Brotzeit's NEW exclusive German draft beers by Lowenbrau and Franziskaner
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It's not everyday that you are graced with the presence of beer royalty, so imagine my astonishment when Brotzeit Singapore invited Master Brewmaster George Reisch of Anheuser-Busch and Honorary Knight of the Brews Mashstaff to launch four draft beers from two German heritage breweries, Franziskaner and Lowenbrau, brewed since the 1360s and 1380s respectively.
In conjunction of their 10th 'wunderbare' anniversary. Brotzeit has these exclusive drafts on tap at all of their Singapore outlets - the Lowerbrau Original Munchner Lager, Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier, Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-weissbier and Lowenbrau Original Munchner Dunkel Lager for the first time. And not only that - a bevy of new German items were introduced to the menu as beer pairings.
To start off the beer tasting, we were treated to a light-hearted and enlightening commentary from Mr Reisch himself. Extolling the virtues of Franziskaner brewery, he launched into a rich history of beer in Munich and its Bavarian purity requirements. Not only did the Hefe Weissbier have to adhere to government specifications since 1363, this number-one selling wheat beer in Bavaria came to prominence because it has never diminished in quality since then.
According to the Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer purity law, all of these new beers can only be brewed from malt, hops, yeast and water. Thus to our surprise - the Franziskaner weissbier drew resounding sighs across the table as the ice cold beverage was consumed. Pouring a light bodied, yellow cloudy in appearance, crowed with an average white head, you'll immediately get a whiff of bananas and cloves from the aroma. Initial flavors of bread and peppercorn dominate but a few sips later will reveal a creamy smoothness. Definitely one of the best Hefeweizens I've ever drank in my life. yes, it is 'wunderbare' in this Singapore weather, for sure.
Fast-forwarding to the Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-weissbier, we were treated again to an ample bosomy amount of sweet banana, and the huge bready nose dissipates to form a cauldron mix of sweet wheat and light toasted dark malts, even cocoa. Hints of caramel and banana esters gingerly give way to a finish of spice on the palate. Smooth, crisp and full, there are barely any perceptible hoppiness to this light Dunkelweizen. Medium-bodied and smooth, it went extremely well with the signature Brotzeit Roasted Pork Knuckle.
It was a pity then, for the 'lion's brew' of Lowerbrau, The Lowerbrau Original is a standard refreshing lager but disappoints with its absence of bitterness and only showcases a faint sweetness in its wake. No complexity of textures nor a strong aroma were present. Appearance was of a decent golden yellow color that qualifies it as the most seasonable drafts in Brotzeit's curated list. Perhaps my penchant for the Dunkel could prove to be a saving grace for this brewery? Not so...
As Mr Reisch succinctly puts it, the beer is always the "bridesmaid" and the food is the "bride"; I must say that while the Lowenbrau Original Munchner Dunkel Lager was clearly three steps behind the glowing bride of the Pork Knuckle, it was not the prettiest bridesmaid - clearly the bridge chose wisely. Pours with a good two-fingered head, the malty aroma was caramel and slightly roasted. Tame mouth feel, so one has to let it warm up before the resonant flavors come forth, and when it does, it was malt over hops and unexciting.
Apart from tasting the beers, a feast from Brotzeit was laid before our eyes. From the smorgasbord of cheese platter the the marinated beef cheeks from Chef Claus Schwarzman's cookbook, all beers performed their bridesmaid duties well. These cold cuts served to excited the palate, so did the beef cheeks served alongside horseradish and marinated in vinaigrette. The fladen, or traditional German flatbread, was a classic pairing for the Dunkel, with its components of wheat, rye and dark rye flour vying for your tastebuds only.
All beers were paired with the signature Brotzeit 48-hour Roasted Pork Knuckle, expertly crafted and marinated with beer. The crisp skin does very well with the Franziskaner Weissbier, as are the sausages which had come aboard the enormous platter as well.
To top off the evening, a perfect draft pour challenge was issued by Mr Reisch, who threw the gauntlet on the floor to all guests. Alas, yours truly was bested by none other than Mr Daniel Goh of The Good Beer Company and Smith Street Taps. His glorious two-finger foam pour gloated at my baby's arm of the same draft, of which worked wonders in soothing my bruised ego later.
We would like to thank FoodCult PR and Brotzeit for including us as part of the media preview of the new exclusive German draft beers by Lowenbrau and Franziskaner. Note that all four beers will be available on tap at all Brotzeit Singapore outlets from the 15th April onwards.
Brotzeit
313@Somerset
Discovery Walk @ 313@Somerset
#01-27
S(238895)
t: 6834 4038
Operating Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 12pm - 12am
Fri: 12pm - 1am
Sat: 11am - 1am
Sun: 11am - 12am
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