Walking around Düsseldorf

Tomorrow is the big day!

"That delicious drop" (Uerige slogan)

Frikadella -- the perfect bar snack in Düsseldorf

Scheine Brötchen with Sriracha

Schlüssel Alt

Schumacher Alt -- surprisingly hoppy this year

The new Kürzer tap room

Kürzer Alt -- much improved over last year.

Füchschen Alt

Schweine Brötchen from a different stand

Bock Bier Sunday

Selection of draft Beers at Cafe Abseits

Fischer (Greuth) Bockbier

Keesmann Bockbier

Brauerei Kundmüller Weiherer Bockbier

Gänstaller/De Molen/Närke collaboration beer "Elevator" (10%)

Gerhard Schoolmann with a Weizenbock from Brasil

Bamberg Brewery from Brasil (Weizenbock)

Some other beers from the same Brewery

Schneider Tap X that we didn't get to taste :(

Mahrs "U"

Mahrs Bockbier -- very nice -- 44 IBU

Three beers from the barrel at Mahrs

Day trip to Leipzig and Wöllnitz

Any early start for a Day of Sour German Beer.

We took an 8am train to be in Leipzig at 11, just in time for lunch at the Bayerischer Bahnhof Gosebrauerei

Bayerischer Bahnhoff Brewery, Leipzig

Bayerischer Bahnhof Gosebier

Like in Berlin, they will often flavor the beer with something sweet. We tried one each of a local Caraway Schnapps, Woodruff syrup and Raspberry syrup.  They added way too much for our tastes -- the beers were turned into soda pop but that probably is the intention.

Gasebier Mit Schuss: Caraway, Woodruff and Raspberry

We ordered a cab and went over to Ohne Bedenken, an old time Gose pub.  If I lived in Leipzig it would probably be my local -- it just has a comfy feel to it (plus two kinds of Gosebier)

Ohne Bendenken, Leipzig

They serve the Bayerischer Bahnoff Gose here, in addition to the Ritterguts Gose. The latter is my favorite, being more sour and complex. If you only have time to visit one place in Leipzig, Ohne Bedenken is the place to go.

Ritterguts Gosebier

Then it was back to the train station to catch our train back to Bamberg. They are doing some works on the tracks so the ICE didn't come to Leipzig -- we had to take a train to Naumberg where we caught the ICE to Jena. We hopped off the train, called a taxi and went to the nearby village of Wöllnitz were a small brewery as recreated a extinct style of sour wheat beer known as Lichtenhainer.  It is of normal strength (4.5% ABV) and very nicely sour. Very much worth a visit if you are anywhere near Jena.

Wöllnitzer Weissbier at the Talschränke, Wöllnitz near Jena

We ordered a taxi and it was a bit late in coming (this place really is in the middle or nowhere) and there was a question if we'd make the train. We did, with about 7 minutes to spare.

It was a long day, with more time spent on the train and in taxis than drinking beer, but it was worthwhile to taste three beers on normally doesn't run across.

Some Pictures of the Old Brewery in Strassgiech (and beer)

Wooden Mashtun

Wood fired brew kettle

Looking up

Zoiglbier

New edition of Affumicator, a 9.5% smoked double bock

Day Three In Bamberg -- Merkendorf and Memmelsdorf

Friday we had an excursion planned. We wanted to end up in Strassgiech to have dinner at the Drei Kronen Gasthaus -- which is the tap room for Andreas Gänstaller's new brewery (which is actually the old Friedel brewery in Schnaid). They don't open to 4pm and the last bus back to Bamberg leaves just after 6pm so we'd have to take a taxi back.

On the way to Strassgiech (more or less) are the villages of Memmelsdorf and Merkendorf, each of which has two breweries. So with the correct timing, one could visit a number of breweries in a day.

So we caught a 10:00am bus to Merkendorf and arrived at Brauerei Wagner at about 10:30am. Luckily, they open at 9:00am so we were good to go.

 

They had 6 beers on tap, a high number for the typical Franconian brewery. We started off with the Ungespundetes (basically a kellerbier), a Märzen and a their Festbier. All were very good. I usually drink the "U" when I am there on a bike ride but I think the Festbier was the best of the bunch -- a nice malty/roasty finish.

For the second round we had the Pils and the Dunkel ("Richard Wagner Dunkel"). The Pils was better than the Fässla Pils. It was very soft but could have used a bit more bittering hoops in the finish. The Dunkel was what you'd expect -- lots of Munich Malt character with just enough hops that it wasn't sweet. The beer we didn't have was a Weizen beer -- I don't know for sure, but often those are contract brewed at breweries that specialize in Wheat Beers.

We had three and half hours in Merkendorf so we walked up the hill to the other brewery, Brauerei Hummel. They too had 6 beers on draft. For the first round we had the Pils, Kellerbier, Märzen and the Räucherla -- a smoke beer.

The Räucherla was the best of the bunch, not as smokey as Schlenkerla (but few beers are) but a little smokier than Spezial. The Kellerbier is usually my beer of choice on my bike trips but it had a few problems as did the Pils -- probably need a little more lagering to smooth out some of fermentation byproducts. We ordered lunch. I had a bowl of a wonderful potato soup and an order of Creamed Herring. Yum.

For the second round we had the Cowboy Schwarzbier (I have no idea of the story behind the name) and a bottle of their Festbier. The Schwarzbier wasn't that great but the Festbier was very good -- up there with the Räucherla as the table favorite for this visit.

We headed back to the bus stop to catch the bus to Memmelsdorf (which was actually backtracking as we had passed thru there on the ride to Merkendorf). It is only about 3-4km -- and an easy walk as it is downhill -- but there number of beers at each brewery meant we might was well take the bus.

The bus left us off right at Brauerei Drei Kronen. The sun had come out and it was quite nice and warm so we sat on the Patio. This Drei Kronen has three standard beers and often a seasonal but we caught them "midseason" -- their bock would come on next week. So we made do with the Lagerbier (basically a kellerbier), the "Keller-PIls" (an unfiltered Pils -- used to be called "Hefe-Pils" but that confused people so they changed the name) and Stöffla ("Little stuff") their smoke beer.

All three were great. It was so pleasant on the patio we all had a second beer and didn't have time to visit the other brewery in town, Brauerei Hoehn. We crossed the street to the bus stop and shortly our bus to Strassgiech arrived.

Day Two in Bamberg

Today the rest of the group was arriving, one at a time, of course. We met Jeff downstairs (at Spezial) had a beer and decide to have lunch across the street at Fässla.

Fssla Pils and Lagerbier

They have two draft beers: Lager and Pils. People usually are fans of one or the other and for me it is usually the Pils. This time though, the Lager was better -- the Pils wasn't quite as crisp in the finish as it usually is. The schnitzel was great, though.

Fssla Schnitzel

We headed back across the street to Spezial to await Jim, who we expected between 1pm and 2pm. He arrived and of course he had to have a beer or two 

We Jim was suitably refreshed, we headed down to Schlenkerla. After a minor financial criss (ATM sucking the money back to quickly) we arrived a Schlenkerla to find they had not yet put on the keg of Ur-Bock, so we had a Märzen. Our taste buds were in much better shape this afternoon as the massive hit of smoke we all know love was there from the first sip.

Eventually Sam arrived and I went with him to show him the way to the apartment where he was staying. It was getting close to dinner time so we walked over to Klosterbräu. 

Klosterbräu has a very good kitchen but the beers are very variable. They were on the downside this time -- drinkable, but just. The dinner was very good. I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures, though.

After dinner those who had arrived in Europe today decided it was time to call it a night and they went back to their respective rooms. The rest of us walked up the Stefansberg to Stöhrenkeller for a night cap.

They had two beers on draft as usually -- Drei Kronen Strassgiech (a/k/a Ganstaller Bräu) Kellerbier and Keesmann Bock.

Drei Kronen Kellerbier

The Kellerbier was very nice -- maybe a little bit on the sweet side but not so much it distracted from the great flavor. The Keesmann Bock was good but like the Schlenkerla Ur-Bock was not quite up to last years high standard. But it was good enough to have a second one so we did.

The Rest of Day One in Bamberg

When Tom and Mike showed up (a few hours late because of airplane problems) we had a couple quick beers at Spezial and then headed off to Schlenkerla to check out the Ur-Bock. 

Last years version of the Ur-Bock was dangerously drinkable. This was was good, but not quite up to last years standards. That may be a good think as there is less danger of drinking too many in a row. The smoke on both the Märzen (the "everyday" beer) and the Ur-Bock seemed a bit subdued, but that could have been our taste buds were just too tired and jet-lagged.

Schlenkerla Ur-Bock

Tom and Mike hadn't eaten so we back to Spezial for dinner and a beer or two. Before we knew it, it was closing time and they were ushering people out….  Good thing our rooms were right upstairs.

First Beer of the Trip

And it is not what you might think.







What is it?







An Anniversary beer brewed for the 475th anniversary of the founding of the brewery.

At first glance it is lighter in color than the Lagerbier but the smoke is more pronounced. I think I like it but more research is needed -- about a dozen more would be thorough, don't you think?

Oh, had some Goulash as well....





And don't worry, the Lagerbier is still great!

Location:Brauerei Spezial, Bamberf

Beer Trip Approaching

Well, it's October and that means it's time to head to Europe and drink some beer. No, not Oktoberfest, that is for amateurs -- the worlds largest fraternity party.

This year it is the usual -- Bamberg (with a day trip up to Leipzig), Cologne/Düsseldorf (for Uerige Sticke on October 18), Antwerp (with day trips to Brussels and Gent) and finally Dublin.

Not anything new in the list, you'll find posts on all of those cities somewhere on this blog, but hopefully we'll drink some new beers, meet some new friends and re-visit some old friends (beer and people).

So stay tuned....