Blossoming Beers
Springtime is fully in-gear come May in our Central New York region with its lighter, brighter, and warmer days and is quite literally a breath of fresh air after such a long, dismal, and cold, albeit “normal,” winter this year. I, for one, am ready to align my beverages of choice to this new season: Out with the stouts and in with flavors bursting of earth, fruits, and sunshine!
Kölsch – Originating in Germany, in the city of Cologne (Köln), this beer has a history of being produced as far back as the early 1600s, but noted in writing as early as 1408. The Cologne Brewery Association (Kolner Brauerei-Verband) has its own set of rules set forth for a beer to be called Kölsch. This document, founded in 1986, is known as the Kölsch Konvention and states that the beer must be brewed within 30 miles (50 kilometers) of the city, the brew must be filtered and never be cloudy, and must be brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot, among other requirements. The Reinheitsgebot (“purity order”) is a German set of regulations created in 1516 that limit beer ingredients and state that “the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops, and Water.” Whereas the original document does not mention yeast by name, it was common knowledge that yeast was a given in order to brew beer. Today, Cologne boasts 13 brewhouses that meet the Konvention standards but still maintain their own unique take on Kölsch. Unlike breweries in the United States, where you can select from a variety of different styles of beer to sample, the only beer that is served in a Cologne brewhouse (or Brauhaus) is Kölsch. (I can attest to this, having visited Cologne, not once, but twice!)
Kölsch is a hybrid beer meaning that it is warm-fermented with ale yeast in the vicinity of 60-68°F and then conditioned at lager temperatures of no more than 40°F, which produces a very light, straw-hued, delicately hopped beer with a very subtle malty sweetness, well-rounded body, and a mild to moderate bitterness. It is clean, crisp, extremely refreshing, and should be consumed at about 41°F – if consumed too cold, (ie. directly out of the fridge), it loses some of its gently intricate flavors. The ABV is also usually less than 5%. In the United States, craft-brewers have also caught on to this incredibly light and flavorful beer, however, being that our brewers are not brewing in Cologne, they ought not to call their beer “Kölsch,” but should refer to their versions as “Kölsch-style.”
Pilsner – A pale lager, created using soft water and bottom-fermented at cold temperatures using lager yeast, this beer is named after the Czech city of Plzeň and was first brewed in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. There are different types of Pilsners – Czech-style or Bohemian (Pilsner Urquell – this is the “OG” Pilsner and still exists today!), German-style (St. Pauli Girl), European-style (Heineken or Stella Artois), and American-style (Miller Lite) – but generally, a Pilsner will have a low ABV of between 4-5%, is always filtered (no haze), is light straw-colored to golden, with low-to-medium malt notes and a mild floral hop aroma. Basically, it is a very easy-to-drink, crisp, light beer. 
Bocks – Bock beer is German in origin and there are distinct subcategories that include Maibock, Helles Bock, Heller Bock, Doppelbock, Weizenbock, and Eisbock. This style of beer was first brewed in the northern German town of Einbeck in the 14th century. From there, the brew eventually migrated its way to Munich where it was adapted into the Bock we know today. Some Bock beers are dark, but Maibock, Helles Bock, and Heller Bock tend to be paler in color but are still strong in malty character and contain mildly hopped flavors. Traditional Biergartens brewed these lighter Bocks specifically to usher in spring and warmer weather. It is said that Munich’s Hofbräu brewery created the first Maibock brew that was a twist on the original Einbeck brew, and in keeping with the spring brewing tradition, the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich taps its first barrel of Maibock every year during the last week of April to herald in the month of May. 
Hefeweizen – This German-style unfiltered beer is created with malted wheat. If we break down the word itself – “hefe” is in reference to the yeast which stay suspended in the liquid of the beer (not filtered out) giving it a hazy appearance, while “weizen” refers to the wheat used to create this distinct beverage. Hops are still used, but there is very mild hop bitterness to be had. The color of this beer can range from light straw to light amber. ABVs tend to be on the low side typically ranging from 4-5%. Traditional Hefeweizens have banana and clove characteristics throughout with occasional notes of vanilla and bubblegum. 
Saison – This beer style hails from Liège, Belgium during the 19th century and is also known as a Belgian-style farmhouse ale. The word, “Saison” is actually French for “season.” (Fun fact: one of the official languages of Belgium is French – the other two are German and Dutch.) The beer was originally brewed specifically for farm workers during the harvest season and is known for its refreshing, thirst-quenching qualities. Saisons are typically created using pale or pilsner malts and sometimes wheat. Wild yeast fermentation is quite popular with Brettanomyces yeast strain utilized, giving the beer a bit of a “funk” or tanginess, with floral and earthy notes. The beer produced is pale to golden to reddish-amber in color, very dry, light-bodied, with low-to-medium hop aroma, and highly carbonated. Spices and fruits such as orange zest, coriander, peppercorns, ginger, cranberry, or pomegranate may be utilized to add flavor to this already very funky and unique beer. ABVs run anywhere from 5-8%.
Berliner Weisse – “When the weather is nice, grab yourself a Berliner Weisse!” (This should totally be your new springtime mantra.) When you see or hear the word “Berliner,” it’s pretty certain that most folks think of the German city of Berlin, and that would be the correct place to start, while the word “Weisse” is a German surname meaning “white.” The Berliner Weisse dates back to the 16th century and originated in Northern Germany. It is a variation of a wheat beer with a low ABV of approximately 3-5% and normally appears slightly cloudy due to being unfiltered. Modern brewing methods typically use a lower percentage of wheat, ranging from 25-50%. Fermentation consists of a mixture of yeast (Brettanomyces) and lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus – yes, the same probiotic bacteria used to produce yogurt!), which gives this beer its distinct flavor and thirst-quenching tartness. Additionally, different fruits are typically added, including raspberry, peach or cherry. If you enjoy sours, you’ll love a Berliner Weisse.
Gose – Pronounced “GOHZ-uh,” the origins of this beer date back to over a thousand years ago! The name is derived from the Gose River, located in the town of Goslar, Germany where this beer was first brewed. Traditional-style Gose beers are noted to have a tinge of salinity on the palate when consumed. Today, the salt is typically added in the brewing process, but the waters in Goslar have a natural saltiness to them, and thus, is where this truly distinct beer’s flavoring was born. In addition to salt, the beer is brewed with malted wheat, barley, hops, and fermented with Lactobacillus, which, just like the Berliner Weisse, gives the beer its tartness. (Yes, this is another sour-style for all you pucker-heads out there!) Coriander is also sometimes used in the more traditional versions, giving the beverage a bit of a spicy or herbed flavor. However, in many instances, fruit is added instead of coriander, with sweetness balancing out the salinity. You’ll never really detect any hop notes in this beer, and ABVs run in the 4-5% range.
Lambic – Originating in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, just southwest of Brussels, this beer can be traced back all the way to the 13th century. The uniqueness of this beer is that it begins its fermentation in the open air (spontaneous fermentation) during the months of October through May. A “coolship” is utilized – that is, a flat, shallow metal pan, made from copper or stainless steel, where the wort is left to cool, and thus exposed to wild yeasts and bacteria in the environment – as many as 80 different types of microbes! After about 24 hours, the cooled wort is then transferred into wooden barrels where the fermentation process continues. The beer produced is dry, vinous, mimicking a cider or sherry at times, and with a tart finish. Lambics are notably and famously fruited, including raspberry (framboise), peach (pêche), blackcurrant (cassis), strawberry (aardbei) and apple (pomme), among many more fruits. A Lambic that is refermented with sour cherries is known as a Kriek. ABVs range from 5-9%. It can take over a year for a Lambic to reach maturation, and what is borne out of the wild is something altogether beautiful and very tasty!
As with the renewal that spring brings, our tastebuds are ready to burst into bloom too! Enjoy this new season and all the refreshing, sun-drenched days ahead – Cheers!
