Beer Advent Calendar - December 16th
A modest can design is revealed from today’s advent door. The black and gold design grips me with its simplicity, and I anticipate what’s inside.
Alpen Stoff
This marzen is colored a deep, ruby red. A small amount of head forms, only to linger for a short while. The first sip strikes my taste buds pleasantly.
The rich malt holds characteristics of dark chocolate and dark caramel. The hops are woodsy with mild bitterness. This is a full bodied beer that strikes a great balance across the palate. It reminds me of a porter, which is another style I enjoy. Now that we’re farther along in this series, you’re probably noticing my beer preferences.
Some of the more interesting and subtle aspects of this beer are very savory. I’m trying to determine exactly what flavors I’m picking up: a hint of clove, or dried basil? It gives an ever so slight impression of roast meat. That’s not central to the flavor profile, but you’ll pick up a whisper if you pay attention.
The marzen featured on December 7th was on the light end of this style; today’s represents the dark side. I found both bring a balance to the force, being equally enjoyable in their different ways.
Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Bürgerbräu Bad Reichenhall increases our tally of Bavarian breweries. Their location at the edge of Berchtesgaden Alpine National Park inspired the name for this beer: translating essentially as the substance of the Alps.
It was long believed that they’ve been making beer there since 1633, that is, until historian Johannes Lang made discoveries that substantiate Alpenbrauerei Bürgerbräu had been operating as early as 1494.
Just before the end of World War II on April 25, 1945, allied bombers flew over Bad Reichenhall. This raid caused Bürgerbräu Bad Reichenhall to be the only brewery in Upper Bavaria majorly damage during the war. Once the war ended, there was no hesitation to rebuild.
To this day, Bad Reichenhall is a major spa locale. This has been true throughout history due to the town’s natural, saltwater springs. It’s believed an ancient settlement and trade routes for salt existed in Reichenhall as early as 2600 BC. Celts of the La Tène period refined salt from these springs, and the Roman Empire developed Bad Reichenhall into the most efficient salt producer in the region.
In 1834, a fire broke out at the Reichenhall salt plant. The crew hesitated to extinguish the flames, hoping visiting government officials wouldn't discover the mishap. This caused the fire to spread, nearly consuming the whole town. There was a heavy focus on establishing Reichenhall into a resort town during reconstruction, resulting in the city gaining the German prefix for “bath” and becoming a Bavarian state health spa in 1899.
Beer photographs by me. Pictures of Germany sources: 1 - 2 - 3
Previous Advent Calendar entries: Intro - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15