Weltenburger Kloster Hell

 Weltenburger Kloster Abbey Brewery is the oldest monastery brewery in the world (1050), and its beer has been imported to the US for many years. Up to now, however, all I have ever found in the US is the darker variety. Last week, however, I picked up a 4-can pack of helles at Total Wines and More. It is 4.9% alcohol content, and I liked it, but to be honest, I preferred the darker variety. I have never been there, but it is considered well worth a visit if you are in the area.

There is a note at the bottom of the can that it was "brewed according to the original recipe by the Bischofshof in Regensburg". The abbey itself is located near Regensburg on the Danube.

The abbey

Abbey biergarten

Tucher Pils (Nuremberg)

 

Last year, while vacationing in Vermont, I stumbled upon some cans of Nuremberg's Tucher Festbier. Being very familiar with Nuremberg's brews from my army days in Germany, I was never a fan of Tucher as German beers go, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found in Vermont. 

This week, while shopping at Total Wines and More I found they were selling 4-pack cans of Tucher Pils, so I decided to try it out. Four cans cost me about 9+ dollars. Each can is 1 pint 9 fluid ounces at 5.0% alcohol.

It was good, though I preferred the above-mentioned Tucher Oktoberfest. If pils is your preference, it is worth a try.

The Tucher brewery, which dates back to 1672, has its own restaurant, the Tucher Mautkeller, located in the heart of the old town. The ancient city itself is well worth a visit. In addition, the city has two beer fests, one in spring and one in the fall. Aside from that, Tucher beer is also sold at neraly Erlangen's annual beerfest, the Bergkirchweih, held in May-June for 12 days during the Pentecost period .It is Germany's oldest beer fest.

Ettaler Maerzen

 I am recommending a "new" beer I discovered at Total Wines and More yesterday. I am referring to Ettaler Maerzen from the Ettaler Kloster Brewery in Ettal, Bavaria (Est 1609).  This beer, which is called Mythos Spezial Maerzen, comes in 1 pint cans, 4 to a pack. The cost was about 17 dollars. The alcohol content is 5.5%. It has an amber color and a smooth, creamy taste. While it is pricier than most of the German beers, I wanted to try something new.

Ettal, Bavaria

Ettal Abbey

Wernesgruener Pils Legende

 

Wernesgruener Pils Legende is a German import that you might like to try if you prefer the lighter pils variety. My wife picked up a 4 pack of the tall cans last night at Aldi's for about 5 dollars. It is 4.9% alcohol and has a nice smooth taste. I had never heard of it before.

The brewery dates back to 1436 and has undergone a couple of changes of ownership. It is now under the Carlsberg Group of Hamburg. I don't know if that is part of the Carlsberg Danish brewery or not. The brewery is located in Steinberg, Saxony, close to the Czech border.

Comparing Two Oktoberfest Brews

 Hofbräuhaus and Warsteiner Oktoberfest

This week I picked up a couple of new German beers that I had not previously tried (at Total Wines and More). It's Oktoberfest season, so plenty of Oktoberfest brews are on sale (including US brands I don't bother with).  What I tried this week were Muenchener Hofbräuhaus Oktoberfest and  Warsteiner Oktoberfest.

Hofbräuhaus is produced by the famous restaurant of the same name. This brewery is also one of the handful (6) of officially recognized Munich breweries, and as such, has a beer tent at the Oktoberfest. This particular beer came in a 1.5 liter can and is 6.3% alcohol. 

I had previously had the HB Oktoberfest beer at the Las Vegas Hofbräuhaus. It's been too long to tell if there is a difference, but suffice to say, I liked both just fine.

Warsteiner is brewed in the town of Warstein in North Rhine Westphalia. It is a major brewery and is exported all over the world. I had never had much luck trying Warsteiner at various sites, but as I have mentioned many times, German exports are now much closer in taste to the authentic taste in Germany. 

As for their own annual beerfest, the only thing I can find is that Warstein celebrates something called Bayrischer Woche (Bavarian Week) in October.

The .5 liter can I bought is 5.9% alcohol. It has a smooth, creamy texture and I think the taste was authentic.

As to which I prefer, hard to say, but I will go with the HB. Maybe it's the added .4% alcohol,

Tucher Festbier

 

Tucher is the largest brewery in Nuremberg (founded in 1672). Since I was stationed in nearby Erlangen in the 1960s while in the Army, I am familiar with Tucher. To be honest, it was never one of my favorite beers in Germany. 

However, earlier this month, I happened to be in Montpelier, Vermont, of all places. Checking out a small grocery store downtown, I was surprised to find a can of Tucher Festbier (as pictured above) on the shelf. I figured what the Hell, why not? That evening, I had it with dinner and I liked it. Of course, it's been 11 years since I drank it in Nuremberg, but like most of the German imports these days, it was just fine.

In case you are wondering, it is a 500ml can and the alcohol content is 5.8%.

The Von Trapp Family Lodge and Brewery in Vermont

 If you have ever seen The Sound of Music, you know the story of the Von Trapp family, well-known singers who fled Austria after the Nazis took over the country. What you might not know is that the family eventually settled in Vermont, outside the picturesque village of Stowe. There they established their own resort hotel, brewery, and beer hall with an aim of reproducing the beers, food and ambiance they remembered from back home. Earlier this month, we spent a week in Vermont and had a chance to visit the location. It is well worth visiting if you are in the area.

First, we had late lunch- early dinner at the brewery and beer hall. As for the beers they brew, there are several varieties, including Helles Lager, Vienna style lager, Koelsch, Czech pilsner, Bavarian style pils, grapefruit Radler, smoked lager, and Oktoberfest. My favorite was the Czech pilsner,, which had a creamy texture and a big foamy head.

The Trapp Family Lodge lodge, located a short ways up the hill, sits overlooking the scenic mountains and forests of Vermont and is quite large. It also has a dining room. Pricey, but highly recommended if you are in the area.