Colonial Brewing Dampfbier

They love their German beers at Colonial, in particular rare or forgotten styles. For this, their latest foray into that nation's beer history, they've headed to the forests of Bavaria and seem to have been inspired to even greater levels. The beer's release comes with a colourful tale about the origins of the beer that includes references to "flickers of sunlight flowing down", "strong, noble common folk" and "little bundles of yeasty joy". Essentially, it seems that the original beer was one borne of necessity, created by poor dwellers of the Bavarian Forest, comprising local barley (as they needed to use wheat for bread), locally grown hops (as they couldn't afford those from the nearby Hallertau region), surplus yeast scrounged from the nearest weissbier brewery, all thrown together in a brew over which they had no temperature control. According to Colonial, the beer disappeared into the history books by the early 20th century and now is back as the last of their journeys into Germany's brewing past. It is also the first seasonal beer designed and brewed by Sorcha Gillen, who works alongside head brewer Mal Secourable. And what is it exactly? A "German Steam Ale" apparently - or a hefeweizen using barley instead of wheat.

Published March 22, 2013 2013-03-22 00:00:00