Help me connect with my long long German Beer...

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jdcoffman

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I think this is probably the best place to ask... A few years ago I spent about 4 weeks in Germany and I had some of the best beer I've ever had (naturally!)

My problem is that I forgot what the name of the best beer I've ever had is... When I came back I of course couldn't find it in the states but I'm sure we probably have something similar...

OK, so here's what I remember (it's been a few years so the details are fuzzy!)

I was southern Germany, near Ramstein airbase, and also had it in the Heidelberg area. The first time I had it was at a hahanfest (i think that's how you spell it, chicken fest I believe is the translation).

So this was June/July in Germany. It was available locally on tap but I also remember buying several cases and taking them home as well. I think that it was more than just a local brew since I had it in other town, so maybe a regional/national thing too?

So about the beer.... it was light (at the fest there was a favorite light and dark beer). Lightly bitter, very smooth, beautiful head on tap and out of the bottle..

I'm not sure what else I can remember, so I guess I'm hoping someone might have an idea of what I'm thinking of...

sigh, i'm a newbie to the homebrew stuff but if I could figure out what this was, not even a recipe if we don't have one available.

anyway, sorry for the super-long post but kinda figured someone would know what the heck i'm talking about!
 
Was it Veltins?

veltins.2.jpg


I've had my share in Heidelberg and surrounding areas. Very smooth and quaffable.
 
If you could remember if it was a Pilz or a Weizen, it might help narrow it down a bit. Also, the bars over there always poured the beers into glasses with a line on them - the mark either said 0.5L or 0.33L (I think, I always drank 0.5L!). If I'm remembering right, only the weizens came in the 0.5L glasses and the Pils were always in the smaller glasses. I was in the southern Germany area last summer, not far from Ramstein in a place called Homborg (sp) and Swiebrueken (sp). It was the Saar region. Awesome beers, my favorite was the hefe-weisse by Franziskaner. The Karlsburg (or Carlsburg, I can't recall) was the local beer made in Homborg. Bitburger was also popular there as a Pils.
Good luck remembering, with some help it'll come to you!
 
EdWort, I'll have to see if any of my local places has a veltins, I don't recall that name, but anything's a possibility!


LouT, I think I always drank the .5L as well! Funny how that works, I think most of the locals actually opted for the full liter, but being the lightweight (relative to the locals of course ;-) American I usually took it .5 at a time!

I did spend some time in Homborg, i really liked that area. I've got some memories of BitBurger, pretty good stuff.
 
homebrewer99, that's what I'm afraid of! I'm going to try to make some calls this week and see if I can track down any of the people I knew back then who were there at the same time... see if they remember.

greenhornet, i don't remember having any kolsch but that link certainly makes it sound very appealing.

I was just on AHS looking for some new primaries and they actually have a Bit clone, I wonder if it's any good? I think it's getting too warm outside for me to try a lager, because alas I don't have a beer fridge or freezer to devote to lagering.
 
I lived in Ramstein for 5 years. But its been a long time. I used to drink Bittburger, Karlsburg-er, and BBK. I'm guessing here, but I think BBK is brewed in Kaiserslautern.

I remember a lot of the beerfest beer that I drank as tasting like the Kolsh I drink now.
 
Did any of you guys ever go to a schaum party when you were in Germany ( a bit off topic)?
 
I was a bit on the old side myself, but it was the coolest thing to someone who had never been to one -- what a ball we had!
 
LouT said:
If you could remember if it was a Pilz or a Weizen, it might help narrow it down a bit. Also, the bars over there always poured the beers into glasses with a line on them - the mark either said 0.5L or 0.33L (I think, I always drank 0.5L!). If I'm remembering right, only the weizens came in the 0.5L glasses and the Pils were always in the smaller glasses. I was in the southern Germany area last summer, not far from Ramstein in a place called Homborg (sp) and Swiebrueken (sp). It was the Saar region. Awesome beers, my favorite was the hefe-weisse by Franziskaner. The Karlsburg (or Carlsburg, I can't recall) was the local beer made in Homborg. Bitburger was also popular there as a Pils.
Good luck remembering, with some help it'll come to you!
Hefeweizens are exclusively served in a Weissbier glass in Germany like the one below. Veltins pictured in my previous post is a pils. They will be served in a .3 or .4 glass or a .5 mug.


.slide_IMG_1957.jpg


Here's one of my favorite Pilsener's

koepi2.jpg
 
Yum.. you all are making me want to go to my favorite german restaurant for dinner...

On tap, last I checked, they had Weihenstephan, Spaten Optimator, BBK, Jever, Steigel, HB, Warsteiner, Radeberger, Konig Pils, and DAB. And those are just the ones I remember!!! I think they also have Lowenbrau. They didn't carry it for a long time because it used to be brewed differently for the American market, but apparently it back being brewed exclusively in Munich now and the quality is much improved. I love that place...
 
LouT said:
Nice! Must be in the midwest somewhere.
Yes indeed! Bring the SWMBO and have a full german dinner, with an appetizer and a liter of beer for under $50.

As I recall, a liter is $10. Entrees are $10-20.
 
Nice, my last time in IA I heard of such a place, but we never made it there. Something to look forward to next time, I guess.
 
I live in Missouri, home of many old German settlements. I know of several great places, but I just don't have the time to make daytrips every weekend like I'd like to :)

I'm going to have to make a visit to my favorite liquor store this week and see if they have any of these classics, or if Joe can order me a case or two in from any of his suppliers that might be a fun little thing!
 
Bill, I work for JD, but oddly have only been to quad cities once, stayed in Bettendorf. Next trip I will look you up and we will have some beers.
 
One of the greatest German restaurants is The Berghoff on Adams in Chicago. Before your order comes to the table, the waiter brings a massive stack of fresh rye bread, and the entrees are all pretty affordable.

Their house brand of beer is brewed by someone else, and I can't remember who.
 
I just perused this thread, but I was in Munich for the last day of Oktoberfest, literally for 6 hours during a layover. I went to the Augustiner tent. Probably the best beer I drank in my life. I've been looking for it in local beer stores and had only been able to find it once.
 
Jim Karr said:
One of the greatest German restaurants is The Berghoff on Adams in Chicago. Before your order comes to the table, the waiter brings a massive stack of fresh rye bread, and the entrees are all pretty affordable.

Their house brand of beer is brewed by someone else, and I can't remember who.

It used to be brewed by Huber in Wisconsin. Now Huber was sold to a Canadian company and Burghoff became it's own company. It will still be brewed in the Huber brewery though.

Edit: Trumer Pils is one of my personal favorite German beers. Just to stay on topic.
 
Jim Karr said:
One of the greatest German restaurants is The Berghoff on Adams in Chicago. Before your order comes to the table, the waiter brings a massive stack of fresh rye bread, and the entrees are all pretty affordable.

Their house brand of beer is brewed by someone else, and I can't remember who.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's closed.

Now, can someone tell me what a Schaum party is?
 
LouT said:
Nice, my last time in IA I heard of such a place, but we never made it there. Something to look forward to next time, I guess.


LouT was this a typo? If you were talking about IA. Des Moines has the the Hessen Haus.

http://www.hessenhaus.com/

I'm going there for my birthday. Any recommendations on what to try on tap?
 
I was in the Quad City area -- or maybe that trip was when I was in the Waterloo area -- we never made it to the German place, but it sounded so much like what was described that I took a guess at midwest location. I'm sure someone on this board is familiar with the Hessen Haus you mentioned. Regardless, I recommend Franziskaner Heffe-weisse -- my favorite.
 
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