It’s said that the iconic German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe subsisted on nothing but Kostritzer schwarzbier during a period of illness in which he was unable to eat food. (We’re not suggesting you start replacing all your meals with Kostritzer, but it would certainly be a delicious experiment if a slightly ill-advised one.) If I asked you to name a dark beer with deep roasted malt flavor but without huge body or high alcohol, Guinness might seem like the obvious answer. But Germany has its own take on “dark beer with light body,” and instead of a creamy stout, it’s a lean, sleek lager, with all the elegance and precision we expect from fine German engineering. Schwarzbier (“black beer”) is a 4 to 6 percent alcohol lager made from dark-roasted malt, and one of Germany’s best-known schwarzbiers is Kostritzer. Produced in a brewery that’s been in operation since 1543, Kostritzer offers a roasty, nutty nose and flavors of pumpernickel and bitter chocolate. Region: Germany | ABV: 4.8% | Tasting Notes: Nutty, Pumpernickel, Bitter chocolate (Even some of the excellent American takes on this German classic retain the “-ator” suffix, like Tröeges’ highly decorated Tröegenator.) And for your next round, be sure to try some of the other iconic Munich dopplebocks-like Spaten’s Optimator and Ayinger’s Celebrator-all of which traditionally end in “-ator” as a nod to the beer that launched the enduring style. Legend has it that the monks created the rich, malty, sweet beer as a clever workaround during Lent: they were compelled by their piety to fast, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy some liquid bread during those hungry times.Įven if you’re not currently fasting, you’ll have trouble resisting Salvator’s inviting aromas of chocolate and caramel malt, or the rich, figgy breadiness on the palate-all tied up nicely by the faint impression of spicy hops on the finish. Region: Germany | ABV: 7.9% | Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Figs, Spicy hoppinessĮven bigger and boozier than the bocks are their beefed-up brothers, the doppelbocks (“double bocks”), which accentuate the signature malt-forward bock profile with more richness, a fuller mouthfeel, and higher alcohol. The granddaddy of all doppelbocks is Salvator, first produced by the Franciscan monks at St. Below is a list our experts have curated to showcase the best German beers to drink right now. While some German beer styles are seldom seen stateside, there are plenty of American breweries that have found inspiration in these traditional styles and are committed to introducing them to a new generation of drinkers. The country that runs on beer the same way America supposedly runs on Dunkin’ also blessed us with other ubiquitous brews, including the fruity hefeweizen and crisp kölsch. But lagers aren’t Germany’s only claim to fame. The spectrum of lagers is almost as vast as the spectrum of beer itself, ranging from the full-yet-refreshing helles to the rich and smoky rauchbier. “A big part of our focus at Gemüt is that we do not want to chase trends: clean, well-crafted lagers are a family of beer styles that are timeless.” The German-inspired brewery and beer garden opened in Columbus’ Olde Towne East neighborhood in late 2019. “There will always be room for well-made lagers in the world of American craft beer, and this is being increasingly proven by more and more breweries producing them and more and more craft beer fans seeking them out,” says Rob Camstra and Nick Guyton, director of brewing operations and head brewer at Gemüt Biergarten in Columbus, Ohio. These ancient beers, which are distinguishable from ales by the fact that they utilize bottom-fermenting yeasts that thrive at cooler temperatures, are the building blocks of any beer education. Budweiser is a lager, sure, but so are the beers that grace the long tables of Oktoberfest. The mighty lager, the beer that has found a home in Michelin-starred restaurants and the dusty fridge in your parents’ garage alike, can be traced back to a corner of the globe known as Germany before "Germany" even existed. When Oktoberfest is over and the beer steins are put away, it’s easy to forget that the world owes much of its gratitude to Germany for creating some of the most tried-and-true beer styles.
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