Welcome to Bamberg and Smoked Beer! Smoked Beer or Rauchbier? The barley malt is dried over a beechwood smoky fire, giving the malt a unique smoky taste. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoked_beer for additional info about this unique brew. Is is good? Well, good enough that the Skunk had two liter mugs that afternoon! But not really a cold one! Beer in Germany is served at cellar temperature, somewhere around 54 degrees. Bud Lite it ain’t! German beers are heavier than those in the US and a higher alcohol content. 6-7% with some going as high as 14%. US beers range from 3.2 – 5%. A few are a bit higher
What does this sign say? “Brewery cellar tavern Schlenkerla of Family Trum”
The origin of the word “Schlenkerla” lies in the Franconian vernacular. “Schlenkern” is an old German expression for someone who walks in a crooked, unbalanced manner. Tradition holds that one of the former brewers earned the nickname because of his curious gait, and so he was called the “Schlenkerla.” (The ‘la’ suffix by the way is very typical of the Franconian dialect.) Over time, the residents of Bamberg came to call the tavern “Schlenkerla.” And though the sixth generation of brewers now taps the beer, the name has remained. Original Schlenkerla Smokebeer – referred to as Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier by Germans – is brewed like any other Bavarian beer according to the Purity Law of 1516. The important difference is in the malting process. At the malthouse, the greenmalt (or germinated barley) is spread over a wire netting (the kiln), and is dried by the heat of a fire burning slowly underneath. The smoke from this fire penetrates the grain, giving the greenmalt its characteristic aroma, and thus turns it into smokemalt. In contrast, regular malt is kilned by heat, but without smoke. Special beechwood logs harvested in Franconia are used in the process of converting greenmalt into smokemalt, lending Schlenkerla its special flavor and unique dark color. Before being used in this process, the wood is dried for three years. With its fresh smoked taste, the bottom fermented Märzentype beer with 13.5 percent original gravity has an alcohol content of 5.1 percent. Technical explanations aside, Schlenkerla uchbier owes its unique quality to the art of the brewmaster. For more than three centuries, brewmasters have passed on their sophisticated brewing experience fromgeneration to generation. Today, this expertise is acknowledged by many national and international awards for Original Schlenkerla Smokebeer.The historical brewery tavern “Schlenkerla” is situated beneath the mighty cathedral in the old town centre of Bamberg, the UNESCO World Heritage in northern Bavaria. First mentioned in 1405 and now run by the Trum family in the 6th generation, it is the fountain of “Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier”. Schlenkerla Smokebeer is the classic beer specialty from Bamberg and today being exported to various countries world wide. For more detailed information and availability in your country please visit www.Smokebeer.com.
They had some great food as well. The prices are in Euro’s. A Euro equals $1.27 at todays exchange rate so prices are not cheep. Okay, so what are these things? Here is an English menu without pricing.
avern:
Tradition and quality are most important at the Schlenkerla brewery tavern. We offer you franconian specialties which are made freshly every day, and hence it is possible, that some dishes are sold out before kitchen closes (10 p.m.).
Breakfast (in German: “Frühschoppen” 9.30-11.30 a.m.)
Bamberg-style sausages with Sauerkraut and bred
White pudding (“Weißwurst”) with brezel and sweet mustard
for this dish we recommend our Schlenkerla Smoked Wheat
What? A recommendation for beer with breakfast?
Lunch example (starting noon) daily changing dishes,
Franconian beernuckles with fried potatoes
Beef with horseradish and a roll
Pork with Sauerkraut and potatoes
Bamberg-style onion with Smokebeer sauce and mushed potatoes
Please note:
all Schlenkerla dishes are prepared freshly every day, therefore some dishes might be sold out before kitchen closing time
Sundays additionally: various roasts
Brotzeit (starting 2.30 p.m.)
Daily soup
Schlenkerla – Cheese
3 Bamberg-style sausages with sauerkraut
Grand salad
Brewer’s vespers (Franconian mixed “Brotzeit-“dish)
Dinner (starting 4.30 p.m.)
Franconian beernuckles with fried potatoes
Beef with horseradish and a roll
Pork with Sauerkraut and potatoes
Baked pork escalope with potato salad and green salad
Sour tripes
3 Bamberg-style sausages with onions
Liverwurst with pickles and bread
Housemade jellied pork with fried potatoes
Steak tartare with bread
Mixed ham plate with pickles and bread
Emmenthal with bread and butter
Cottage cheese with onions