Franconian Beer Message Board

Czech wheat beers...
Posted by barry on 2017-08-24 02:33:41
Last May, the Reverend Andrew and myself visited Reblitz.  I't's a place that I like and have been to on a number of occasions since first sampling their beer at the festival in a snowstorm (deserves some suitable German appellation!), although a bit 'foody' at times.  But, the brewer is quite daring and obviously has a passion for top-fermented beers, while still brewing something more traditional for the area, including the delicious Dunkles Landbier.  I haven't brought myself to try the Weizen yet, possibly never will, but Andrew and myself did try the Roggenbier last May.  Actually, Andrew drew the short straw but I had a taste.  I think that it's true to say that neither of us liked it too much.  By strange coincidence, last night, the Hop had a Rye beer on (can't remember the brewer, there's just too many different ones for a name to stick in the mind) but anyway, in the spirit of adventure, I tried a taster.  It was horrible.  Well, to be accurate, I thought that it was horrible, which I guess is a different thing.

You're not far off the mark when you suggest that I tend to drink the 3.8ish% real ale.  I won't quote the Reverend Harvey again but it's also because I tend to fall over nowadays when venturing into stronger licquors, though I did have a 4.7% Porter last night, which was excellent, far better than anything similar emanating from the Emerald Isle.  Ah for the days of yore!

My gripe is not that someone sells beer for £7 a throw - it may well be worth it for all I know - but at the way it is marketed.  The community of breweries that I mentioned in the last post or so, with a little quick digging (ah, the wonders of the www for exposing hypocracy) turns out to be, as I thought, a community of brewers owned by Ab In-Bev.  Now, you may be sanguine about Ab In-Bev's excursions into the specialised beer market but I am not.  But, of course, I'm not a free-market entrepreneur believing that all is fair in.. etc., etc   This beer is obviously intended to fool the not so wise (I'm not pretending that I am so wise, just long in the tooth) into thinking that it is something that it is not.

The old and crotchetty was a wee bit of self-irony reflecting something that, I think, my good friend Mark said (tongue in cheek, I hope) a little time ago.  I'm not going to enlarge on the 'benefits' of globalisation, we've been through this many times before and I'm sure that most of our coleagues are heartily sick of the subject.  However, I don't think that my trip to Czechia, Franken, the Oberpfalz, etc. really falls under its banner.  I more consider myself a disciple of the great explorers of the nineteenth century.  On second thoughts, I'd better take that back, as I'm just reading a superb book about the rape of the Congo by King Leopold 11, conducted under the guise of philanthropy and exploration.  Now that's what I call globalisation.

Hope we can meet somewhere during my forthcoming visit to chew the fat (vegetable, of course) about these matters.  However, I don't think that my feet will touch the ground if Franken, apart a quick transit through Nuremburg.  But you are all welcome to Zoiglland, of course.  As a matter of interest, Mitterteich is holding a Kommunbrauerei Tag on September 24, which I will try to get to, if I can - public transport in that part of the world is not great on a Sunday.
 
Followups:
                           Czech wheat beers... by barry on  2017-08-24 04:22:00
                           Bus to Mitterteich by TreinJan on  2017-08-24 04:37:07
                             Bus to Mitterteich by barry on  2017-08-24 06:47:44
                           Mitterteich by Euromannn on  2017-08-30 18:14:11
                             Mitterteich by Euromannn on  2017-08-31 17:15:20
                               Mitterteich by TreinJan on  2017-08-31 23:04:20
                                 Mitterteich by Euromann on  2017-09-01 13:28:32
                                   Mitterteich by Jason  on  2017-09-01 14:35:09
                                   Mitterteich by TreinJan on  2017-09-02 04:40:00
                                   Mitterteich by Nick B. on  2017-09-03 02:05:49