Trouble in Deutschland part 2 – German beer quality unsurpassed

July 2, 9:57 AMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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Kolsch Colada top and Bock Shock liquor infused
beer cocktails. Photos from Deutscher Brauerbund

German beer quality is unsurpassed but there is still trouble in Deutschland.  The average German assumes that all German brewed beer is the best quality.  Thus, quality is not an issue. Most Germans are not interest in appreciating the nuances of beer and brewing culture.  Why pay more for a pilsener lager when the cheaper one is assumed to be just as good.  I have heard Germans tell me, “American beer drinkers know more about hops and malt than most beer drinkers in Germany.  German beer drinkers, they just don’t care.”

When I speak of the absence of German beer and brewing culture I speak not of ompah bands, pretzels and acceptance of beer in everyday life.  I am speaking of the nuances of style, flavor, hops, malt, fermentation, aroma and taste.  Beer appreciated as cuisine is a heritage that’s on a losing streak. 

If one visits the German Brewer’s Association (Deutscher Brauer Bund) and goes to the “Gastronomie” section Food and Beer combinations, cooking with beer are admirable links that are mostly theoritical in nature.  That is to say one rarely finds a German restaurant serving a variety of beer styles or cooking with beer.  Rarer still are German restaurants that specialize in matching beer with food.   Perhaps more telling is the promotion of beer cocktails where “Kölsch Colada,” “Altbier Breezer,” “Weissbier Mojito,” “Bock Shock” and “Spiced Pilsener” among other liquor laced beer cocktails are featured.  This is the dark side, promoting beer cocktails in an attempt to increase sagging beer sales.   For anyone with any remaining respect for German beer culture these bastard beer concoctions must be a nail in the coffin for any respect one can muster for German beer heritage.  Has it come to this? 

German beer drinkers know not what they are losing something.  It is only the past generation of beer drinkers that recall beer culture and the added value that independence and diversity bring to the table.  Value now to most German beer drinkers is the lowest priced beer.

For years I have been attending technical brewing conventions around the world. That’s part of my job.  To know technical trends, new products, innovations, agricultural challenges and the like. 

The level of technology and science is often way over my head, though my University degree in engineering helps me appreciate and understand the challenges discussed.  There is one technical theme I have noticed throughout the decades.  Innovations and new techniques are borne of the need to control the character of beer.

Here’s where my perception may get a bit controversial.  The basis of brewing science is being able to identify beer character; flavor, aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, etc.  It seems that the majority of scientific papers about beer focus on first identifying a character and then technology is further pursued to eliminate or reduce that character.

It’s the identifiable characters in beer that differentiate beers from one another.  These characters lend personality and flavor and aromas of interest – but the most delicious and interesting are often not very stable.   If a character in flavorful beer is not stable, then for mass beer producing brewers it’s not a good thing.  For them consistency in character is king.  If a beer changes on the shelves or while in the distribution system, well then, you can’t advertise its character.  Why? Because it changes. 

Photo right: Called floor malting, a process of germinating barley and turning the malting barley in tradtional floor methods is a rare art that has given way to modern techniques, reducing variability and distinct characters once appreciated by German beer drinkers.  Photo by Charlie Papazian

Mass produced beer is not advertised on flavor.  The point of the above discussion is that flavors need to controlled and removed from beer.  That’s why most light international lager brands taste the same.  That is why whole or natural forms of hops are often not used in these kinds of beers.  Hops of different varieties lend character nuances that are not as stable as beers that have been formulated with hop extract, which has no flavor or aroma character, just bitterness.

Next: Trouble in Deutschland part 3 – No beer no joy.

Also see
Trouble in Deutschland part 1 - German beer culture in doubt