A first glance at the craft beer scene... in Munich

This is likely going to be the first part of a few articles as I venture into the endless beer culture of Bavaria. I have been a fortunate Canadian living in Ottawa for the most part of my legal drinking days and a part of me was reluctant to leave the expanding craft beer scene behind and move to Munich. What we have in Canada is nowhere near the boom that is happening in the United States but it is much closer than the baby steps taken by a handful of Germans who want to stay in the beer game. After all, if they want to keep their title they must find a way to merge culture and craft in order to compete with the new wave of expanding micro breweries worldwide.

This is an interesting point in time where the German brewers want to have the Reinheitsgebot inscribed in of the UNESCO's World Heritage list and also where other brewers are trying to get away from the traditional brewing methods and break through the conservative German palate with new flavors and ingredients that are being shamed by the purists.

Why would one dare brew some American Pale Ale when we have perfectly good Helles? Who needs a Belgian Wit when we have our Weissbier? Porters and stouts are nothing compared to our Dopplebock. The simple answer is variety.

That simple answer leads to the first problem craft brewers will encounter, the customer.

A good read:

Germany Wants World Heritage Status for Its Beer

Part 2: The German Beer Consumer

Pub Review: Tap-House (Munich)

I've been eyeing this place for a couple of months now and finally got the chance to head out on Saturday to the Tap-House in Munich. I had already lined-up a few beers I wanted to try from a large selection of beers. I was a bit worried that showing up on a Saturday evening around 9 pm, the place would be packed and we'd have to squeeze in at the bar and wait for a table but to my surprise the place was almost empty.

Right on the corner of Rosenheimstr. and Orleansstr. and walking distance from Ostbahnof is nowhere near the "hip" and current local hangouts but still very accessible.

The Menu

You can see for yourself there's a lot of beer both on tap (vom Fass) and bottles, you can spot the fridge when you walk in. You get a variety of German local craft beers and a few from bigger breweries. It's peppered with Belgian, Italian but most interestingly American beers. Among them were Allagash, Sly Fox, Firestone and Sierra Nevada.

The Service

I thought I'd go for the beer of the week, in a very bad Deutsch I requested the Kürzer Alt and asked if it was good. To this question the waiter replied that it was an alt beer. Ok... thanks for the elaborate response. In general I don't expect much from the wait staff in Germany, they don't get much tips and are usually not so enthusiastic about "tourists" and/or speaking English. In this case, I'm going off the beaten path and paying top dollars for craft beers which are trying to pierce the very stable and present beer market of Bavaria, I'm expecting a bit of shared knowledge.

I was recommended an Austrian beer from Freistädter which was apparently better, also pricier than the beer of the week. I was  then offered a Camba Amber Ale, which was delicious. I'm not fully aware of the affiliation that Camba has with the Tap-House but Camba seems to be their "house brew" so I'm gonna go with Camba owns Tap-House.

The Vibe

Very new, clean, pub atmosphere featuring huge barrels stacked up in the middle of the bar. As I said to my surprise the bar was almost empty but still had a steady flow of walk-ins throughout the evening. This place would definitely be a go to bar in North-America simply for their menu. But the layout is very open, there's a lot of sitting and standing room and could also host bands. I will definitely go back and attempt to get a little more out of the staff because I'm certain they enjoy talking about their product as much as I enjoyed tasting them. 

A robot pouring a weissbier

Most beer lovers already know that there are a few neat techniques to pour a Weissbier but this technique is by far the laziest and coolest one!

Almost human-like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP4LG64lUeA

A Crew for You

I've been looking around town (Munich that is) for some local craft beer and if you're not from here it get's a bit tricky. After being here for three months or so I've realized that stores and businesses don't realize the impact of online presence. After asking around on reddit and cruising facebook and translating many German websites I finally found what seems to be one of Munich's hidden gem.

Getränke Oase

They have a facebook page and my first impression was, WOW! They have a lot of beers in that small shop. Belgian, American but most importantly German Craft Beers. 

The first two I tried were from the highly recommended Crew Brewery.

The Detox and The Escalation. I personally preferred the Escalation, I was looking for something bitter and hoppy and the Detox had a great citrusy aroma but lacked a bit of IPA grit. Both very well balanced beers they come in 0,33cl bottles and are a little more expensive but someone's gotta pay for those cool labels!

Check out their other beers.

The Maibock

So you think you know red ales, you've got what it takes to drink strong beers and you've tasted all the brown ales you could find? Well combine all of that together and you might get very aroused by Maibocks.

I've always been a fan of German style beers and now would be a great opportunity for me to give a warm shout out to the homeboys at Beau's. I've been living in Munich, the beer heart of Germany and let me tell you I'm discovering something new every week. Just want to let you guys know that Beau's has been dead on with what they've been sellin' ya.

At first I was looking at German beers the wrong way, I thought you have your Pils which are bah, normal, you have your Weißbier, you'll find good consistent ones and pretty bad ones. Then we proceed to the typical Helles which every brewery can make, it's usually regarded as the "regular" type of beer. In the winter and the cold months you have your dopplebock, starkbier (strong beer) and the Maibock which I'm sipping on right now.

Only a handful of breweries seem to be interested in making the Maibock, it's lighter than the starkbier but still contain on average 7% alcohol and is dark orange/light brown in color. It's the bridge between the cold winter and the summer time and opening of beer gardens. If you're interested in a bit of culture I wrote a piece on Maypoles.

Wherever you are there's likely a brewery trying to reproduce this spring flavor, check it out and let us know what you think about it. The one from HB is the best I've had so far. Cheers!

Bierland Bamberg and The Rauchbier

With the highest concentration of breweries on earth Bamberg is not only know as a UNESCO World Heritage city but also known as the capital of beer. Known for their "Rauchbier" smoke beer, the city itself counts 8 breweries. Since 1818 the town has been a host to over 70 breweries, most of the town's operations were oriented to crafting beer. 

Rauchbier

The most popular one is Schlenkerla, made by Heller-Bräu Trum. In Bamberg, Spezial is also know for it's Rauchbier and they have a few varieties including a smoked Weissbier for those of you who prefer white beer. If you follow the Rauchbier link you will also find a recipe as Rauchbier can also be used for marinating pork or lamb!

Drinking your first Rauchbier, you'll probably think WOAH, this is just like drinking pure smoke and after 0,5L you won't have another one. I found that different brands have different levels of smokiness and some are even very rich and creamy, it is possible to enjoy more than one at a time. The stronger ones will leave a smoky aftertaste on your palate so if you have to try lighter beers first, I recommend you do that.

The Aecht Schlenkerla is the Rauchbier you are most likely to find in your neck of the woods, in Canada for example I know they have some for sale at the LCBO (Ontario) and SAQ (Québec). Elsewhere, visit your specialty beer store to see if they have it.

Still in style

There seems to be a revival of Rauchbier among the craft brewers lately. Fort Collins Brewery (Colorado) has a Rauchbier called Out of the Ashes, Beau's (Vankleek Hill, Ontario) made this interesting Banana Rauchbier which was surprisingly delicious! 

Had a Rauchbier lately? Tweet it to @beerfeederguy