| Bamberg Germany and its surrounding areas is one of the few areas of Germany that was not completely destroyed during the first and second world wars. Much of the areas cultural and architectural structure have remained intact and show a very interesting insight to the German culture. The area is well known for its food, wine, beer, landscape and cultural importance. The hills outside Bambergs city streets are covered in vineyards that product some of the world leading quality wine grapes. The artisans of the area Bamberg is home to a rich history and still active brewing industry. The city was home to dozens of small breweries located within walking distance of the city center. These breweries are the local peoples after work social gathering points much like social clubs or coffee shops in other cities. Many of these historic breweries are no longer existing today. They over the years have been bought out, goin out of business or have closed for any number of reasons. There are still over a half dozen breweries in walking distance of the Bamberg city center providing very uniquely brewed beers that brewing traditions stretch back centuries. This is a little know fact about the brewing industry and its products. Before the use of modern kiln malting processes to make the malted grain to produce beer, beer was made with malted grain that what essentially roasted on a hot table over open flames. This open hot table malting process made all the grains used in beer brewing several hundred years ago have the smoky aroma and taste of the wood that they were roasted over. Still existing today is U'Fleku Breweries museum of their old malting house where they used this hot table roasting process. Knowing this fact about historical malting process and the small amount of smoked grain needed in the brewing process to taste the smoky nature malted grain in a beer recipe. We can guess that all historically brewed beer using this malting process was what we know today as smoked beer or Rauchbier. Bamberg is know for this smoked beer style (Rauchbier) with two of its inner city breweries brewing for export to foreign markets. These breweries have been brewing these beers with their historic recipes and ingredient standards for several hundred years. Even though the equipment has been up graded in many of the breweries to account for the centuries of wear and tear and the increasing quality of modern equipment, the Rauchbier and other historical recipes brewed in Bamberg have deviated very little from their original productions. Bamberg is also home to one of the worlds most famous maltsters Weyermann Malt. Their malted grains are shipped all over the world to help feed the fastly growing craft beer industry and home brewing communities across the globe. Weyermann is in high demand for their specialty grains such as their smoked grains and sweet crystallized grains that contribute old world flavors to craft ales and lagers. I did declare to the Weyermann group that I would not post any of the photos of the factory. I will say, the factory is the disneyland of the brewing industry. The malting factoricaly is beautifully laid out, with visual aids and information about the history and culture of the company and their continuing importance in the brewing industry across the globe. The following posts will be about the breweries and wineries that I was fortunate to meet and visit with when I was traveling in the Bamberg area. Keep reading and learning, and if you have suggestions of breweries/beverage organizations that deserve a highlight send us a message through our contact page. For more information about the city of Bamberg and more details to help you plan your trip to the area visit the cities tourism website online http://en.bamberg.info/ |
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Cologne Germany is the historical origin place of the kölsch ale style and a vibrant brewing,drinking and social culture.
The kölsch beer style tends to have characteristics that are; very clean tasting, light in color, hi clarity and low in bitterness and hop profile. In the city of Cologne natives drink kölsch beer at bars and brewpubs in a similar cultural structure to the city of Dusseldorf just to the north. This means drinking tends to take place in more social settings, in beer halls and outdoor seating area when the weather permits. This similarity is due to the short distance between Dusseldorf and Cologne and their location on the Rhine River that has allowed for easy trade for the past past centuries. These two cultural have a active rivalry similar to the rivalry between Boston and New York in Sports or The Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. Being from the Boston area, it might be said that we do not get along with many other regions. This is true but only in sports, I digress. Local bars and brewpubs in Cologne serve kölsch beer in 200ml tall thin walled glasses. Just like in Dusseldorf it is typical to go out to a bar and have servers bring you glass after glass of beer. With every round your server leaves a tick on your coaster marking the number of glasses that you have to pay for at the end of your drinking session. But why the small 200ml glasses of beer when you are expected to have more than a half dozen? Why not a Dusseldorf sized 250ml-300ml glass of beer and just not order as many? All interesting beer culture questions. When I asked several of the servers and locals in informal interviews, they responded with 'the small serving sizes allowed for the freshness of the beer to remained intact' and 'well those from Dusseldorf drink Altbier, that is higher in ABV and the larger serving size allows them to feel it faster.' Now the last quote I do not agree whole heart with. The Gentleman that allowed me to interview him had his far share of ticks marked on his coaster mid way through his mid afternoon drinking session. But that is where the local rivalry and local cultural nuance exists tat can be easily missed wile traveling through an area. Though the glass size is only 200ml the beer battle size across Germany is standardize in 300ml and 500ml sized bottles. As for beer packaging in the country most breweries are still bottling in heavy dark brown glass bottles, but what is gaining some adoption is plastic 500ml bottles similar to soda bottles. Many supermarket brands have their own beer brands ranging in styles and many of those brands can be purchased in the plastic bottle 500ml packaging. I had only a day and a half in the city on my way down south on the west coast of Germany. Due to the cities development since the end of the second world war many of the smaller breweries no long exist and those which do still exist have either left the inner city or have developed the brewery space in more industrial and less tourist visited areas. They allow for tours of their operations on appointment and in large groups. Other then making appointment for group tours the existing breweries in the city are closed to the public other then merchandise retail stores. There used to be several small brewery pub restaurants that existed in the inner city. Those breweries no longer exist in the properties that used to house the brewing equipment. The properties are still run under the name of the brewery but only house the restaurant and bar where you can still enjoy the kölsch beer brewed by the brewery that is now brewed in a brewery in the outer city. The city has more to offer then just beer and cultural. Amazing architecture and a diverse range of retailers bring tourist from all over the world. Though Due to my short period in Cologne and the limited time of the local brewers, I was unable to meet with many of the regions brewers. I was on to Frankfurt for a few days stay, a couple of meetings and to pick up a rent a car.
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AuthorStarting working in the craft beer industry several years ago in Scotland UK, while research the marketing and management of craft breweries, Schuyler Ward continues to work in the craft beer industry while networking building the collaborative network to improve the beverage industry. Archives
June 2015
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