The Beers of Oktoberfest

I was fortunate to go to Oktoberfest in 2009, one year shy of the 200^th anniversary. Though kind of by accident, I got off the train in Munich, Germany, checked into my hotel and followed the shrieks and screams until I found the festival which was just around the corner. Truth be told, in the four days I was there, I only did an hour of sightseeing in the actual city of Munich – which was a shame since it was a great place during my European adventure. The city was founded in 1158 and is located in Southern Germany and has a population of 1.35 million.

During my time at Oktoberfest, I drank many large, warm beers and even “borrowed” a mug to add to my collection of stolen mugs from all over the globe. I made friends from Florida and was adopted by a group of guys from Liverpool who drank with me and pounded warm beer throughout the day and night. These were some of the best days of my life. I wandered aimlessly through the crowd of millions and noted that everyone was happy – singing and dancing, cheering and drinking. You can read more of my adventure in my book : The Right to Release: A trail of empty bottles across Europe. CLICK HERE to purchase!

In its basic form, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held annually in Munich and runs from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair. The festival is best known as the celebration of the marriage of Prince Ludwig I to Princess Therese on October 12, 1810 - the date of the first Oktoberfest. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.

The Munich Oktoberfest originally took place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. The festival is now 17 days when the first Sunday is October 2 and 18 days when it is October 1. In 2010, the festival lasted until the first Monday in October, to mark the 200th anniversary of the event.

The festival is held on a 104 acre area near Munich’s center named the “Theresienwiese” (roughly translated to mean a field or meadow of Princess Therese), often called “Wiesn” for short. Here 6 million event goers drink tons of beer in celebration.

To go inside a tent at Oktoberfect is a sight to see. The “tents” are actually not tents at all, but large, wooden-framed structures covered with plywood and house over 100,000 seats all together. These structures are painted with festive colors and decorated with traditional German accents. In the middle of almost all of these tents are stages where live music is played from the time the park opens right up to close. Groups in matching “team” shirts usually commandeer tables and break into chants throughout the day. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself being asked to dance by a local or two either.

The 14 “Large Tents” range from 1,900 to 10,900 seats – both indoor and outdoor – and are sponsored by the participating breweries. Some of the most popular large tents include the Hippidrom (Spatan), Hofbrau-Festzelt (Hofbrau), Winzerer Fahndl (Paulaner – the largest), and Lowenbrau-Festhalle (Lownbrau).

The 20 “Small Tents” range in seating capacities from 60 to 900 seats, most of which are indoor. Many of these tents are also sponsored by the breweries and include foods such as bratwurst and pretzels, coffee stations, and bars for exotic cocktails and other mixed drinks.

The Beer

In 1516 Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria issued the German 'Purity Law', decreeing that from then on beer was only allowed to be brewed from malt, hops and water and must be at least 6% alcohol. Only beer conforming to the purity law called “Reinheitsgebot,” may be served at Oktoberfest. The beer must also be brewed within the city limits of Munich. The revelers take down 7.1 million liters of beer as opposed to 1.3 million liters of non-alcoholic beverages and 130,000 liters of wine during the Oktoberfest celebration.

The breweries that can produce Oktoberfest Beer under the criteria are:

Augustiner-Brau

Since 1328 Augustiner beer had been brewed within the monastery of the Augustinian Brotherhood near the cathedral of Munich. After nearly 500 years of tradition, the secularization in 1803 and the following privatisation led to a privately owned company: Augustiner Bräu.

After nearly 500 years of tradition, the secularization in 1803 and the following privatization led to a privately owned company Augustiner Brau. In 1817 it moved to the Neuhauser Street factory where the renowned "headquarters" still stands today.

Hacker-Pschorr-BrauDating back to 1417, Hacker Brewery has not changed their brewing process for 580 years. Joeseph Pschorr purchased the brewery from his father in law in the 18th century, but it was not until 1972 that the names merged and the Hacker-Pschorr brand came to life.

Hacker Pschorr Weisse (white beer) is the most popular brand out of 15 different products. In the US, there are six brands available which range from Golds to Bocks and the original Oktoberfest.

Lowenbrau

Lowenbrau was founded in 1383 and has been a part of Oktoberfest since 1810. In 1524, a “pierprew” (or beer brewer) was mentioned in connection with the property at the address 17 Lowengrube. The brewery was first mentioned in 1746 in the Munich tax records. The lion emblem originates from a 17th-century fresco in the brewing house, depicting Daniel in the lions' den.

By 1863, Lowenbrau had become the largest brewery in Munich, producing a quarter of the city's beer output. The brewery was formally incorporated in 1872 under the name Aktienbrauerei zum Lowenbrau. In 1886 the lion trademark was registered and around the turn of the century Lowenbrau was the largest brewery in Germany. Today, Lowenbrau has one of the oldest beer gardens in Munich.

Paulaner-Brau

In 1634 the order of the Paulaner monks began brewing beer in Au, Germany, which is west of Munich and very close to the border of France and Switzerland. Paulaner has now been producing the best of beers for 375 years and is considered for the best of brewing in Munich.

Brother Barnabas managed the Paulaner brewery from 1773 and created the brand as a strong, dark and unique beer that is consumed today. In 2010, Paulaner sold a total of 55.5 million gallons of beer and exported to around 70 countries.

Spatenbrau

Spaten (meaning Spade in German) was founded in Munich in 1397 and is one of the oldest remaining breweries in Germany. In 1397, the tax records of Munich mentioned the owner for their property as a brewer named Hans Welser.The owners of the brewery change frequently and in 1854 the brewery landed in its current location. In 1867, the Spaten Brewery was the largest independent brewery in Munich which they held through the1890s. They began exporting their beer to the United States in 1909.

During Oktoberfest in 1964, Spaten premiered their Champagne White which was their first wheat beer (Weissbier or white beer). By 1992 Spaten was selling 2.7 million gallons of beer a year and in 1997, Spaten Brewery joined with neighboring Lowenbrau Brewery to create the Spaten-Lowenbrau Group.

Staatliches Hofbrau-Munchen

Known for its crowned HB logo, Hofbrau was founded in 1589 by William V, Duke of Bavaria. The brewery in Munich is owned by the Bavarian state government and is one of Munich's oldest beer halls. Heimeran Pongratz was the first brewer and with his management, the beer quickly became world famous.

Rich in history, being over 400 years old, the Hofbrauhaus has had many famous visitors such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (who actually lived around the corner), John F. Kennedy, and the American author Thomas Wolfe. Today, the Hofbrauhaus can accommodate 3,000 guests. In the middle of the facility is the “Schwemme” or Taproom that can accommodate 1,000 drinkers.

As always, thanks for reading. What’s your favorite Oktoberfest beer?

MLB Opening Day 2012: Craft Beers by MLB Teams

30 teams + 30 beers = 1 Great 2012 Major League Baseball Season!

It’s that time of the year again. We’ve waited through several weeks of spring training just to hear the crack of the bat and the home team crowd cheering on the boys of summer once again.

What goes better with baseball than a fist full of golden brew? Beer has been a part of baseball just as crackerjacks and hotdogs. It even makes the game go by quicker. Opening Day is a tradition that began in 1869 and continues to this day.

Below, you will find all 30 Major League Baseball teams paired with local beers which I tried to keep to low production Microbrews. Take a look below at your team and see what your pairing is.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Burning Bird Pale Ale (4.8% ABV), Sonoran Brewing Company (Phoenix, AZ)

Atlanta Braves

Laughing Skull Amber Ale (5.7% ABV), Red Brick Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA)

Baltimore Orioles

The Raven Special Lager (5.5% ABV), Baltimore – Washington Beer Works (Baltimore, MD)

Boston Red Sox

Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA (6.9% ABV), Harpoon Brewery (Boston, MA)

Chicago White Sox

Cutthroat IPA (5.5% ABV), Finch's Beer Company (Chicago, IL)

Chicago Cubs

Daisy Cutter Pale Ale (5.2% ABV), Half Acre Beer Company (Chicago, IL)

Cincinnati Reds

Nut Brown Ale (6% ABV), Mt. Carmel Brewing Company (Cincinnati, OH)

Cleveland Indians

Elliot Ness Amber Lager (6.2% ABV), Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)

Colorado Rockies

“Hoss” Rye Lager (6.2% ABV), Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO)

Detroit Tigers

Cherry Stout (6% ABV), Atwater Brewery (Detroit, MI)

Houston Astros

“Santo” Black Kolsch (4.7% ABV), Saint Arnold Brewing Company (Houston, TX)

Kansas City Royals

Unfiltered Wheat Beer (4.4% ABV), Boulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, MO)

Los Angeles Angels

Anaheim 1888 (5.5% ABV), Anaheim Brewery (Anaheim, CA)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hollywood Red Carpet Ale (5.9&% ABV), So Cal Beer Company (Modesto, CA)

Miami Marlins

Big River Pilsner (5.2% ABV), The Florida Beer Company (Melbourne, FL)

Milwaukee Brewers

Rendezvous French Style Ale (7.2% ABV), Lakefront Brewing, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI)

Minnesota Twins

“Lonely Blonde” American Blonde (4.8% ABV), Fulton, (Minneapolis, MN)

New York Mets

Resin (9.1% ABV), Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)

New York Yankees

The Bronx Pale Ale (6.3% ABV), Bronx Brewing (Bronx, NY)

Oakland Athletics

Old Oakland Ale (7.2% ABV), Pacific Coast Brewing Co. (Oakland, CA)

Philadelphia Phillies

Rowhouse Red (5.75% ABV), Philadelphia Brewing Co. (Philadelphia, PA)

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pious Monk Dunkel (4.3% ABV), Church Brew Works (Pittsburgh, PA)

San Diego Padres

Calico Amber Ale (5.5% ABV), Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits (San Diego, CA)

San Francisco Giants

“Inception” Belgian Styled Ale (8% ABV), Triple Voodoo Brewing (San Francisco, CA)

Seattle Mariners

Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale (6.5% ABV), The Pike Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)

St. Louis Cardinals

Kolsch Styled Ale (4.8% ABV), The Saint Louis Brewery (Schlafly Brand) (St. Louis, MO)

Tampa Bay Rays

Cuban-Styled Espresso Brown Ale (5.5% ABV), Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Texas Rangers

Texas Red Amber Lager (4.5% ABV), Rahr & Sons Brewing (Fort Worth, TX)

Toronto Blue Jays

Nut Brown Ale (5% ABV), Black Oak Brewing Company (Toronto, Canada)

Washington Nationals

The Public Pale Ale (6% ABV), DC Brau Brewing Company (Washington, DC)

Now, who’s going to win the pennant this year and what brew will you be drinking when they do?

The Ultimate Pennsylvania Fall 6-Pack

With some added free time on my hands, I took to the road to visit some family and friends. As I traveled through the fall foliage to the south through Virginia, then north to Southern Maryland, and eventually on to Pennsylvania for a quick stay, I got an idea to do a blog on beers for fall.

At first, I thought about tying in beer for tailgating, but with the football season clearly underway, I decided to try and create “The Ultimate Fall 6-Pack” and what a better place to do it then in Pennsylvania. Sure this would take out some of my favorites like Stone, Bells, and Rogue to name a few, but it would also open my eyes to a handful of the 70+ breweries that call “The Keystone State” home.

Many of you may know of Yuengling which began brewing in 1829 and Iron City (1899), but how many of these beers in my “Ultimate Pennsylvania Fall 6-Pack” have you heard of or tied?

Oktober Fest (5% ABV), Stoudt’s Brewing Company, Adamstown, PA – Est. 1987

This seasonal, medium-bodied, amber lager combines a malty sweetness with a subtle aromatic hop character. It is brewed from imported malt and hops from Munich, Germany, and in is reminiscent of the Oktoberfest celebration beers that I had a few years ago at the actual festival.  This beer is easy to drink and would pair well with grilled or pulled pork, multiple German sausages, and even the giant pretzels of the Munich celebration.

Golden Monkey (9.5% ABV), Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA – Est. 1996

Though Victory Brewing Company is better known for their top selling “HopDevil” IPA, this high octane, Belgian styled, Triple beer combines malts and hops with Asian Spices. German Malts and Belgium yeast are tempered by a sparkling approach which creates an overall light body and a nose of abundant herbal and fruity notes.

General Washington’s Tavern Porter (7% ABV), Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia, PA – Est. 1995

This heavy, medium-bodied brew is one of four selections in from Yards and their “Ales of the Revolution” line of beers which recreates the old recipes of colonial times on the east coast. This porter pours a reddish-brown body with a tan head and has a rich nose of burnt sugar, caramel, toffee, and molasses. This carries over to a rich and sweet, malty smoothness with a coffee bitterness on the palate.

Sixteen (10.5% ABV), Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA – Est. 1995

This interesting medium bodied specimen is a Dark Braggot Ale, which is an ancient beverage that is a mix of beer and mead (fermented honey drink).  This dark brown brew with a nice tan head has a slightly muted nose, but you can pick out chocolate, honey, and raisins.  There is a sweetness of the honey, a slightly smoky and burnt roasted malt flavor, and cherries on the palate.  This teeth knocker would be great to down just before a roll in the leaves with a special someone!

4 Seasons IPA (8% ABV), Voodoo Brewing Company, Meadville, PA – Est. 2009

This India Pale Ale is a wonderful example of what an IPA should be with its bitter hops and bold barley coming together to make one of the most sought after new ales in the country.  The brew is golden orange in color with a foamy white head on top. The nose is full plenty of citrusy hop aromas. The bitterness is solid with just a bit of sweet malt in the back end to balance it out.

Java Head (7.5% abv), Troegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA – Est. 1996

I loved this beer! Troegs based this full bodied stout off their original 2005 recipe for oatmeal stout with a touch of coffee.  Once the beer is brewed (called wort), it passes through a “hopback vessel” (similar to a coffee press of sorts) which is packed full of whole leaf hops and a bed of coffee beans thus intensifying the coffee nose and releasing hints of coffee flavor. The result is a lush oatmeal stout balanced with cocoa and roast coffee flavors.

Honorable Mention:

Hopfish Indian Pale Ale (6.7%abv), Flying Fish Brewing Company, Cheery Hill, NJ – Est. 1995

Though this beer is brewed just over the bridge from Pennsylvania, I could not include it in the “Ultimate Pennsylvania Fall 6-Pack,” but I had to mention it since it is a great brew. This I.P.A. has a deep golden color and plenty of hop bitterness, all balanced by malty sweetness. There's a floral and citrus hop finish from a combination of American, English and German malts.

I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, no one pays me for my comments. These are a couple of brews that I wanted to share for the upcoming fall season! Who knows, you could drink these at your next football tailgate as well as just before a roll in the leaves. Thank you for reading and let me know if there is anything I should review!

Beer - Abita SOS - Save our Shore - A Charitable Pilsner

Perusing the shelves of a local beer and wine shop, I found a beer that brought back memories of college in the south. I couldn't decide what to buy, but seeing a familiar name with a good cause behind the bottle made my decision for me.

Since 1986, the Abita Brewing Company, located 30 miles north of New Orleans in Abita Springs, Louisiana, has been brewing delectable treats such as their well known brews of Turbodog and one of my favorites Purple Haze. In their first year, Abita produced 1,500 barrels of beer. In 1994, they outgrew the original site and moved just up the road to keep up with demand.

Today, Abita brews over 109,000 barrels of beer and 6,000 barrels of root beer in their new facility which is just a short drive from their old site which is now a brew pub that features their 18 beers (which include 8 mass produced/flagship brews, 5 seasonal ales, 3 harvest beers, and 3 “Big Beers”) and root beer.

Abita Springs, LA, offers the purest of water from deep wells (according to the website), and the brews are created with no preservatives, additives or stabilizers during the cold filtered process. Together with the water from Abita Springs and malted barley (both British and North American), yeast strains (from Germany and America), and hops (from the Pacific Northwest), Abita has become the largest beer producer in the south.

I can remember nights at the University of Alabama, sitting on porches and sipping Purple Haze (a raspberry-wheat beer at 4.2% ABV) as the sun set on a hot day and nights in the French Quarter in New Orleans drinking countless pours of Turbodog (a malty brown/amber ale at 5.6% ABV) to get the night started. The beer I chose today was SOS (Save Our Shore – A Charitable Pilsner at 7% ABV) which was new, but came with a name I could trust not to let me down.

After a BP oil rig spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf Coast Region of Louisiana, Abita decided to give back to their community that helped them grow into what they are today. Working with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion - Marketing Board (LSPMB), Abita established the “SOS – A Charitable Fund” to assist with "the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive the disastrous oil spill." Abita has given back 75¢ for every bottle sold.

The brew is an unfiltered, Weizen Pils (a German style Pilsner), made with Pilsner and wheat malts and dry hopped with Sterling and German Perle hops which produces a gold color, a sweet malt flavor, and a gratifying bitterness and aroma. Since this is a Pilsner styled brew, it is extremely easy to drink, and though this style of beer is usually best consummed in the late Spring/early Summer, it offered a refreshing get away from cold and snowy Washington, DC.

Not only is this a great brew, but it gives us all a chance to help the cause while sitting back and enjoying a great beer and the ensuing buzz. Pick one up today and give back to a struggling community. You wont be disappointed.

Beer – Le Saint Bock – 'Sacrilege”

So there I was, sitting at the bar at Cheesecake Factory, drinking Ultimate Margaritas on a Monday at 2pm, when I found myself in the midst of a slue of Long Island Teas for $5.00 at happy hour. “What a great deal,” I thought as I sipped away. The music was soft and boring, but the conversation kept my attention in between drinks.

Heading out into the cold early-evening air (around 30 degrees) certainly woke me up as I made my way to Best Cellars with friends where we tasted several wines, including a Cotes du Rhone which I loved. Once the tasting was over, the clerk recommended a few items (beer and wine), but upon snooping around the store, I found an interesting brew from Canada from a brew pub in Montreal.

Le Saint Bock in Montreal, Canada has 20 taps with 5 or 6 reserved for their own brews. The menu is strictly French and the atmosphere is cozy with library shelves filled with interesting beers and a patio outside. All of their brews have a religious context to the names.

As for the beer, Sacrilege ($13.99) comes in a 11.2 oz bottle and is 15% ABV. The beer almost knocked my teeth out. It's black, opaque oil-like appearance made way to a rich, big, oily, black Imperial Stout with an aroma and taste of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted barley with hints of leather, wood barrels, maple syrup and molasses along with tobacco notes. The head was minimal with thinning tan bubbles atop the dark black/brown body. Sacrilege is smooth and flavorful and simply an amazing and unique brew.

It was within half a beer that I had succumbed to the hiccups. I would certainly drink this beer again on a cold, snowy day, but the second time around I would not start with tequila based cocktails.

The Versus Series - Beer - Porter vs. Stout

Waking up today to a 20 degree, cold ass day in Washington, DC, spurred a new idea for Swig Knowledge. I decided to do a “Versus Edition.” With the cold weather this morning a Porter vs. Stout edition only seemed fitting....even at 10am. Some of you may remember the blog I did about Session Dark a few weeks ago. I decided to take that idea and blend in two fuller bodied beers, though different in style, similar in effect. By the way, this photo to the left is from when I was in Prague. Yes, I've been to Europe. Buy my book now!

The beers I paired against each other were two locally produced delicacies in Flying Dog “Gonzo Imperial Stout” out of Fredrick, Maryland, and Dominion “Oak Barrel Stout” out of Dover, Delaware. People ask me all the time, “Cole, what's the difference between Porters and Stouts?” My answer: “Porters get me drunker cause they are higher in ABV (Alcohol by Volume).”

But seriously, Stouts and Porters are basically from the same dysfunctional family in the dark beer world. Both beers are made with water, yeast, hops and roasted malt or barley. So which came first? Well, Porters were produced as early as 1720 in England and the word Stout was used as early as the 14th century to describe “strong brews.” “Stout Porters” were created in England and Ireland in the late 1700's and the word “Porter” was dropped in the 1800's to symbolize that you had a strong beer in your bottle or keg. Basically, Porters are a specific style of beer and Stouts are strong beers. One could potentially have a stout lager or IPA. Porters have always been known as the strongest of stout beers.

Flying Dog has become very popular small craft brewing company over the years. The Gonzo Imperial Porter (9.2% ABV, around $2 in the store) was created in homage to Hunter S. Thompson (one of my favorite writers) who created the term “Gonzo Journalism” - a very complex writing style that takes you all over the place in random thought process, but eventually back to a main point. This porter is no different as it takes you through an array of smells from chocolate to bitter caramel and tastes such as coffee, cherries and bitter chocolate on the tongue. The dark, opaque color provides an amber/caramel, frothy head.

Dominion is a lesser known brewery which has been around longer then Flying Dog. The Oak Barrel Stout (5.2% ABV, around $2 in the store) provided a similar sight (dark and opaque with an amber head which dissolved quickly), but provided a different nose (full-bodied oak like you would find in wine with an oak barrel fermentation with a hint of vanilla and lavender) and taste (strong vanilla – almost like a milkshake – and lighter in complexity then the Flying Dog). This would be a good sipping beer.

In the end, I would pick the Gonzo Imperial Porter as the beer I want to hold me in its arms on a cold day (okay, that's way too much I know) because of its boldness, but I did enjoy the Oak Barrel Stout as one I would drink again. In fact, I would not characterize the Oak Barrel as a porter at all, but rather a strong (stout) beer as noted above.

Even though I have a buzz (which is always a goal), I feel that this first edition of the “Versus Series” was a bust since the two beers were so different. Ugh, now off to work.

Beer - Session Dark

Nothing says winter like a good stout or smoked porter by the fire. I know it sounds cheesy, but there is nothing better than drinking a pint of the black stuff on a cold winter’s night. I took a clerks recommendation on a cold afternoon and picked up a 12-pack of Session Black, a stout-porter like beer from Full Sail Brewing Company out of Oregon - the fastest growing micro brew state, soon to be surpassing Colorado. Okay, maybe not, but they are producing greeat beers.

Taking the box out of the car and placing it in the fridge, I noted that the beer was not a stout at all, but was a dark lager with the same characteristics of stout upon tasting it. Most beers this dark are so thick that you can drink them like a meal – using a knife to cut right through them. Session Black is different, giving you the same quality characteristics of a stout, but with easier drinkability as in a lager and with less bite (5.4% ABV). One could easily drink 3-4 in one sitting and maybe go back for more.

Upon opening one of the 11 ounce, stubby bottles, this medium brown/mahogany (certainly not black) lager introduced a nose of roasted earth and the tasting characteristic brought forth a roasted chocolate and a malty character. The beer itself is very light on the tongue and its mild roastiness paves the way to earthy hops when drinking, yet somehow finishes very clean.

As for food pairings, this beer compliments many dishes since it is cross between a lager and a stout. I would recommend heavy, gravy based dishes such as beef stews, goulash and/or pork (note: dark lagers hold their own when up against heavier dishes) as one would find in Vienna or pair it with bar-b-que, Sheppard’s pie, or even, surprisingly enough, with oysters (most stouts pair very well with oysters).

I love full bodied beers and this one did not disappoint in flavor. I could easily drink a handful of these on a cold night and would rank this brew well above average!

Beer - The Raven

On a recent trip to Best Cellars in Arlington on a cold, cloudy Sunday afternoon with the GF, we wondered in off the streets to see what they were tasting. We went through tastings of an awful Norton from Virginia; a half decent, buttery Chardonnay surprisingly from North Carolina; and a value driven Rhone blended or GSM (Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache) called Twisted Oak (Vallecito, CA, 2005, $13), which we actually loved and bought.

Next, the clerk asked if we were interested in tasting a few of the beers they had on display. We only tried one that caught my eye. We were told that “The Raven” Special Lager was created in Germany, but brewed in Baltimore by Baltimore-Washington Beer Works. We bought a six pack and I am swigging one of these special beers as I type.

Since 1997, this medium-bodied, malty brew has been the premier beer severed in the US Embassy in Bonn, Germany, for special events and occasions. The beer ousted Sam Adams, which interesting enough, The Raven resembles slightly, but with a more maltier body.

After more than a year operating in the world's most competitive beer market (Europe, more specifically Germany), production of The Raven began in Baltimore in June of 1998. Baltimore-Washington Beer Works was founded by Stephen Demczuk, a native of Baltimore, who was partner in Europe's first beer-of-the-month club called “Beer Around the World.” Demczuk teamed up with Jim Seay (also of Baltimore) and German beer importer Wolfgang Stark. Together the trio styled a beer that is not only drinkable, but can be enjoyed by both the lager and ale drinker, thus creating “The Raven” named in honor of Baltimore's literary genius, Edgar Allan Poe.

Lighter on alcohol (5.4%) and smoother with no bite from carbonation, this golden lager is extremely easy to drink with its malty backbone and undertones of caramel, orange zest and hints of nutmeg. This beer would cross several palates since it opens itself to multiple fronts, but would pair very well with spicy sausages and heavy beef or pork dishes served with thick sauces (as a dark lager) or zesty (Blue) and sharp (Cheddar) cheeses and grilled poultry dishes (as an Amber Ale).

Today, besides being sold in Europe, you can find The Raven in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Illinois. I highly recommend this local beer and would place just above average. Look for it in a store near you for around $8 a six pack.