Schwarzbier
Encyclopedia
, or "black beer", is a German
dark lager beer. It has an opaque, black colour and a full, chocolatey or coffee flavour. Although they share some similar flavours they are milder tasting and less bitter than British stout
s or porters
, owing to the use of lager rather than ale yeast and no roasted barley.
Schwarzbiers are bottom-fermented beers, though originally top-fermenting yeast was used in brewing
them. The alcohol
content usually ranges from 4.8%–5%. They get their dark color from the use of particularly dark malt
s in brewing. The malt in turn gets its color during the roasting
procedure. Dark beers are some of the original types of beers brewed, with lighter colors only becoming possible with lighter, short-roasted malts approximately one hundred and fifty years ago.
The roots of the Schwarzbier lie in Thuringia
and Saxony
; the oldest known Schwarzbier is Braunschweiger Mumme ("Brunswick Mum") brewed since the Middle Ages
(the first documented mention is from 1390) in Braunschweig. The earliest documented mention in Thuringia is of Köstritzer
from 1543, a popular Schwarzbier still produced today. The East of present-day Germany
has many unique varieties of this style from regional breweries. It is often served with dark, chunky breads with cream cheese. It also pairs well with marinated meats like brisket and is an excellent companion to German Sauerbraten
.
A number of U.S. breweries produce Schwarzbier. The Boston, Massachusetts based Samuel Adams
distributes a Schwarzbier under the name "Samuel Adams Black Lager". Spoetzl, a 100 year old brewery in Shiner, Texas produces Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. Saranac
also produces a Schwarzbier under the name "Saranac Black Forest". Broken Drum Brewery in San Rafael, CA brews one called "Midnite Eclispe". Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax, CA brews one called "The Dark Path Dark Lager". The Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
chain also produces and carries schwarzbier. Moonlight Brewing Company
in Sonoma County California has as its flagship beer a black lager called "Death & Taxes".
In Canada, Saskatoon, SK brewery Paddock Wood produces a Schwarzbier called Black Cat Lager.
In Scotland, BrewDog
make a 4.9% ABV black lager called Zeitgeist.
In New Zealand, Mac's Black Mac and Monteith's Black are among the most popular brands of black beer.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
dark lager beer. It has an opaque, black colour and a full, chocolatey or coffee flavour. Although they share some similar flavours they are milder tasting and less bitter than British stout
Stout
Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
s or porters
Porter (beer)
Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...
, owing to the use of lager rather than ale yeast and no roasted barley.
Schwarzbiers are bottom-fermented beers, though originally top-fermenting yeast was used in brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
them. The alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
content usually ranges from 4.8%–5%. They get their dark color from the use of particularly dark malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
s in brewing. The malt in turn gets its color during the roasting
Roasting
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat, whether an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting usually causes caramelization or Maillard browning of the surface of the food, which is considered by some as a flavor enhancement. Roasting uses more indirect, diffused heat , and is...
procedure. Dark beers are some of the original types of beers brewed, with lighter colors only becoming possible with lighter, short-roasted malts approximately one hundred and fifty years ago.
The roots of the Schwarzbier lie in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
and Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
; the oldest known Schwarzbier is Braunschweiger Mumme ("Brunswick Mum") brewed since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
(the first documented mention is from 1390) in Braunschweig. The earliest documented mention in Thuringia is of Köstritzer
Köstritzer
The Köstritzer brewery has been owned by the Bitburger Brauerei since 1991. It is located in Bad Köstritz, which is close to Gera in Thuringia. The brewery was founded in 1543 and it is one of the oldest producers of Schwarzbier in Germany...
from 1543, a popular Schwarzbier still produced today. The East of present-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
has many unique varieties of this style from regional breweries. It is often served with dark, chunky breads with cream cheese. It also pairs well with marinated meats like brisket and is an excellent companion to German Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten is a German pot roast, usually of beef , marinated before cooking in a mixture of vinegar, water, spices and seasonings.Sauerbraten is traditionally served with red cabbage, potato dumplings , Spätzle,...
.
A number of U.S. breweries produce Schwarzbier. The Boston, Massachusetts based Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams (beer)
Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
distributes a Schwarzbier under the name "Samuel Adams Black Lager". Spoetzl, a 100 year old brewery in Shiner, Texas produces Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. Saranac
Matt Brewing Company
F.X. Matt Brewing Company is an American family-owned brewery at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Utica, New York. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in the United States, as it has been brewing beer since 1853...
also produces a Schwarzbier under the name "Saranac Black Forest". Broken Drum Brewery in San Rafael, CA brews one called "Midnite Eclispe". Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax, CA brews one called "The Dark Path Dark Lager". The Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
Gordon Biersch Brewery is an American brewery founded by Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch. Gordon, a graduate from the five-year brewing engineering program at Weihenstephan, Germany, and Biersch opened their first brewery restaurant in Palo Alto, California in July 1988...
chain also produces and carries schwarzbier. Moonlight Brewing Company
Moonlight Brewing Company
The Moonlight Brewing Company is an American microbrewery founded in 1992 by Brian Hunt in Santa Rosa, California, USA. It is known for its flagship beer, Death & Taxes, which is popular in Sonoma County, California...
in Sonoma County California has as its flagship beer a black lager called "Death & Taxes".
In Canada, Saskatoon, SK brewery Paddock Wood produces a Schwarzbier called Black Cat Lager.
In Scotland, BrewDog
BrewDog
BrewDog is a Scottish brewery located in the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.- History :BrewDog was founded in 2006 by friends James Watt and Martin Dickie. The brewery at the Kessock Industrial Estate in Fraserburgh produced its first brew in April 2007...
make a 4.9% ABV black lager called Zeitgeist.
In New Zealand, Mac's Black Mac and Monteith's Black are among the most popular brands of black beer.