Schwarzbier
Schwarzbier (German: [ˈʃvaʁt͡sˌbiːɐ̯] (
listen)lit. 'black beer') is a dark lager that originated in Germany.[1] It has a very dark color, which is almost black. Usually, these beers have about 5 percent alcohol by volume.[2] Often, there is a hint of chocolate or coffee in the flavour. Like stout, it is also made from roasted malt, which gives it its dark colour.[2]
Characteristics[change | change source]
Schwarzbiers are made using a cool fermentation method. This classes them as lager. In the past, warm fermentation was used. The alcohol content usually is between 4.4% and 5.4%. They get their dark colour from the use of particularly dark malts or roast malt extract in brewing. The malt, in turn, gets its colour during the roasting procedure. Its flavour may vary between bitter and slightly sweet.
History[change | change source]
Schwarzbier was first brewed in Thuringia and Saxony. The oldest known black beer is Braunschweiger Mumme, ("Brunswick Mum") brewed since the Middle Ages (the first documented mention is from 1390 in Braunschweig.[3] The earliest documented mention in Thuringia is of Köstritzer brewery from 1543, a brewery which later started producing Schwarzbier and still produces it today. Present-day eastern Germany has many unique varieties of this style from regional breweries.
Examples[change | change source]
Modern Schwarzbiers include Köstritzer, Sprecher Black Bavarian, Samuel Adams Black Lager, New Belgium 1554 Black Lager, Shiner Black, and Xingu Black.
Dark Czech lagers range from dark to black beers (Czech tmavé and černé).
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Charles Bamforth (2009). Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing. Oxford University Press. p. 86.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. 2011. p. 718.
- ↑ "Schwarzbier – die dunkelste deutsche Biersorte" (in German). German Agricultural Society. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.