Bavarian Dark

[Owly055]

Back in the "good old days"....... bad days for beer...... We had almost nothing but American Lagers, and a few imports. The exceptions in American beer that were available locally were Heidelberg Alt, and Blitz Bavarian Dark..... a lager I believe, probably both lagers. I'm talking the early 70's......... Everything else was almost indistinguishable American lagers. Actually I could sit down at a bar and taste any beer and tell you what it was...... believe it or not. My "claim to fame" in those days. the guy sitting next to me might be able to shotgun a beer in 15 seconds...... I could too ;-)..... but I could identify any common American lager almost without fail.
In those days of almost monochromatic beers, the few that stood out made a big impression. There were a few reddish ales of high alcohol........ I forget the names, but compared to the 3.2 beers, a 6 percent ale was a real stand out. The one beer that I really loved in those days was Blitz Bavarian Dark. It was Not a heavy beer, but had a rich brown color reminiscent of root beer, just a bit on the sweet side, and not overly hoppy, but with a really nice bite. It's a beer that has been swallowed in the sands of time, and one I crave to try again, but will never again see. I'd love to be able to recreate it..........but in this day of wildly diverse beers, I suspect it wouldn't be the same at all.......... that is it wouldn't seem the same.


H.W.

 

[humblehops500]

Owly- I also drank Blitz Bavarian Dark along with Henry Weinhard Private Reserve back in '75-'77 in Berkeley. I miss that dark beer- it was cheap and good. Not overly malty, hoppy, or anything, just a great standard dark lager. Many an evening was passed hauling a case of BBD around Sather Gate and the hills around campus between the four of us. Ahh, the days of yore.....

 

[Owly055]

Owly- I also drank Blitz Bavarian Dark along with Henry Weinhard Private Reserve back in '75-'77 in Berkeley. I miss that dark beer- it was cheap and good. Not overly malty, hoppy, or anything, just a great standard dark lager. Many an evening was passed hauling a case of BBD around Sather Gate and the hills around campus between the four of us. Ahh, the days of yore.....

Back in the 60's and early 70's, it was about the only dark beer out there that wasn't an import. Heidleburg out of Tacoma made an alt that was pretty good also.

I haven't tasted BBD in probably 40 years now....... but I'm going to try to hit that mark loosely on one of my next brews. It will be a lager...... which I can make this time of year! My first lager. This should be a very balanced beer based on IBUs and OG. I think Hallertau and Northern Brewer should play well together. What do you think?

IBU roughly 25
SRM 22.58
OG 1.054

2.5 gallon brew

2 pounds of Munich 60
3 pounds of Marris Otter Pale

1/4 oz Northern Brewer 60 min
1/4 oz Hallertau (domestic) 15 min
1/4 oz Northern Brewer 10 min

Yeast....... whatever lager yeast is in stock


H.W.