Brewer’s Spotlight: Griselda
Hello folks, I hope your holiday was delicious and filling! However, we here have not stopped working in order to deliver several new beers this week. Yesterday we will be canned our beloved American Stout, Check Raise, and also a new iteration of our DIPA Splitter. This formulation of Splitter involves new yeast which turned this version into the liquid equivalent of drinking peach juice in a grove of pine trees. It is delicious, so be sure to grab some while it lasts.
Last, but not least, is a new lager that we will tap on Friday. Griselda, our first Schwarzbier, was brewed in collaboration with Hugh O’Neill’s, who already has it on tap. As one of our favorite restaurants in the area, we loved the chance to brew this old style for old friends. In addition, we called up our other friends at the Black Ale Project to help find a great veteran’s charity to support with this beer. So let’s dive in and figure out where Schwarzbier came from and what to expect for flavors.
First things first, Schwarzbier is a black lager from Germany. They are typically around 5% abv, surprisingly dry and crisp, with a touch of hoppiness, and altogether far too drinkable. They typically look like a stout but beyond a quick glance the similarities end. Unlike a stout, Schwarzbiers have a restrained roasted character and lack heavy, dark sugar flavors like caramel or cocoa. A proper Schwarzbier still retains the elegant character of Pilsners or Vienna lagers: finesse, restraint, and deceptively difficult to brew.
It has been argued that Schwarzbiers are the oldest continuously brewed beer style. The most famous examples come from the German province of Thuringen and northern Bavaria; an area in German that is steeped in brewing tradition and history. In fact, there is archeological evidence of a black beer from an 800 BCE grave in the city of Kulmbach, a city that is synonymous with Schwarzbier.
As the Roman Empire came to power over the next few centuries, these Germanic tribes fought back as best they could. However the military might of Roman was overwhelming. It appears that as an act of cultural resistance, these Germanic tribes double downed on their brewing traditions rather than embrace Roman wine. This helped preserve the ancient practice of brewing black beers during centuries of Roman influence.
The first description of a Schwarzbier-like beverage comes from 1390 from the city of Braunschweiger where an old dark beer known as ‘Mumme’ gain prevalence. The city had a favorable position in the trading enterprise known as the Hanseatic League, allowing for their beer to spread all over the known world. Little is known of the exact details of Mumme but it is constantly described as dark and often a touch bitter. The modern Schwarzbier came to fruition with the arrival of lager brewing in the 1500s, which refined the beer to today’s sensibilities.
Now, as some of you know, we already have a dark lager on tap, the lovely Brunhilda. They are two different styles with their own profiles. Brunhilda is a Munich Dunkel with a round, smooth, chocolatey character. For Griselda, there is a drier, crisper texture that melds well with the fleeting coffee note.
So come join us this Friday for draft and Crowlers. For every ½ liter we pour, we will be donating $1 to the Soldiers’ Home charity in Chelsea, thanks to our friends at the Black Ale Project.
