer cask ales, Calagione noted as well that, “all beers made on the rooftop’s copper clad 3.5 barrel brewhouse will be served unpasteurized and cask conditioned directly from hand-pulled beer engines,” (Wine Enthusiast 2011).  One can only hope that the trend of serving real ale which has been cask conditioned and hand pumped will continue catching on in the States where upon my most recent visits I have seen more than one pub with their own handpulls.  From the most recent post I could find about the project (20/04/2011), the brewery is completed and an awaiting inspection of the boiler (Dogfish Head 2011).

However, if you cannot get to NYC anytime soon, why not go to the source? When in the Rome over Easter, I came to find a number of establishments in the ever enjoyable medieval section of town called Trastevere.  A minor haven from the overly touristy areas of town, albiet a major destination in it own right, there were a number of fine establishments well worth a tasting tour. See below for map for a few places and also some bottle shops to seek out when next in the Eternal City.

A few, just a few places to check out in Rome!  If you have any good suggestions please let me know!

Life and Limb 'because one could do better than be a swigger of birches'

(10.2% American make from a 650cl bottle) This superb ale is the product of a collaboration between two of America’s most prominent craft brewers: Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.  As per the bottle, this beer is dedicated to those craft brewers who have fought against the tide of light lagers, and struck out on their own to defend taste.  The craft brewers of America who now number nearly 1600 (the most since prohibition) according to the Brewer’s Association brew in both collaboration and competition with each other, but always against the giants of the industry. This beer stands as an excellent example of what can happen when we work together.

The beer!

Life and Limb's tree symbolises the family of craft-brewers.

This beer is a symphony of taste.  To compliment that it has an amazing website and splendid art dedicated to it as well.  Life and Limb pours a dark brown porter or cola colour with a mocha head which stood about an inch until dissipating to a covering.  When you put your nose to the glass you first can pick up the roasted barley and a light caramel smell with a high alcohol sweetness along with light notes of chocolate and syrup.  On the sip it has a smooth mouthfeel with a slight bubble.  The flavour has notes of chocolate and a hint of syrup, but well-balanced throughout. Overall a very drinkable and gorgeous dark strong beer.  A rarity, and a gift not to be passed upon.

The make – what is behind the Life and Limb of this beer?

With the craft brewing brains of Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada involved one would have high hopes for this beer.  If any of the Dogfish Head’s other extreme beers can be used as examples, then there are bound to be some interesting ingredients.  So, what exactly went into making this fine beer? According to the bottle:

LIFE – this living ale is naturally carbonated to enhance complexity, refinement, and to encourage aging.

Living ale? Naturally carbonated?  As previously noted in my review of Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Walt Whit, a beer which is ‘living’ means that it is bottle conditioned.  There remains active yeasts within the bottle which continue to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.  This allows the beer to continue to mature within the bottle, but it also adds natural carbonation to the beer.  When you pour a bottle conditioned beer slowly into a glass you will see the residual proteins come out last as the darker sections of foam.  It is a matter of preference whether one leaves these in the bottle or pours into the glass.

CAMRA says this is a REAL ALE!

In the UK, CAMRA has devised a labeling scheme to identify bottle conditioned ales. Not all ales which are cask conditioned are bottled with yeast to create ‘living’ ales.  Unfortunately many are pasteurized and filtered ultimately affecting the freshness of the taste.  According to CAMRA,

Real ale in a bottle is unpasteurised and is not artificially carbonated. It is a natural live product which contains yeast for a slow secondary fermentation in the bottle. This process provides wonderful fresh flavours and a pleasant, natural effervescence.

As mentioned in my review for Meantime’s Coffee Porter, it is important to be label aware.  So the next time in your local shop or while purchasing British beers abroad you should look out for the Real Ale stamp on your favourite brew. To my knowledge, there is not a similar labeling scheme in the States.

While opinions differ, I prefer cask and bottle conditioned ales which are served without artificial carbonation. When on a brewery tour last summer at Lancaster Brewery Company, I had to take pause when the very pleasant brewer guiding us explained to me what happened after fermentation.  “Here is where we filter the beer (cringe!) and that is where the beer is pumped to be artificially carbonated (gasp!)”. I interrupted him to ask why they carbonate their beer, to which he said “Well, you carbonate soda and cask beer is far more complicated to care for”.  I know it’s now just common practice, and to enjoy what many see as ‘flat, warm’ English ales seems unappealing.  However, I find the often overly chilled and artificially carbonated beers sacrifice some of their taste and depth of character to this interference. But I digress.

Here are a few tips for the care of bottle conditioned beers according to the fabled professor of beer, Michael Jackson (not to be confused with the other also deceased MJ):

• “Never refrigerate the beer, as this will prevent the yeast from working.
• Keep it somewhere dark, not too damp or musty, with a cool and reasonably consistent temperature.
• If it has a real cork, lay it on its side, in a wine rack.
• When you are ready to serve it, carry it gently, so that the yeast sediment is not shaken.” (adapted from his FAQ site 2011)

LIMB – for the birch and maple trees, whose syrup gives this ale its unique flavor and symbolizes the collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head.

What is often taken for granted in bottle conditioned beer is the level of carbonation, which like the rest of the brewing process is an exact science.  We assume that a lager will have an abundance of bubbles while an ale will have comparatively little.  The amount of fermentable sugars and yeast in the bottle conditioned beers dictate the level of carbonation, and must be well regulated. Interestingly, the temperature of the beer as it ferments also greatly affects the level of carbonation.  Case in point, if you think of lagers and their colder fermenting temperatures versus the more warmly fermented ales.  Technically speaking, Northern Brewer Home Brew Supply puts it as the following,

“Quite simply, CO2 is soluble in a solution in an inverse relationship to the temperature of the solution. What this means is that the colder the liquid is the more CO2 can be held in solution. This is very important when you get to calculating your volumes of CO2 because the colder your finished beverage is the more residual CO2 will be in solution” (retrieved 2011 from Northern Brewery’s Advanced Bottle Conditioning).

When using tree syrup during secondary fermentation (bottle conditioning), the darker the colour the more flavour the beer will have. For Life and Limb, there were two different types of tree syrup used in the making of this unique beer. First, maple syrup was used in the boil. This syrup came from the Dogfish Head founder Sam Cagalione’s family farm in Massachusetts. Birch tree syrup from Alaska was then used during the bottle conditioning.  To the brewer’s knowledge this is the first beer made with birch syrup.

A word to the wise for anyone dealing with bottle conditioning in home brewing.  According to Home Brew Wiki, there are 3 things to watch out for when creating bottle conditioned beers to protect yourself from ‘bottle bombs’.

1. Bottling the beer to early: if you bottle the beer before the primary fermentation has finished you run the risk of the beer continuing in its fermentation process and over-carbonating. The solution is always check your final gravity to ensure that fermentation has ceased.
2. Over-priming:  if you add too much sugar to the bottle, the yeast could continue to produce carbon dioxide to the point of over-carbonation.
3. Infection:  a bacteria could ferment the sugars which the beer yeast strain could not ferment. (adapted from Home Brew Wiki Bottle Bomb retrieved 2011)

All of these could add up to some poorly made beer, or worse bottle bombs!

Dogfish Head Brewery – truly the small wonder

Dogfish Head Brewery: "Off-centered ales for off-centered people" (Thanks for the photo Tres!)

Sam Calagione is the unelected charismatic leader of the craft brewing movement.  He embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of American small business as he battles it out for shelf space against the behemoths of MillerCoors and AB In Bev who will pull out every dirty trick they can to stop people like Sam.

The Dogfish Head brewery was founded by Sam in 1995 as the first brewpub in the state of Delaware. Just like Sierra Nevada, it is run as a family business with Sam’s wife, Mariah, working as the Vice President of the company.  While he is from Massachusetts, she is from Delaware hence why the brewery is based there.  However, the name has its origin in where Sam used to spend his childhood summers in Maine, “Local legend has it that Dogfish Head, Maine is named Dogfish Head because when the lobstermen put out their traps near this particular point, they usually ended up with more dogfish (a small shark) than lobsters”. He has quipped that he did not want to go with a geographically tied name like Boston Brewery Company or for that matter the Philadelphia Brewing Company.

When they first started, they were the smallest commercial brewery in America.  Working on a 3 15 gallon barrels heated on propane burners, they were brewing day and night to keep the beer flowing for what would turn out to be a prosperous brewpub.  While this might not have been the most well thought out business plan, it did allow Sam the flexibility to experiment with different ingredients and flavours.  With great pride they still brew to the same basic formula now as they did when they first started:  on average each Dogfish Head beer has 6 ingredients and an alcoholic content of 9%.  Strong beers with unique flavour profiles turned out to be a winning combination.

Dogfish has pioneered the idea that we need to look outside the conditioning we have received on what is beer.  Isn’t beer supposed to be a  light lager which ‘tastes great but is less filling’? Frankly, no.  Through their recreations of historic beers such as Midas Touch, they have reverse engineered beers recipes from the dust of tombs.  Working with the University of Pennsylvania, they have brought to life recipes which were the drinks of kings.  Buried within their tombs for millenia, these unique beverages are being reproduced and are causing us to question what exactly is ‘normal’ beer.

As a part of their marketing, Sam professes that the proof is in the bottle.  Through hosting events, giving talks, starring in Beer Wars, and then going so far as to secure a reality TV show on the Discovery Chanel called Brew Master’s he is practically the prophet of the craft beer movement.

Sam has a simple recipe for success: be passionate about life and what you do with it.  Dogfish head’s motto, ‘Off-centered ales for off-centered people‘ stresses that through individuality and innovation one can find both happiness and success through your passion.

Sierra Nevada Brewery

Sierra Nevada Brewery's Pale Ale

A family run business since 1980, Sierra Nevada entered a barren landscape of American craft brewing.  Co-founder and president Ken Grossman was running a home brewing kit shop along with being an avid homebrewer himself.  The beer market at the time was even more heavily dominated by the Anheiser Busch, Miller and Coors then it is now.  But thankfully for all of us all craft beer lovers, Sierra Nevada fought back against the tide of bland, big business lager.

Along with co-founder Paul Camusi, Ken set up what would become one of the premier American craft breweries.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was their first beer, and is still their flagship.  For those of us living in London, this is currently available at Waitrose and is highly recommended.  After the release of this hallmark American craft beer, demand continued to grow and greatly exceed production capacity.  After several enlargements, the brewery is now outputting 800k barrels a year.

It is not only the phenomenal growth within a virtually non-existent market which is impressive, but also the way in which they have accomplished this feat.  The company has not only grown exponentially but also sustainably constantly setting the bar for environmental excellence.  This type of growth which places ethics before profit, and beer before business is the bedrock of this organisation.  Here a few of their accomplishments which deserve much more coverage than this:

• Fuel Cells:  The brewery installed one of the largest fuel cell systems in the country with 4 systems producing 1.2 megawatts of energy.  This system is then paired with their solar panels to provide nearly all of their electrical needs and minimise their environmental output.
• Solar Panels:  Precedent setting once more, they have installed one of the largest solar arrays in the US.  The 1.4 megawatts of energy which they create with their solar panels plus their fuel cell output helps them towards their goal of 100% sustainable energy production.
• Recycling:  In the latest information available, in 2007 they were able to recycle 98.2% of their waste – how much do you manage?  They have even created a cycle for their waste with the local cattle industry whereby their spent yeast is fed to the cows, who in turn delivery the cow manure compost to fertilise the brewery’s hop field.
• Transportation: Not stopping at their brewery’s doorstep, they have even moved into sustainable transport.  While utilising bio-diesel to power their local fleet from the vegetable oil recycled from their adjoining restaurant, they were also the first company in the US to buy a hybrid electric truck in 2009.  They have also developed a system of utilising the rails to bring in their grain and also distribute their beers from coast to coast.

Pioneers in both the craft brewing movement as well as environmentally sustainable practices, Sierra Nevada is worthy of praise for putting taste and sustainability before profit.

Life and Limb: a dedication to craft brewers

While the big guys have stripped the landscape of taste, the craft brewers are fighting to re-introduce it, and as the figures prove people are loving it.  Brewers like Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada have successfully altered the beer market in America to the point where the large multinational brewers have introduced their own fake microbreweries and sub-brands designed to confuse and confound consumers.  For example, have you ever sipped on a Blue Moon wheat beer? Not bad, but owned by Coors.  Clever marketing has delivered you what one might think a craft beer when it’s actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The success of the craft brewers to introduce unique styles and innovation which Life and Limb represents has been no easy feat when you consider that over 90% of what’s sold is a light lager with little to no taste.  The differentiation between the massive multinational conglomerates like Anheiser Busch (AB In Bev) or MillerCoors (a joint venture between SAB Miller and MolsonCoors) is not at all about what is in the bottle.  It has long been battled out through their enormous advertising budgets.

Through consolidations in the market and the squeezing out of competition by the aforementioned multinationals, the American beer drinker has been conditioned for decades to drink light lager.  Now, with 1600 brothers in arms, the craft brewer’s market share might be minuscule but sales are growing.  Compared to the profits of the big guys, craft beer sales have continued to grow despite significant drops in overall sales within the market.  According to the Brewer’s Association craft beer sales increased in terms of retail dollars by 10.1% in 2008 (5.9% by volume), 10.3% in 2009 (7.2% by volume), and 12% (9% by volume) in the first half of 2010.  As compared to the overall beer market which saw a decline of  2.2% in sales in 2009.

So while still a David, they have made the Goliath rethink their game.  But most importantly the craft brewers have offered us something we nearly lost decades ago:  taste, innovation and a sense of individuality.  Life and Limb is a delicious beer, and is rightly dedicated to all the craft brewers out there.  As per the bottle, “We are proud to share our Life and Limb with the thousands of other branches who collectively comprise the craft-brewing family tree. Sip slowly with friends and loved ones; savor – because one could do better than be a swigger of birches”.  So, as always: be aware of what is in your pint, the ramifications of your purchases, and cheers to something that matters.

Infinium Ale by the Boston Brewing Co and Weihenstephan Brauerei

(10.3% German and American make from a 750ml bottle) In a unique combination between the oldest existing brewery in the world and the largest American owned brewery (not to mention the largest craft brewer too), Infinium Ale was born from two years of collaborative work between the Weihenstephan Brauerei and the Boston Brewery Company.

To Infinium and beyond

As this beer was brewed to be sipped like a Champagne, it was duly enjoyed from .20 cl fluted glasses.  On the pour there are big bubbles within the light copper coloured body which has a glass-filling head that was thick, white, and effervescent. On the nose it has a mild malt flavour which presented itself as refined.  While on the sip, it has a Champagne bubble with a mild but high alcohol malt flavour, and little hop bitterness.  It manages the high alcohol content brilliantly without leaving any sugar behind on the lips, rather its fills you with a slight bubble and an overall well-balanced light, sweet, crisp flavour. While having the body of a Campagne, its taste was more akin to light barley wine.

The two years of research and development that went into making this beer certainly paid off. Within this unique ale, there are four different types of hops: Hallertau, Spalt, Tettnang, and Hersbrucker.  These noble hops are all German in origin and traditionally add more to the aroma than to the bitterness of a beer.  The malts were also a mixture of varieties including barley, wheat and oat.  There were two different yeast strains used; the first was from the Samuel Adam’s brewery, while the second (which accompanies the beer in the bottle) is a traditional Belgian yeast. The beer was developed as a collaboration between the two breweries while Samuel Adams was responsible for production. In brewing the beer, they played around a bit with the processes, as per the Samuel Adam’s website:

Our brewers rearranged the brewing process to create this ground-breaking beer, reintroducing the mash process into the brew kettle and the fermenter. The process used to brew Infinium is patent pending, and allowed our brewers to create a beer unlike any ever brewed under the Reinheitsgebot. Infinium is dry-hopped with Bavarian Noble hops for a light citrus flavor. Its then bottle-conditioned with a traditional Belgian yeast and fermented in the champagne-method to add another layer of flavor complexity, a bright clarity, and a fine carbonation to the beer.

Weihenstephan Brauerei

This brewery (Brauerei in German) sits atop the Nährberg overlooking the picturesque Bavarian town of Freising which is about forty kilometres north of München.  In 725, Saint Corbinian established a Benedictine monastery on the site.  His saintly symbol is the ever inviting saddled bear (picture a bear literally wearing a saddle).  As the story goes, on his way to Rome his horse was killed by a bear which the Saint Corbinian then promptly commanded to become his pack animal and carry his pack.  The unusually obedient and compromising bear evidently agreed, and the two merrily crossed the Alps on their way to Rome whereupon Saint Corbinian released him from his duty.  Mythology is curious thing isn’t it? The saddled bear become the symbol of both the saint himself as well as the city of Freising.  A famous former resident, Pope Benedict XVI, also carries the saddled bear within his papal coat of arms. He was the Archbishop of Freising-Munich and adopted it at that point, and then retained the symbol along his route to becoming pope.  Whether he enjoyed any brews from the Weihenstephan Brauerei one can only hope.

Weihenstephan Tap at the Zeitgeist in London

The brewery was founded in 1040 after acquiring a license from the town of Freising.  However, unofficially the brewery can make claims to have been brewing as far back as 768 when tax records show the presence of a hop garden on-site. The owner of the garden had to pay a tithe, or tax, to the monastery, and the brewery argues that this could prove the brewing of beer on the premises with the hops.  The site was sacked and destroyed by the invading Huns in 955, but this was unfortunately not the last time the area would be destroyed.  To make a list of who over the lifetime of the monastery sacked it would include a Bavarian emperor, the Swedes, French, Austrians, French…might be easier to say who didn’t sack it.  From the period of 1085 to 1463, ‘the Weihenstephan Monastery burned down completely four times, was destroyed or depopulated by three plagues, various famines and a great earthquake’.  So a picture is thus being painted of a very determined set of monks who were constantly brewing but also rebuilding their home.

Following on to 1516 when the Reinheitsgebot, or German Purity Law, was passed, the brewery had to adhere to this state law.  As reported recently in my post on Uerige’s Alt Bier, the Reiheitsgebot was less a recipe for beer and more an act of protectionism for bread. Originally, the law called for beer to be brewed with 3 ingredients (contrary to popular opinion): water, hops and barley.  The final ingredient, yeast, which was added later to the law, was a mystery to brewers at the time.  They would shovel out the bottom of the last brew and put it into the awaiting wort thereby adding the yeast needed to interact with the sugars and create alcohol (along with CO2). Or some brewers left the tanks open and allowed for what is now known as spontaneous fermentation to take place which is still used in Belgian Lambic style ales.  The Weihenstephan Brewery still brews to these strict restrictions to this day, and the Infinium Ale is no exception. However, as the beer uses not only malted barley but also wheat and oat, it is a modern understanding of the ancient law applied here for in 1516 the use of wheat and oat would not have been allowed.

Shortly before the foundation of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806, in a wave of secularisation the monastery was dissolved in 1803 with the stroke of a pen. The property and its rights were absorbed at that point, and have since been owned and operated by what is now the modern free state of Bavaria.  While the brewery continued, the monastery was successfully disbanded after enduring for over a thousand years.  This period in Bavarian history was a tumultuous time which after Napoleon abolished the Holy Roman Empire in 1802, the Kingdom of Bavaria was founded and sustained up until after WWI, when under the Anif Declaration, 738 years of rule by the House of Wittelsbach came to an end.  This marked the end of the German Empire and the transition from monarchy to republic, and interestingly enough the adoption of the Reinheitsgebot as a federal provision. The law was not applied outside of Bavaria until German Unification in 1871, and it wasn’t until 1919 that it became part of the tax law when Bavaria refused to join the Weimar Republic without it.

In 1852, the Central Agricultural School was moved to the Weihenstephan grounds, and this school would become a university renowned for brewing excellence.  Since 1930 it has been a part of the Technical University of Munich, and today at Weihenstephan they can claim to have the oldest still existing brewery along with a centre for academic excellence and training for the world’s brewers.

Boston Brewing Company a.k.a. Samuel Adams

Comparatively, The Boston Brewery Company (better known as Samuel Adams) is a relative newcomer in light of the 1000 year history of Weihenstephan.  But in the world of American breweries it is not only the largest craft brewery, but also the largest independent American owned brewery.  At less than 1% of the overall beer market, the fact that they are the biggest is more a statement on the industry, while still a comment on the strength of the organisation. It became the largest after the sale of Anheuser Busch to InBev which formed the largest brewing company in the world, AB InBev.  This Bud’s for you, says the massive multi-national faceless conglomerate! Moving on…

The story of Samuel Adams begins in the mid 19th c, when founder Jim Koch’s great-great grandfather was brewing in St. Louis, Missouri. During the 1870s, Louis Koch sold his own brand of lager which continued up until the American Prohibition and then slightly after.  Brewing stayed in the family, and Jim’s father Charles, was also a brewer.  He, like many other brewers in the mid 20th c, saw great consolidations within the market and a narrowing of variety.  After Harvard and a short stint in management consultancy, Jim set out to begin his own brewery. First, he needed a beer to brew, so he went to his father who rummaged about the family’s attic to discover an old family recipe which Louis Koch first penned in 1860.  This recipe is what would become Samuel Adam’s Boston Lager.

The name Koch chose for his first beer is an homage to the American patriot and statesmen, Samuel Adams.  Both Koch and Adams were graduates from Harvard, lovers of Boston, and each had ties to the beer industry in their families. Adams’ family operated a malthouse which produced the malt necessary for brewing.  There are arguments as to whether or not Adams ever actually brewed himself, but safe to say he was involved in the business. He played a prominent role in the lead up to and throughout the American Revolution, and as a member of the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.

Stay classy San Deigo...Infinium Ale by candle light?

At the time of Samuel Adams Boston Lager’s inception, beer in America was at an all-time low.  Considering the impressive array of breweries currently operating within the ever-expanding field of craft brewing in the States, it was dire-straights for beer lovers in the early 1980′s.  Jim Koch sought to offer a ‘better beer’ than what was available from any of the giant beer breweries, i.e. something with taste and character. He hit the road with samples of his beer and began going door to door at bars and restaurants in and around Boston trying to prove that beer could be good again.  The success of the company in the brewing industry can be proven by the fact that Samuel Adams has been awarded more awards for its varieties of beers than any other beer brand ever.  Samuel Adams was leading the way in the beer revolution, and yet again proving an honour to its namesake.

Aside from the success of the brewery, there are also some important points to note about The Boston Brewing Company which speak more to who they are than what they brew.  Every year, the brewery holds two different competitions which both culminate at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).  The first is an open submission for all home brewers to submit 3 of their best brews to be judged according to the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) and then by the brewery itself.  After the finalists are chosen, they are flown to the GABF where two winners are announced. A second parallel competition takes place amongst the Brewery’s staff where they can submit beers to compete against other staff members as well.  The beers are served at the festival and voted upon. The three winners then work with the Brewery to bring the beers to life on a larger scale where two bottles of each are packed for a mixed six-pack to be sold by Sam Adams.

Another programme is called the ‘Brewery the American Dream‘ which was set up in 2008 as a philanthropic endeavour to help small food and beverage companies get that crucial first loan.  This was set up through an initial endowment by The Boston Brewing Company of $250k and is run with the help of ACCION USA, who are a non-profit microfinance organisation specialising in small business loans.  By giving micro-credit along with advice to small businesses, the programmes seeks to help entrepreneurial individuals who, akin to founder Jim Koch, have a dream of making a prosperous enterprise spring from their passion. To date, the partnership claims to have created or saved 524 jobs and continues to supply the necessary start-up capital in terms of both cash and knowledge to help other small businesses succeed.

The last word…

This beer embodies many things, one of which is the spirit of community. Through a partnership between the two brewers, and their prominent roles both within the brewing industry as well as their communities, this beer acts as a delicious example of what we can achieve together rather than apart.

The Sun Inn Leintwardine

The Sun Inn, simply put, is one of the best places I have had the joy of visiting in my 3 years here in the UK.  It is here that you can sit and converse, catch up on local gossip, or placidly sip a pint and pet the pub dog. Sounds fairly standard doesn’t it? Well sadly, this is becoming far more the exception than the rule. The lost art conversation, the friendly smile and warming welcome of a village friend or visiting stranger, that was the role of a village pub or your neighbourhood local. These are institutions and vestiges of the past which were around before the distractions of pop music, fizzy lager, and fruit machines were installed and began to deteriorate at the fabric of pub culture.

A very short History of what ‘Pub’ means

Do you know what the word pub actually means? To be honest it was not something I knew when I first moved to London. The term pub is short for public house, and historically that is exactly what they were: a home open to the public where you could enter and sit for a cup of ale. Beyond just a place to enjoy an ale, the pub has held many roles throughout the years in British society, not least of all that of the beating heart of the community.  Your local landlord acted the part of friend, employer, vicar and host while wearing the well-balanced crown of both sinner and saint dispersing suds and advice.

Many factors over the years have led to the erosion of this role: recent examples could be the smoking ban or the economic downturn which drove people to sip in front of a telly alone instead of with mates at the local.  Many pubs also face closure due to increased competition as they fall victims to economies of scale by the Goliath’s pubcos (larger chain pub companies like Punch for example).  Or others languish under the prices forced upon them through being tied to one of the larger breweries. Many of the pubs I have reviewed here are such examples: places tied to Nicolson’s Co. or Fuller’s Brewery. While I frequent and enjoy many of these pubs and their unique and beautiful architectural significance and at times fine ales, they are missing something familiar, some legitimating factor that takes the new coat pf paint right off the wall.

This is however, not a story of woe, but one of continued hope and determination.  The Sun Inn stands as a victor, our David, where today you can still sit amongst others both known and yet introduced, and enjoy the sense of community which develops through a conversation over an old coffin table, some unmatching chairs, and the dizzying wall paper of this, my favourite pub.

History of the Sun Inn of Leintwardine

The Sun Inn (courtesy of Gary at the Sun Inn)

The Sun Inn resides in an unassuming stone cottage built sometime around or before 1846. It was assembled against the backdrop of the gently rolling hills of Shropshire in Hereforshire in the small rural village of Leintwardine.  The 1830 Beerhouse Act opened up the opportunity for any person to brew and sell ale and cider provided they purchased the right license.  Previously, the licenses had been held as lucrative monopolies by the local justices.  It is under this law that the license for the Sun Inn was procured somewhere between 1861 and 1871. The exact date is not known but it was during that time the original proprietor, William Jones, changed his occupation when in 1861 he was a tailor to that and Beerhouse keeper in 1871.

Fast forward to just before the onset of WWI when in 1913 Charles Lane takes over ownership of the pub.  His daughter, Miss Flossie Lane (1914 – 2009), and her brother would take over in the 1930s.  The pair managed the pub until 1985 when her brother passed away, and Miss Flossie Lane managed it herself.  She was able to undertake this single-handed until 2006, when in failing health the locals rallied to each rotate turns operating the pub while Miss Lane sat in her customary red arm-chair.

Parlour at the Sun Inn and Miss Flossie Lane's chair

This community of volunteers worked together until 2009 when she passed away at the age of 94 after having managed the premises for 74 years. Remarkably she passed away as the longest-serving British landlady, and also as a teetotaler for all her life. The community spirit and willingness to lend a hand to Flossie in her later years is the same spirit which still inhabits the pub.

Miss Flossie Lane of the Sun Inn immortalised in this oak misericord at St Mary Magdalene's, the first one carved in over 500 years.

Gary Seymour and Nick Davis took over the ownership of the pub after a spirited campaign by Mark Haslam and the Herefordhsire CAMRA branch which brought both local and national attention to the uncertainty of the pub’s future after Flossie’s death.  Gary and Nick were adamant about preserving the pub for future generations, as well as expanding the premises while fully maintaining the interior of the pub.  Their vision for the future of the pub is being to put action with construction underway.

Through both environmentally and locally sustainable means (such as solar paneling, rain water harvesting and a heat recovery system), the pub will live on for what I can only hope will be years to come.  I had the good fortune of visiting while the premises were under  construction, and so I look forward to another visit soon to see how the works panned out.

No bar, no cellar, no till, & no excuse not to talk.

The Sun Inn is the finest remaining example of a Parlour Pub in England, and quite possibly the last of its kind. Its importance to British culture was recently certified by CAMRA as it was awarded the best interior of any pub in the UK. A step into the pub is a step into the time where the beer was served not from behind a bar or counter, but directly from the cask.  You enter the foyer where the owner Gary greets you, and shows you through to the ales.

Foyer at The Sun Inn: Don't be intimidated, just have a seat and pint!

And remember to be kind to the pub dog Kato while he graces you with an inquisitive smell and gaze.

Kato, a Chinese Shar Pei, and company at the Sun Inn - mind the beer towels, they're his.

You turn left, and walk through the first parlour room: it’s a living room with several well-worn and comfortable chairs and a fire blazing.

The Parlour at the Sun Inn (seat to the right of the fire is preferred on a cold night...)

If you continue through here into the kitchen, you will find it lined with several kegs of ales awaiting your sip. Do mind the dog here, and make sure he keeps his head out of the bucket under the kegs, but you can’t really blame him though…

Sun Inn kitchen - notice lack of bar counter and cellar

A twist of the tap and your real ale comes flowing out, while you deposit £2.20 in the honesty jar in the cabinet.

Self-serve glasses and honesty cup at the Sun Inn

Take your ale and newly found sense of place, and find a seat in either the first living room or across the foyer into the larger living room (The Red Brick Bar), again accompanied by a fire place.  You will notice that the seating is inward facing awaiting you to fill the space with conversation.

Red Brick Bar the Sun Inn: mind the coffin table (thank you Gary and Sun Inn for photo)

Along the wall there are photos of times past and on-going traditions like the annual anointing of the Sun Inn Mayor.  There have been 18 mayors to date including Gary’s late dog, Hobson.  The mayor is appointed by the outgoing mayor, and has certain rights to the role such as wearing the ceremonial squirrel pelt cape, crown and septre.  Along the left wall is an old coffin table where the dead would have been laid out for the mourners to pay respects.  The red tiled floor and dizzying wall paper create a sense of a place frozen in time.

The interior of the pub is one of the best examples of a parlour pub unspoiled by ‘progress’ and modern fixtures.   The room in its modesty and country style is not necessarily its most impressive feature, though it is successful in creating a sense of belonging and comfort.  It is that which fills the space in this modest unchanged setting which leaves this pub a national treasure.  Preserved within the walls of this room is the nearly lost art of human interaction: a place where you can sit and not only talk, but equally important, listen to others. A place where there is still a genuine level of interest in the affairs of those other than yourself.  This space is sacred not for its architectural significance, nor the history of its prior occupants; it is not aesthetically beautiful like some of the others pubs on CAMRA Top Ten Interiors list like The Black Friars in London. The beauty of this place you cannot run your hands along like a pewter top bar, nor snatch through a well placed photograph. Here lives the art of human interaction which has seen our greatest stories passed down through generations, fermented social movements, delivered local gossip, and taught us the importance of the person sitting across from you.

A worthwhile visit

In my weekend in town, I had the good fortune of spending Friday night with co-owner Gary, while Saturday was spent musing with Dominic, an attentive and courteous employee.  The first night was spent in the living room with the local butcher, a teacher (and current mayor) and one gentleman who was ready for a debate on current affairs while Gary reviewed the pub’s history with us.  On the second night, we were seated in the Red Brick Bar with at times a dozen people, all connecting and conversing while sipping Hobson ale or cider produced in nearby Ludlow.

Conversations abound in the Red Brick Bar at The Sun Inn

The topics covered everything from the local village gossip all the way up to the state of the UK economy and international affairs.  Regardless of the content, it was the presence of dialogue and the simple act of conversing which made it so enjoyable. Walk into a pub here in London, and undoubtedly many other places, and look at the person across from you, and say ‘Ta mate, how was your day?’.  Why for many this may still be a common interaction, but it is unfortunately a dying form of tradition.  Replaced by incessant noise, impersonal customers and landlords, and a bad excuse for good pour of ale, many existing pubs and bars lacks the humanity that the Sun Inn preserves.

Sun Inn - The Red Brick Bar

Life is most well lived in the company of others, and conversation opens us up to the joy and suffering of those around us. This pub is one place where thankfully interaction like these still exist. As long as the Sun Inn can stay open and maintain this intangible sense of community, there is still hope that this idea permeates those who are lucky enough to visit and participate.

To find this gem on the map, you can find it along with the other reviewed pubs on my map below

The Sun Inn, Rosemary Lane, Leintwardine, Herefordshire. SY7 0LP

Update:  The Sun Inn has been named Herefordshire’s pub of the year for 2011 beating out 280 other pubs in the county!

Uerige's Düsseldorf Altbier

(4.7% German make from a 500ml bottle) Since 1862, Uerige has been brewing ‘leckere Dröppke’ in the heart of Düsseldorf.  An institution, the brewery is one of several in town which produce the unique Altbier (translated literally to ‘old beer’ or ‘old style beer’) which defies definition as either an ale or a lager.  Simply put, Altbier is a unique combination of brewing styles, and a survivor of the Reinheitsgebot which forced many breweries to close if they were found non-compliant to the strict Bavarian Purity Law after it was introduced as a federal measure.  Thankfully, Altbier did adhere to the new ‘purity’ laws, and was allowed to continue production.

Düsseldorf is the capital of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, which is the most heavily populated and one of the most economically productive in terms of GDP.  Its capital has a long history of brewing, and a great rivalry with its neighbour Köln, mostly about who’s beer is better.  While neighbouring Duisburg chimes in with König Pilsener, you cannot get away in either town drinking that of the rival’s.

Düsseldorf shows its love for Köln at Carnival

The beer!

Uerige’s Altbier, as described on the bottle, is the ‘leckere Dröppke’, which in German (along with a very strong Düsseldorf dialect) means ‘the delicious droplet’.  On the pour, it came out a copper colour looking akin to a brown ale, with an immense head on the pour which slowly dissipates down to a consistent thin head of froth.  On the nose there was a light hit of roasted malt while still reminding me of a lager.  The taste was well-balanced between the various malts and hops.  It was light in taste but not without character: hints of roasted and caramel malt flavours while it finishes with a hoppy taste that was crisp and refreshing.

The ingredients…the malts, the hops, the water but importantly the yeast!

Altbier is a unique combination of brewing styles: part ale and part lager but all Düsseldorf. The name ‘Altbier’ was originally used to differentiate the style from that of the pale lagers which were sweeping across Germany in the 19th c., and a reference to the old style of brewing which used warm, top fermenting yeast.

Malts: The malts used are a mixture of  pilsen, caramel, wheat and roasted barely. Pilsen is used as the base malt.  The caramel malts are produced through a process of controlled drying where the wet barley which has began to germinate is dried out, and the sugars caramelised.  The roasted barley is unmalted (meaning it hasn’t been exposed to water in order to cause it to germinate) and cooked at such a temperature that is won’t contribute to the alcoholic content of the beer, but rather deliver a mild nutty flavour amongst others.  The wheat helps contribute to the brilliant head on the pour.

Hops: The hops used in this brew come from the Hallertau and Spalt region of Bavaria and are examples of noble hops.  Hallertau is the largest hop growing region in the world with hops usually characterised as being mild but with a little spice. Both regions produce hops which are are more on the aroma side than those used to make the beer bitter.

Yeast: The yeast strains used in the Altbier are part of what makes this beer unique.  The top fermenting yeasts used are used for ales mostly, and ferment at a higher temperature (10°C – 25°C) than lager yeast (7°C – 15°C).  The yeast is called top fermenting because the yeast rises to the top of the fermentation tanks to create a thick, creamy white foam.  Bottom fermenting lager yeast strains go to the bottom of the fermentation tanks, grow slower and deliver that smooth lager taste.

Due to the higher fermentation temperature of these top fermenting yeasts, the outcome is the production of more esters (a chemical compound) than compared to lager yeast. Different yeast strains deliver different tastes, and the esters that these ale yeasts create can leave behind a range of flavours creating a fruity, spicy or flowery taste profile.  Those lovable little micro-organisms, yeast is essential to delivering the right taste, and hence brewers will consistently use the same yeast culture in order to ensure the right flavour. Other examples of top fermenting beers besides ales and Altbier are porters, stouts, Kölsch, and wheat beers.

Double fermentation: Uergie’s Altbier goes through 2 fermentation processes during brewing.  The first happens with the initial introduction of their unique yeast strain, and then when the time is right the ‘young beer’ is cooled down and allowed to mature.  During this maturation process, secondary fermentation takes place.  The beer is allowed to mature for at least 3 weeks in cooling tanks until the brew master decides it has become the ‘leckere Dröppke’.

To bring it full circle: The beer is first fermented with the warm top fermenting yeasts strains which deliver the near ale, mild, malt flavour. However, then the beer is cooled allowing the  secondary fermentation process to deliver the smooth crisp mouthfeel of a lager, and hence why the beer differs from an ale.

Reinheitsgebot

According to the brewer’s website, they still adhere to the Reinheitsgebot, or what is commonly known as the German Beer Purity Law which was first passed in Bavaria in 1516.

It goes without saying that the Reinheitsgebot, or Purity Law, dating from 1516 is still adhered to – it has a positive and long-lasting effect, precisely because it lays so much importance on natural ingredients.

What exactly is the Reinheitsgebot? Well, translated ‘Reinheit’ means ‘purity’ while ‘Gebot‘ means ‘commandment’.

Q1: So what exactly is this? Is it an assurance of quality that the beer is free from adjuncts and made from the best most pure ingredients? Well, in short, no.  Its intention was to protect the supply of the more suitable malts like wheat and rye for baking (bread being more important to some people evidently). In this way it is more a bread law than a beer law. Specifically, it allowed for only 3 ingredients, “We wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be barley, hops and water’.  Forgetting something? Yup, yeast.  These fruitful little micro-organisms were not known at the time of writing in 1516, and hence left out until later amendments.

Q2: So this was a law covering all of Germany? Well, again, no.  First off, ‘Germany’ as we currently understand it is a modern nation state which has evolved over the course of a long history.  The Germanic tribes were not bound to any notion of statehood. Historically, they were the ones who defended the Rhine from the Romans, and managed to deliver one of the  worst defeats the Empire ever experienced in what is known as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, or Schlacht im Teutoburger Wald. This decisive battle brought the complete destruction of 3 Roman legions and approximately 20k casualties. These legions, numbered XVII, XVIII, and XIX, never had their numbers used again within the Roman military.  This was a unique feat which pays homage to unparalleled destruction which caused the Romans never to attempt another conquering of of the lands beyond the Rhine.

Q3: So if not the whole of Germany first, than just Bavaria? How did it become a German law then? The law was originally passed in Bavaria in 1516, which was considerably smaller than it is now. It has grown in size through land acquisitions resulting from a number of historic events including the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars where it saw its land mass double in the early 19th century.  Currently, Bavaria is the largest German state by land (20% of the overall country is Bavarian) and second only to North Rhine Westphalia (the western state where Düsseldorf is situated) in population.  The law was not applied outside of Bavaria until German Unification in 1871, and it wasn’t until 1919 that it became part of the tax law when Bavaria refused to join the Weimar Republic. They insisted on this law being made a federal provision or else they would not join.  Düsseldorf (home of Altbier) and its neighbour Köln (home of another top fermenting beer, Kölsch) were some of the few traditional beer styles to survive as many local beers could not be produced any longer under the law which forbade their sale if they did not adhere to the Reinheitsgebot. However, thankfully Altbier did by chance adhere, and the ‘leckere Dröppke’ was allowed to keep being brewed. 

The truth of the matter is that many German beers are delicious and arguably the best in class, but this is not because of any ancient law. It comes down to one thing: they have a long rich history of brewing and know exactly what they are doing.  Simply put, they make good beer because they are good at it. No Bavarian law proves that, the taste does.

Ureige's Düsseldorf Altbier

Altbier, the pride of Düsseldorf, does deliver something to brag about.  The unique combination of malts, noble hops and top fermenting yeasts which are then cooled and lagered to produce an outstanding beer style, should indeed create envy within Köln (though they may disagree).  Düsseldorf is a charming city with the Altstadt (historic city centre) being known as the ‘longest bar in the world’ filled with brilliant breweries and medieval buildings.  If the Altbier wasn’t enough, then try some of the Killepitsch liqueur which is said to contain 98 different herbs, berries and fruit.  They even have a window where you can walk up and order it off the street – oh German ingenuity. So the next time in Germany be sure to visit the home of Altbier, stroll the Altstadt, and pop into Uerige’s brewery, where you can sip the ‘leckere Dröppke’ and appreciate the art brewing.

(Song of Myself)

A portrait of an artist.

(4.2% American make from 330ml bottle) With a faithful reproduction of the Belgian Wit style, Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Walt Wit does have its own unique take upon the classic continental style.  This a brewery that is proud of Philadelphia, proud to be brewing in Philadelphia, and proud to be a part of revitalising their local community in the Kensington section of the City of Brotherly Love. This is one of their four flagship beers, and was smuggled back with me from Philly to London on my last trip.  Anything quoting Whitman has to be good right? Well, let’s see, shall we.

The beer!

The beer pours with a thick white head that thins down but sustains itself through the sipping.  This is situated atop a golden, straw coloured body with a consistent bubble and clear unfiltered sediment.  Take one look at the bottle after you are done pouring to see the residual sugars left over after the secondary fermentation has run its course.  On the nose you will pick up a slight citrus kick.  When sipped, this beer is surprisingly not overly bubble.  It has a mild citrus flavour owing to the grapefruit peel used in the brewing, and a mouth drying slightly tart flavour reminiscent of a Gueuze Lambic ale. There is also a slight spice to it but nothing over the top because besides the grapefruit, a bit of chamomile was used as well.  Overall, not overly complex but well-played for a Belgian Style Wit bier.

The style!

The Wit is first and foremost a wheat beer.  The malt components are usually a nearly even split of malted barley (2 row variety) and unmalted wheat.  A small bit (5% give or take) will be composed of oats.  The high level of protein from the malt gives the beer is characteristically hazy appearance. This is a style that predates the hopping of beers when different herbs or spices were used instead.  The hops are added in order counter the malt sweetness with some bitterness, and in a witbier they are used sparingly, if at all. Here the minimal hops added were locally sourced from the Kensington Greensgrow Farms of Philadelphia. In the Belgian-style, there are a number of flavourings added.  Traditionally this will include oranges of two types, one sweet and the other bitter.  On top of this, coriander is usually added also to bring that distinct spicy taste which you associate with Belgian beers.

PBC’s version

This beer is a solid representation of the style, as PBC use all three types of malts in their batch.  The flavourings include not only orange peel but also grapefruit. I would assume this is done to give it the necessary tartness which otherwise is difficult to produce. For the spice, coriander and chamomile are added.  The spicing can be a fairly complicated thing, and can include a number of other spices like pepper or cumin.  Here the use of the two different citrus peels plus the spices bring about the well-balanced and well-recreated Belgian-style Wit.

Sediment

You might ask what all that gunk at the bottom of the bottle is. Well, it’s the yeasts from the secondary fermentation along with some residual proteins which have settled to the bottom after chilling the bottle. This is a correction to what I had previously thought (thanks avid reader and beer professor SSchrader).  Contrary to what I had thought, the sediment will probably not be fermentable sugars because they will have been consumed and converted to alcohol until the yeasts can’t take it anymore because of either the pressure or the level of alcohol in the bottle.  It is actually quite bad to leave too much sugar in the bottle for fear of either the taste going off (acidic) or the bottle being vulnerable because of the significant pressure from the carbonation due to the CO2 created by the yeast (bottle bomb – boom baby boom).

The beer will have undergone its primary fermentation at the brewery.  It is then bottled with some active yeasts which continue to act on the sugars present.  This is a very common thing in traditional Belgian beers where at the end of the pour you see slightly thicker and seemingly off-coloured liquid coming out.  When it hits the white foamy head, it leaves its trace.

Unfiltered

This beer is unfiltered meaning that the existing yeasts which performed the primary fermentation were not filtered out after brewing. Believe it or not, but when you open a bottled beer, and it pours out crisp and clean with nothing floating around in it, that is no mistake.  For the sake of cosmetics, yeasts are removed.  In cask conditioned ales here in the UK, there are a variety of ways to make the yeasts settle during the fermentation process, for instance through the introduction of fish swim bladders. I have been on several brewery tours here, and have had the process explained.  The fish swim bladder is put into the fermentation tanks, and as it floats down, it pulls the yeasts down with it, making it easier to remove.  When the ale is then put in the cask (keg), some more swim bladder can be added, and if cellared correctly with the cask sat properly, the swim bladder will again congeal the yeasts to the bottom of the keg. No brewer has yet been able to explain to me where the idea to use a fish’s swim bladder comes from, but it works.

Why bottle condition? Well, for a few reasons.  First, when yeasts strands are present in the bottle, they  help add natural carbonation (CO2 released during the fermenting of sugars by the yeast).  Sadly, some beers are artificially infused with gas to provide the carbonation (I’m looking at you, lager).  Think about it this way: when you have an English IPA on cask it has an initial subtle head to it which dissipates after it is poured.  This is because as it was pumped out of the cask the natural carbonation is released and a head is produced.  Take now an American IPA, which is not on hand pulled cask, but rather from a gas pump.  The carbonation in the beer is artificially added to give it that bubble. Personally, I prefer the natural cask conditioned ales to the artificially carbonated ones, but opinions differ.

The brewery!

Philadelphia Brewing Company began producing in 2008 after the owners Bill and Nancy split from the Yard’s Brewing Company.  They operate in the Kensington section of Philadelphia on the premises of a brewery built in 1885 for Weisbrod & Hess.  The Weisbrod & Hess company were brewing on-site up until Prohibition was ushered in with the eighteenth amendment in  1920 over President Wilson’s veto.  After thirteen long years that saw the rapid growth of organised crime, the twenty-first amendment was passed and signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.  Weisbrod & Hess brewed until 1939 when they went out of business.  Decades past and the Kensington area saw much of its former industrial production disappear, leaving the area impoverished. When PBC came into the neighbourhood things were looking grim, but they have fought long and hard to turn not only the area but its reputation around for the better.

Active members of their community, Nancy and Bill have helped in organising local events and prefer to look at their staff as extended family.  They believe in their local community, and have partnered with a local growing scheme called Kensington’s Greengrow Farms.  This is one amazing outfit, and an organisation worth supporting, because not only did they supply the hops used in the Walt Wit, but they also operate a brilliant community growing scheme, nursery, farmer’s market, and a nifty website filled with good recipes.

Philadelphia Brewing Co's Walt Wit

Walt Whitman?

Walt Whitman was born on Long Island, NY in 1819, and is credited as being one of the most influential American poets.  He worked throughout his life in various roles going back and forth between differnt journalism jobs in order to make ends meet.  His seminal work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855.  He continued to work on this collection throughout his life, and completed it shortly before his death in 1892 while living in Camden, NJ. Living through most of the 19th c, Whitman bore witness to many important events in the expansion and formation of the US.  This was a tumultuous period in American history with the culmination of decades of compromise and in-fighting over the expansion of slavery. Whitman volunteered as a field nurse during the American Civil War.  He witnessed first-hand the carnage wrought when the Confederacy of the United States of America seceeded pitting neighbours and families against each other. The central issue was not only a human rights one, but that of a division of power and economic drivers between the industrial North and the agrarian South.

Whitman will remain an important figure within the canon of American poetry.  He was able to transcend the contemporary understanding of nature and man, and elevate them to something worthy of poetry. As with painting for example during the Italian Renaissance, the human form was held up with the same regard as those creatures of divinity. His humanist views evoke powerful emotions and are a tribute to the senses.

I will close this entry with the ending of one of my favourite poems of his, Song of Myself, and again say cheers to something that matters.

I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filter and fibre your blood.

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.

Meantime's London Stout as photographed at the Cafe Below in the Crypt of St Mary le Bow

(4.5% English make from 500ml bottle) “What preparations to make a jar of porter! What commotion, what cranking and rattling of machinery! Beer barrels larger than a house in the Highlands! Cooling vats as wide as an ocean!” (Johanna Schopenhauer 1810).  Cobble stone roads and the trample of horses, the smell of smoke omnipresent with the burgeoning industrial revolution enveloping the City.  Scores of immigrants and English alike walk the streets, work the streets, and tire endlessly to put food on the table.  The kingdom is building, and imperialism has yet to be redefined by the impact of Great Britain. As important as the machine grease, dark ales lubricate the workers as they toil away.

The porter was born on the streets of 18th century London, and its stronger brother ‘Porter Stout’ (later shortened to just ‘Stout’) was happy to join in the revelry. The history of the stout is intrinsically tied to that of the porter.  Both dark ales, the former being a stronger version of the latter, they were the drink of choice for the workers of this fabled City.  The porters, the haulers, the movers and shakers who powered commerce and trade by ferrying goods led a difficult and trying life. But the light at the end of dark shift was equally ominous with a pint of porter or a jug of stout awaiting you at the local public house.

Meantime's London Stout as photographed at the Cafe Below in the Crypt of St Mary le Bow

The beer on review today, the Meantime Stout, hearkens back to these days before universal suffrage and before the outlawing of slavery.  The days before working standards and the dis-empowerment of Europe’s royalty.  These were the days of goods being trafficked all over this great City with the main thorough fares being places like Smithfield and Spitalfields.  The men who were the mules of their day guzzled the dark stuff, and this recipe is a faithful recreation of that.

The taste!

When poured, bubbles line the glass with carbonation as the cream coloured head builds over a deep, dark brown/black body.  On closer inspection, with your nose to the glass while hoping no one thinks you look a bit mad, you pick up some subtle vanilla hints.  On the palate it tastes a little sweet with a slight coffee/vanilla/caramel taste while well-balanced with a good mouth feel and a lasting bitter finish.

Meantime's London Stout as photographed at the Cafe Below in the Crypt of St Mary le Bow

The make!

So what exactly is different between this and say your average Irish stout? According to Meantime, “Meantime London Stout is made in the original London way, with an 100% malt grist including the original brown malt and no roast barley. This gives the beer a more velvet mouthfeel and greater vanilla notes than Irish alternatives”. Grand, now what does that mean?

• …100% malt grist – To start, what is 100% malt grist? Well, according to my sources this means that the brewer is not using any kind of cost-cutting adjuncts such as corn, rice or any malt extracts which could come as a powder or a syrup. Of note, some adjuncts are added to deliver a specific style and not necessary just to cheat costs.  For example, wheat can be added in order to create better head retention. If you think about the difference between a German Weissbier and an English ale, it becomes pretty clear what role an adjunct like wheat can play.
• …the original brown malt – There are many different types of malts used to make beer, but traditionally porters and stouts were made with English brown malts.  The brown malt needs to be mashed before it is toasted, which means that it has to be soaked in hot water in order for the enzymes to convert grain starches into sugars which can be fermented. On the contrary, Irish stouts use roasted malts, which are a type of ‘specialty malt’ that does not require mashing.  These malts are cooked at high temperatures, and as a results they cook in the husk while retaining a caramel like flavour (for more information and my source here see How to Brew).
• London water - Another important distinction in the flavour profile is the use of water from London.  The chemical composition of the water plays a vital role in determining the balance between the hops and malts.  London water, along with that of other traditionally dark brewing capitals like Dublin, is more comparatively more alkaline than Burton on Trent. Therefore, when using darker and/or roasted malts that are naturally more acidic (as compared to pale malts), the combination of an alkaline water and an more acidic brew mix well together and more easily than it would with pale malts.

Meantime's London Stout as photographed at the Cafe Below in the Crypt of St Mary le Bow

Truth be told, this is an excellent example of the London style stout.  As they say, ‘We’re from Grenwich. We know about time’, and after a few sips on this you will be glad that they indeed did take their time to craft another spectacular beer intrinsically tied to London’s great history.  This particular bottle was enjoyed in the surreal confines of a nook in the Norman crypt of St Mary le Bow. The church hosts a restaurant called the Cafe Below that served up one excellent rump steak on my last visit.

The church, first built in 1080,  was destroyed by the Great Fire and the Blitz, but the rebuilt Wren masterpiece still sends out the bell chimes which famously define the Cockneys.  If one was to be born within the bells of the Bow, then you were a true Cockney they say.  Many a porter of London could claim such heritage along with enjoying the dark ales of their day.  Thanks to Meantime, we too can throw a few back after a long days work and cheers to something that matters.

Adnam's East Green Carbon Neutral Ale - thank you Adam for the gift!

(4.3% English make from 500 ml bottle) Adnam’s East Green ale is as refreshing on the taste as it is on the environment.  The first carbon neutral British beer that champions environmental concerns while not sacrificing taste.  This ale is produced by the Adnam’s Brewery of Southwold, Suffolk, and uses a unique combination of local sourcing and supply chain optimization techniques to offset its carbon footprint.  Is it clever marketing or an honest attempt?

First off, the beer!

On the pour, this is a light golden ale with a frothy white head which dissipates quickly.  It smells and tastes cool like a refreshing golden ale, with a mild citrus touch and a nice bitter aftertaste.  This type of ale is best enjoyed in the spring and summer and so for me – in September – this is the last of a disappearing seasonal variety.

Carbon Neutral?

So what exactly does it mean to be carbon neutral? And why the hell does that matter? Well, to be carbon neutral means that something has a net zero carbon footprint, i.e. however much carbon is created in its production process is then offset through some other form of activity.  In this case, the beer has a net zero carbon footprint because of several key steps taken by the brewery. Case in point, from ingredients to bottle design this beer is conscious of its environmental impact.

Case in point:

• Marris Otter malts are grown and malted in East Anglia. Locally grown and processed means that transport is kept to short distances only and thereby creates less CO2 emissions (hence all that ‘buy local’ stuff you keep seeing on cotton tote bags).
• Boadicea hops are used because they are a local variety and they are naturally resistant to aphids. These little bugs are usually killed using a pesticide which is harmful to the environment, so using a hop strand with natural defenses allows for less chemicals. Its this hop variety which delivers the slight citrus/grassy taste.
• During the brewing process they capture 100% of the steam and use it to heat 90% of the following brew through their Energy Recovery System.
• The bottle is made from a lighter glass which helps reduce its weight and therefore utilises less fossil fuels in transport as well as produces less for recycling or waste.

Might this be just a marketing ploy? How do I trust all these companies exploiting the ethical consumers’ ever growing niche market?

There is nothing more dangerous than knowledge, and an educated consumer is a powerful one. It pays to do your research and study your labels.  There are a number of independent labeling schemes which seek to create their own brand awareness through labeling something as ‘ethical’ or ‘organic’.  Take for example, Fairtrade, which is an independent labeling group that investigates and assesses supply chains to ensure that the developing world’s producers receive a fair deal on the raw materials they provide, for instance through guaranteeing a standard minimum price farmers can rely on.  When you see a Fairtrade logo, as explained in my review for Meantime’s Coffee Porter, you can rest assured that the supply chain was well-managed, and the producers received a sustainable, consistent and fair deal.

But be sure to remain logo aware – not all logos are created equal! Take for example the Rain Forest Alliance.  While this may look like a parallel and equal scheme, you make the call: unlike Fairtrade where a company cannot carry the emblem unless 100% of the raw ingredient is sourced Fairtrade, the Rain Forest Alliance will allow companies to use its stamp when a meager 30% share of a product’s content meets its criteria. Also, a very important difference is that the Rain Forest Alliance does not guarantee a minimum price for producers, because it is focused on its environmental and not on social impact.  For example, according to a Guardian article, a price breakdown would look like this:

• Fairtrade guaranteed minimum price to developing country producer = $1.21/pound of coffee plus a $.05 ‘social premium to invest in community projects’
• Rain Forest Alliance will not guarantee a minimum price, but argues that it can still provide a high price for the coffee. Their price for the same pound of coffee was $.96/pound without any additional premiums. This is tied directly to the global coffee market, one which is like any other commodity market, subject to economic forces of supply and demand which can lead to a volatility.  The net result is an economically less sustainable living which may potentially reinforce and sustain poverty. On the other hand, it does guarantee environmental standards which contribute to sustainable livelihoods.
• So what does it come down to? PRICE: minimise overheads and maximise profit at any cost. Any cost.

What impact does this have? Well according to one producer (from the Fairtrade website):

“Without the alternative trade market, the reality for our co-operatives would have been different. The learning process and price premium have made the difference between a group of producers with a chance of obtaining a dignified level of life and those producers without.” Carlos Vargas Leiton, Coocafe Manager

So what do the logos on the the actual beer mean??

With East Green Ale, there are no fairtrade logos involved, because its ingredients are sourced locally and not overseas. But, you see 2 logos on the back: CRed and Carbon Trust.

Knowledge is power - read up about your labels!

CRed operates through the University of East Anglia and was the independent assessor of the work done by Adnam’s Brewery to reduce their carbon footprint and create what they believe to be the first carbon neutral beer. According to the manager of CRED (Adnam’s Brewery Website), “The carbon lifecycle assessment from farm to delivery helps Adnams target key elements in the process and reduce the emissions of the overall product”.

The Carbon Trust is a private sector firm which seeks to help both public and private sector clients reduce their carbon footprints.  The logo here is for an award which in 2007 recognised the Adnam’s Brewery as the annual winner of the Carbon Trust/ Daily Telegraph Innovation Award having taken both the spot for best private sector firm as well as top notch for best UK firm for carbon innovation.

So how do I reduce my carbon footprint?

Alright, so there are many books and studies about this, but be sure of of a few things: climate change is real, its bad for humans as well as all those other living organisms on earth (you know cute things like otters and puppies but also important things like bees and trees). Here is a quick and by no means complete list of a few tips on how you can make an impact borrowed from Carbon Footprint:

• Switch your electricity company to a green company (find out more here)
• Turn off your electrical appliances when there are not in use! Lights, DVD player, computer…!
• Turn down your central heating as well as the water heating. Go for a light reduction of something like 1-2 degrees C (say 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and review your bills for savings
• Run on your dishwasher and laundry only when its full! And hang dry! It takes up half my flat, but saves me plenty in electricity…
• Only boil what you need in that kettle!
• Car share, use public transport, get a bike (take a helmet, trust me)
• Buy local, organic and/or seasonal fruits and vegetables when available
• Ditch the plane and go for the train: I recently took the train from London to Provence, France and it was brilliant, and not to mention a much more pleasant way to travel. It was actually virtually the same amount of time when you factor in getting to and from the airport, checking in… plus you can take bottled beer (or wine since it was France)…on board!

Climate change is something which we can help minimse in our everyday activities, much like the negative impact on the developing world’s producers in how we act as consumers.  Whether it is using green energy companies, buying Fairtrade coffee from Cafe Direct, or drinking East Green ale, it is important to be an ethical and educated consumer.  Powerful elites in business, much like in government, fear one thing: an educated public with a will to act.   Knowledge is power, and that power can change the way governments and business is run.

You want proof? Why not ask Sainsbury’s who switched to only carry Fairtrade bananas solely due to consumer demand? It was the largest commitment of its kind to date, and set a precedent for what knowledge and will power can accomplish in the retail industry. And for Adnam’s role, I applaud them and hope other industry leaders follow suite.

Now stand up and be counted, as they are already counting on you not to…and again cheers to something that matters.

Chatoe Rogue's First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager

(6% American make from a 650ml bottle) Dirtoir Black Lager is the second in the Grow Your Own series from Rogue Ales.  A modern twist on a classic German-style Schwarzbier, this lager will win you over.  What’s in a name you say? A lot apparently, and Rogue did not want to leave any doubt in your mind with this one. The dirtoir is a play on the French word noir meaning black, while the black fist gripping hops and malts with the slogan ‘Grow the Revolution’ leads us to believe this is an act of rebellion not just consumption.

The taste!

This black lager presents on pour a thick, opaque body with a dark mocha coloured head.  It smells of chocolate and sweet malts, which hints at the ensuing taste.  With a fine, rich chocolate and roasted malt taste on the front, it has a nice bitter touch on the end which together make it smooth in the mouth while providing a long-lasting finish.  This bottle conditioned, black lager does not disappoint with its rich flavour profile and well-balanced mouth feel.

This wonderful taste profile is accomplished through the following Rogue Brewery grown ingredients: Melanoidin, Carafe Special II Black, Chocolate and Rogue Micro Barley Farm first growth Risk Malts; Rogue Micro Hopyard first growth Independent and Revolution Hops; German Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water.  No chemicals, preservatives, or additives.

When looking at the bottle, one wonders how strong is this beauty? Funny thing is that it does not say its strength, but rather gives a run down of some seemingly confusing acronyms where one would expect something like a number and % for ABV.  Well, so we are all better for the knowledge, here is a quick lesson in what I can gather about some complex subjects. The following is a run down of the description of the beer’s characteristics as described by Rogue, and what they mean:

• 15° Plato: The Plato Scale is an alternative to using Specific Gravity, both measure the amount of sugars in a solution. In brewing, it is the measurement of sugar in the wort and beer.  The Plato Scale has the advantage of quantifying the amount of sugars available for fermentation. This beer has 15° on the Plato Scale. Now, the way to figure out the strength of the beer, according to their FAQs page, is to take the Plato number and divide it by 2.5 for a rough estimate of the strength. So, here the strength is roughly 6% (15°/2.5 = 6). Easy right?

• 35 IBU: The scale for determining a beer’s bitterness derived from the hops is measured in IBUs, or International Bitterness Units.  Beers with a higher malt content, for example a black lager such as this or a stout, will have more IBUs in order to balance out the malt flavour and produce a balance profile.

• 68 AA : The AA stands for Apparent Attenuation.  This a measurement of the amount of sugars fermented by the yeast, and is derived by looking at the original gravity (that before fermentation) and the final gravity (after fermentation).

• 75° L: The scale used to quantify the colour of the beer is Lovibond, and is measured in degrees (°) L. You can think about it as a colour spectrum for beer: on one side are your pale lagers and pils, on the other are porters on up to imperial stouts.  This is an important distinction in judging a beer which, as explained by friend and font of micro-brewing knowledge, Steve Schrader, can allow the trained eye to ascertain even what malts were used. As he explains, Guinness will fall somewhere around 35°, with the black colour having entered the scale at around 25°.  If you shine a light through it, you will see it illuminate the brew to a ruby-red colour.  This beer, a jet-black lager, weighs in at 75° and is more akin to motor oil. Drink up!

For even more information on the science of brewery can I suggest signing up to the B.U.Z.Z group for their newsletter.  They meet monthly in what is my local micro-brewery back in the States, Iron Hill Brewery.

GYO!?

As per the bottle, this lager is, “Dedicated to Farmers and Fermenters.  GYO is a Rogue Ales term for Grow Your Own.  We made this beer with our own hops and barley”.  Removing links in the supply chain not only decreases cost, but also allows for  more control over the product.  In this case, it started first with hops.  When a few years back there was a global hop shortage, prices went up ten fold.  Brett Joyce, the president of Rogue Ales, is quoted in the Chicago Tribune as saying, “We wanted to make sure that we never had to tell our brew master that we didn’t have hops for him to use.”  And so it began that they purchased and now operate a full farm where they produce their own hops and barley.

The style!

This beer is an excellent example of a particular German-style lager called a ‘Schwarzbier’, literally meaning ‘black beer’. Bottom fermenting yeasts from Rogue called ‘Oktoberfest’ eat up the malt sugars to produce this fine lager. The chief difference between this and traditional lighter lagers is the presence of dark, roasted malts which gives it the chocolate taste and its opaque colouring.

Chatoe Rogue's First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager

The oldest surviving commercial example of this beer is Köstritzer Schwarzbier, famed as the beer enjoyed by Goethe, author of Faust. Whether the black brew was an inspiration for his Mephistopheles we will never know.  This brewery is situated in the state of Thuringia in what used to be a part of the GDR, or Deutsche Demokratische Republik (East Germany).  Having survived numerous wars and the Communist aquisition of the brewery after WWII, it has been producing the black stuff since as early as 1543 when it was first recorded.

Cheers!

Rogue’s rendition of this classic German-style black lager is an a winner, and a great example of micro-brewing in the US. While utilising classic styles and recipes, Rogue has been able to take a beer style with some considerable history and make it their own.  I believe that this beer is more than worthy of praise and purchase not only due its well-balanced taste, but also due to the fine craftsmanship and care taken to bring this often over-looked style to life. The fact that is brewed with Rogue’s own farm raised ingredients assures you of the controls taken to ensure this beer is in top form.