April 15, 2009: Kostritzer

Okay ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've all sharpened your pencils because it's time for a German quiz!

Question #1.

Beer in German is:

A. Beeren
B. Von Beerenstein
C. Hoffbrauscheinweignehellenstaphaner
D. Bier

Question #2.

Black in German is:
A. Schwarz
B. Blacken
C. Von Blackenstein
D. Blackschmallenwechsteinheller

If you answered D on question #1 and A on question #2.... congratulations! You've earned an A+. If you somehow managed to fail this quiz, please refer back to your textbook and email me about scheduling a make up quiz. In case you haven't guessed it yet, tonight's beer Kostritzer is a Schwarzbier, or a black German beer. Despite the almost midnight black color of this beer when you pour it into a glass, it is indeed considered a lager and not an ale, because they are bottom fermented. Schwarzbier is a German specialty, and Kostritzer is one of the oldest examples of a schwarzbier still available on the market today. First brewed in the Thuringia region of east-central Germany around 1543, Kostritzer is still one of the most popular schwarzbiers in the world and after drinking it for myself, the reasons are clear. In terms of taste, Kostritzer is comparable in many way to English bitters and stouts. Specifically to rich flavors of toasted malts and strong wheat come across from the first sip of Kostritzer. For a beer that almost solid black in color, Kotritzer was surprisingly light bodied and drinkable. This beer defies conventional wisdom about a German lager should look like, taste like, smell like, and even feel like. I really appreciate Kostritzer because believe it or not I had never tried a schwarzbier in the past and I still haven't tried anything quite like it. If you're a fan of dark, bitter beers, be sure to give Kostritzer a go.

Prost!

Ian

http://www.koestritzer.de/