The Smoke Beer of Bamberg, Germany
I spent the first two days of a European beer trip in Bamberg, Germany, sampling the sights by day and the beer after dark, then retiring to a guest room atop a nearly 400-year-old brewpub. I can't imagine a better way to be introduced to German beer and culture.
Bamberg is a city of 70,000 located in northern Bavaria. Residents brag that their city is built on seven hills like Rome, has a network of waterways like Venice, and that its Altstadt is as beautiful as Prague's Old Town. Their pride is understandable: this well-preserved medieval and Baroque gem of a city has been declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by the United Nations.
There are plenty of reasons to visit. The Bamberg Rider, the nation's most famous sculpture from the Middle Ages, is inside the city's Gothic cathedral. Germany's strangest town hall sits on an island in the middle of the River Regnitz. Romantic author E.T.A. Hoffman, whose stories inspired the ballets Coppelia and The Nutcracker, called this city home. And, most importantly for beer lovers, Bamberg is the home of Rauchbier, the smoky dark lager its residents have enjoyed for centuries.
Michael Jackson's New World Guide to Beer compares Rauchbier to single-malt Scotch whisky. Scotch acquires its smoky taste from the drying, or kilning, of barley malt over a fire made from peat. Rauchbier's smokiness comes from kilning barley malt over the wood of beech trees that grow in the area's peat-rich soil. When burned, the beechwood gives off a harsh, aromatic smoke.
>Rauchbier is dark brown in color, with an intensely smoky aroma and flavor. Most Rauchbiers are brewed in the Märzen style: on the malty side with medium strength, about five percent alcohol by volume. It's also customary for breweries to serve Rauchbier in the stronger Bock style during the late fall and winter
If you've had a bottle of Rauchbier, chances are good that its label reads Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, which means "Original Schlenkerla Smoke Beer." Schlenkerla, by the way, comes from an old German expression meaning "not walking straight." It was used to describe one of the former brewers. What isn't known is whether his crooked walking was the result of a physical disability--or too many half-liters of beer.
The brewpub, Brauereiausschank Schlenkerla, is located at Dommanikanerstrasse 6, in the heart of Bamberg's Old Town. One of its indoor beer halls was originally built as a monastery in the 14th century. The other room is smaller, and has white-topped wooden tables and a low, dark ceiling. During the warm months, you can also drink in the inner court, where a 500-liter keg is on display. At Schlenkerla, beer is drawn the old-fashioned way, from oaken kegs. In addition to the Märzen and Bock styles, a curious wheat version of Rauchbier is served here; it's top-fermented, making it an ale.
Schlenkerla makes the claim that its beer helps guests loosen their tongues and overcome social barriers. Good thing. In most of Germany, bar patrons sit at tables designed for four or more guests. Eventually, you end up sharing your table with others; the polite thing to do is exchange pleasantries, then go back to your business. The brewery also admits that not everyone will like this style of beer at first. Its coasters bear a German inscription which, translated into English, is a plea not to stop after the first swallow, even if the beer tastes strange...soon you'll begin to like it!
There are other places in Bamberg to sample Rauchbier. Two brewpubs date back to the 16th century and face each other across the street. They are Gasthof Specizale (Obere Königstrasse 19), which has a traditional German beer-hall atmosphere; and Gasthof Fässla (Obere Königstrasse 10), where you can enjoy your beer in brighter, more modern surroundings. Both offer accommodation as well as food and drink.
Since Rauchbier is an acquired taste, few brewers in North America have attempted the style. One brand that might be available in your vicinity is Rogue Smoke Ale from Rouge Ales of Newport, Oregon. If anything, it has an even stronger smokiness than Rauchbiers from Bamberg.
It goes without saying that German food pairs well with Rauchbier. Schlenkerla's menu offers some suggestions: goulash, beef on a roll with horseradish, pork with sauerkraut and potatoes, sausages, and ham with pickles and bread. More adventurous souls might try pig's knuckles, sour tripe, or liver dumpling soup.