A Strange Brew
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Even though there are variations in beer–some are a bit sweeter than others, and some may be characterized more by hops than by malt, or have more complex aromas–even an uninitiated drinker would instantly recognize a beer as a beer. But that is not always the case. I wanted to deal with some of the outliers of the category that are worth exploring, especially for those who don't think they like beer and also provide a little variety for those of us who do.
Let's start with the specialty of my father's hometown in northeastern Bavaria that may not quite fit the description above but which parochial pride will not allow me to skip. Bamberg's contribution to brewing is Rauchbier, or smoked beer from the Schlenkerla Brewery. No doubt, the origins of Rauchbier have something to do with a mistake at the malt works several centuries ago and some frugal merchant's attempt to use a damaged product rather than take a loss on it. The malt is smoked over a beach wood fire, which imparts a strongly smoky flavor and pitch-black color. It is a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it. It is imported to this country as Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, but it is not the same as tasting the beer fresh from the cask, at the 15th century tavern where it is brewed, with a sausage or ham sandwich from the shop next door.
More accessible is wheat beer, sometimes called white beer. I'm not sure how that happened. It's probably because the German word for wheat (weitzen) is very close to the word for white (weisse) and there was probably no difference in pronunciation in many dialects. I don't speak Flemish, but I believe the same to be the case in that language, too. It might also be because (as explained in an earlier post) the high gluten content of wheat gives the beer an especially active head. Another explanation is that wheat beers were probably paler than many others in the days before the creation of the bright, golden Pilsner style. Most wheat beers are not has heavily hopped as barley-based beers, making them less bitter. They also often feel lighter in the mouth and tend to be a bit (and sometimes more than a bit) tart. These factors have given them a reputation as ladies' beers, but that has never stopped male beer lovers from drinking them. Heffeweitzen is a Munich specialty made with a special yeast that gives it aromas of cloves and citrus. It is often is often served with a slice of lemon, which helps subdue the very active head that results from the beer's high gluten content. It is delicious served very cold on a summer day. In Berlin, they make something called Berlinerweisse, a wheat beer with an almost citric tang that results from using a bacterium that created lactic acid in the fermentation process, in addition to the yeast that creates alcohol. The beer is almost always served with a shot of raspberry syrup to cut the acidity.
For really eccentric beers, however, look to Belgium. This little country drinks more beer per capita and produces more different kinds of beer, by far, than any other country. In addition, the Belgians have preserved brewing traditions that died out in the British Isles and in Germany long ago. Space (and my own lack of expertise) do not permit an exhaustive exploration of all the variety of Belgian beer, but I will end with one of the strangest and most delicious. Lambic is the only beer in the world that is made by spontaneous fermentation. It relies on a yeast culture that is only found in the in the vicinity of the Senne river the Pajottenland, near Brussels. Not only is it made in open vats but the roofs of some of the breweries are louvered so that they can be can be opened to the breezes off the river. The very idea is enough to give most conventional brewers the vapors, but in this one place, it works. It is said that the Lambic breweries are never dusted for fear of disturbing the yeast culture. In fact, it has been discovered that the particular yeast and other microorganisms that produces Lambic actually lives in the grain of the wooden fermentation tanks (another oddity, as almost all other beer is fermented in stainless steel), so perhaps the breweries have been dusted in recent years.
But the differences don't end there. After the initial fermentation, the beer is put into oak barrels that have previously been used wine or port, for a secondary fermentation and is then aged in casks for up to three years. Finally, different batches, or even beers from several breweries are blended before bottling. In this respect, Lambic has something in common with Champagne and it is probably no coincidence that the Lambic bottle and cork resemble those of Champagne or that the beer is served in a flute
Like Berlinerweisse, Lambic is acidic, and is often flavored with fruits, such as raspberries, cherries, peaches, or currants. But some of the finest Lambic – Geuze, in particular – is not fruit flavored and has all the complexity of fine wine.
So I hope that I have done my bit to complicate the world of beer for you and that you will think twice next time you are tempted to say that beer is so much simpler than wine.
