Because that is the only way I can get them without the additives they have to be shipped with to be sold in our package stores. The formaldehyde and stuff, right?
Q
I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Are you in a dry county or something? No Total Wine or large alcoholic beverage store nearby?
Additives? They don’t put additives in beer to ship to the states. When you buy things locally that have been imported, they arrive there the same way as when you’re buying them online. And formaldehyde is a deadly poison, I doubt they’re putting that in beverages.
You could cheat a little and get the american hefeweizens for the ladies. The yeast profile is a lot milder and not as spicy as German hefs, and it’s ‘traditional’ to add a piece of lemon or orange to the glass. Or you could mix up some radlers for the girls. Berliner Weisse is also a very mild beer too that I like in the summertime.
Was it really a Paulaner Hefeweizen aka Weißbier that your wife called “too bitter”? If it was a Paulaner Pils or Lager, then the solution might be to offer a Hefeweizen instead. If it was a Hefeweizen, well, I don’t believe you will find anything less bitter than that. As already advised you could try a Kölsch (e.g. Gaffel) or maybe an Altbier (e.g. Uerige).
Another idea might be to offer Alster/Radler which is a half and half mix of Pils and a lemon soda (e.g. 7up) - a welcome drink with the ladies and “beer-beginner” here. You might want to experiment with the exact quota (I prefer it with a little more beer).
Another popular option is “Altbierbowle”. There are many many different recipes, but the main indegrients are Altbier and canned fruit cocktail. Some people include sparkling wine, sugar, Schnaps or water - but all that comes down to personal preference and experiment. I’ve never seen a guy order Altbierbowle but many women I know prefer it occasionally to a bitter Pilsener or yeasty Hefeweizen.
Another vote for Helles - it’s got a really pleasant taste. Do they have Augustiner? Also, to go with the theme of your party, Oktoberfestbier (of any brewery) is very similar and won’t fail to please. I myself like Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu and Paulaner.
Prost!
Yes, we do have full service liquor stores, but they aren’t going to have the brands of beer I’d like to serve, Swords. No one can get Bitburger for me, for instance.
Can someone please straighten me out about the formaldehyde and/or other additives put in German beer before import? I know I’ve read that somewhere, just can’t remember where it was. It isn’t enough to kill anyone, but from what I read there is some in there.
Just found an article which says it’s China that does that.
But then tell me, what happens to German beer that makes it taste different here, then?
It wasn’t Hefe in both beers, Remember. I looked at the labels, but I think y’all are right a Helle’s would be great for her.
Thanks
Q
I’m going to call that place in Virginia and talk to them. If there really isn’t any difference in their import and what I can get here, then why pay shipping, right?
I saw their ad in Beerfaqs.
Thanks
Q
I found this about the German Reinheitsgebot of 1516: http://patto1ro.home.xs4all.nl/reinheit.htm
Q
I’m a big fan of Weihenstephaner Vitus - a weizenbock. Their hefeweizen is good, too. Neither are overly bitter - my wife certainly appreciates it whenever I bring Weihenstephaner home.
Yeah! My son often has gigs in Germany playing for Blackmore’s Night and the beers he tells me about is fascinating, not to mention that he brings some of this good stuff back home, including the Absinthe.
Correction. Blue Moon is a Belgian “style” beer brewed by the Coors Brewing Company. Ugh…
So I called that place in Virginia and the guy told me that other than the fact they have some very rare good tasting German beers not sold in a package/liquor store, there is no difference between their beer and what I would get off the shelf.
Maybe the difference I am noticing is that even though the beers have a little higher alcohol content over here, they still are not as strong as most German beers and this accounts for the difference in taste?
Also no additives or preservatives other than what the brewers use.
Thanks, y’all for your patience!
Quasi
It may be that some of the imports you’ve tried were skunked because they were lightstruck. If a beer is in a green (or worse, clear) bottle is has a very high probability of being lightstruck by the time it makes it to your house. Try to stick to brown bottles for the most part. (I make an exception for Yuengling because it’s brewed so close and it has a very high turnover rate in the store.)