Beer Advent Calendar - December 2nd
The calendar started off great with a pleasant pilsner, so I was looking forward to today's surprise. I popped open the little door and this is what I found.
Herrnbräu Tradition Festbier
Now here’s one to get us in the feel of the season. This Herrnbräu is a cloudy Oktoberfest/Märzen style brew manifesting in a rich, amber color. The pour produces a creamy, light colored head with low retention. Visual carbonation is mild, with a small number of bubbles slowly making their way to the surface.
On first sip I notice the fluffy mouthfeel. Hops are restrained with a woody flavor. Biscuit and toast flavor malts take the stage, as typical for this beer style. No alcohol taste and the satisfying, medium finish lingers on my palate. It reminds me of amber style beers that are popular from a couple breweries here in Alaska.
It’s a great style for the end of fall, after all the leaves have turned and the temperature has a strong suggestion of winter. I’m very satisfied with this entry in the advent. So far, we’re two-for-two on delicious brews!
Ingolstadt, Germany
Herrnbräu traces its origins to 1471. This brewery’s home is a more metropolitan area than the last locale we visited. Ingolstadt is in the state of Bavaria and home to more than 132,000 citizens. Ingolstadt is where the real secret society known as The Illuminati began (not the conspiracy theory one ruling our world from behind a veil), the setting for the novel Frankenstein, and the homebase for auto giant Audi.
A seminary in Ingolstadt known as the Georgianum was built sometime in the 1490s. The seminary relocated in the year 1800, leaving the Georgianum unutilized for several years. Eventually the building went up for private sale, and in 1817 Herrnbräu moved in, establishing a restaurant and brewery. They would remain in the Georgianum until 1964, when they built their current facility on Manchinger Straße.
The Georgianum found various owners after Herrnbräu, but would again fall vacant in the year 2000. An association for the preservation of the old seminary building was established that year, and it remains standing to this day.
As a final note, since this is my blog, I’d like to mention FC Ingolstadt 04. The club’s current existence is the result of a 2004 merging of two football clubs (that’s soccer organizations to Americans) that date back to WWII. FC Ingolstadt 04 began in the 4th tier of German soccer and climbed to the top tier Bundesliga. Unfortunately, their performance last season caused them to be relegated back down to the second tier.
Beer photographs by me. Pictures of Germany sources 1 -- 2 -- 3
