Style: Herbed/Spiced Hefeweizen
ABV: 5%
Presentation: Single 330 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Hofbräu Kaltenhausen
Country: Hallein, Austria

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

“If you really love me you will bring me Edelweiss!” So went the chorus of the one-hit-wonder dance track of the late 1980’s, to the tune of ABBA’s “SOS” no less. That being said it still runs through my head every time I reach for another bottle of this special little beer that is now brewed at the foot of the Alps in Austria near Salzburg. Never have I come across such an enjoyable and easy drinking ale that also keeps me guessing and as of yet hasn’t let me completely pin it down.

To begin with this starts out as a light traditional German-style wheat beer, and utilizes that particular special strain of ale yeast to produce it. But then the tables turn a bit with the addition of an unknown blend of Alpine herbs to the whole mix, transforming this into a bit of an Austrian interpretation of a Belgian Witbier as well. The final product is something of a hybrid between the German and Belgian styles of wheat beer, while at the same time maintaining a unique character all of its own.

For the life of me I haven’t been able to fully determine exactly what any separate component is within this mysterious Alpine herbal blend, it continues to elude and remains a satisfying riddle that keeps drawing me back for more. Not like I need any extra incentive though….

A Weizen glass or Pilsner glass will help accentuate the best parts of this Austrian wheat beer, although a pint glass will work by default if necessary. You’ll also want to consume this while it’s still fairly well chilled—the time it takes to grab it out of the fridge, open the bottle and pour it into a glass, and then allow the head to settle a bit should allow it to reach an optimal serving temperature.

Expect a fairly typical appearance for a Hefeweizen, cloudy straw in colour with a tall billowing white head that will last a while. It’s in the aroma that you are introduced to the beginning of the enigma. The basic elements are sweet and floral and grassy, however the more attention you pay to it, the more individual characteristics start to become more pronounce. Scents of lemon and mandarin, notes of tropical fruit such as papaya and banana, honey-sweet malt, ginger, coriander, mint, and a light perfumey lavender. And there’s still stuff in there I can’t figure out and name! Pretty complex. Much of this continues on in the taste with soft sweet malt, citrus, light banana, mint, and the same inexplicable mix from the aroma that continues to elude me. Hopefully you have better luck decoding the puzzle of this particular blend of alpine herbs. Carrying this liquid joy is a light-bodied mouthfeel that feels creamy smooth across the palate and provides a zip of carbonation on the finish. This helps maintain the status of Edelweiss Snowfresh as a great session beer, which makes it easier for the rest of us to go back for the purpose of more exploration.

When it comes time to take a break to eat and you don’t want to leave this Austrian Weiss behind, I think it would be a great idea to pair it up with some fresh lobster tail. But hey, I have expensive tastes…. For more common fare you could serve this unique wheat beer with the likes of chicken or fish, salad or pasta. Anything with savoury seasoning is fair game, however avoid spices that provide more intense heat. And while Cajun cooking might overwhelm the subtle nuances of this beer, Louisiana desserts on the other hand are a totally different story. My recommendation is some Bananas Foster. If you’re not familiar with this Southern treat, imagine rum flambéd caramelized bananas served over vanilla bean ice cream. I you choose to go with that route then put on some safety goggles, pour another glass of Edelweiss Snowfresh, and prepare yourself for a flavour explosion!

The next steps in the cooler:

Other Austrian Beer:
Gösser
Stiegl

Other Hefeweizens:
Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier
Ayinger Bräu Weisse
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse
Schneider Weisse
Erdinger Weissbier
König Ludwig Weiss

Witbiers:
Hoegaarden Original White Ale
Unibroue Blanche De Chambly
St. Bernardus Witbier
Wittekerke
Hitachino Nest White Ale
Lost Coast Great White
Mill Street Wit
DDC Rosée d’hibiscus

Style: Märzen
ABV: 4.9%
Presentation: Single 500 ml can
Brewery: Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg GmbH
Country: Salzburg, Austria

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

If you’re thirsty for a quenching beer and feel like rubbing elbows with famous historical composers, Stiegl Goldbräu may be the closest available option for you short of stumbling across your own “Wayback Machine”.  Apparently Mozart himself was a big fan of Stiegl, which is not too shabby of bragging rights for any beer.

As for longevity, the first mention of the Stiegl Brewery in official recorded documentation dates back to 1492-yes, the same year that “Columbus sailed the ocean blue”.  By 1650 it was the largest brewery in Salzburg, and after an expansion in 1863 it became and still remains the largest family run brewery in all of Austria, and one of the largest in all of Europe.  In fact the brewery’s restaurant is located right next to the tall, lengthy steps leading up to the Fortress “Festung Hohensalzburg”, one of Europe’s largest and most well preserved castles.  Very fitting then that Stiegl means “stairs” in English.  This is reinforced by the motif of steps that make

up the logo and runs alongside the name on the can.

While not exactly true to what a traditional Märzen is (a stronger, maltier lager, and the direct progenitor of the famous Oktoberfest style), this Stiegl Goldbräu is pretty bang on for what the style has evolved into within modern Austria.  These days it’s definitely the most common style of Austrian beer, quite similar to a German Helles or an English Lager.

The brewery itself recommends serving this Austrian lager between 7-9 degrees Celsius, so between the time you pull it from the fridge, grab a glass, and get it poured should be about adequate.  Allowing it to warm a little more will reveal a bit more malt, but somewhat chilled is still the way to go.  Anything from a tall, thin lager or pilsner glass, to a mug or pint glass will do the job just fine, vive la choice!!!

Stiegl Goldbräu presents itself dressed up with a bright clear golden hue, crowned by a tall fluffy white head.  Look forward to a clean aroma of crisp grainy malt, followed by some subtle grassy hops.  If you have the patience or self-discipline to allow it to warm a bit you’ll be rewarded with a comforting bready, biscuity malt.  The aroma doesn’t lend itself to false promises either, expect a clean crisp grainy flavour up front, rounding out nicely with biscuity malt, then finishing with a slight amount of quenching grassy hops.  A dry, crisp mouthfeel, with impressive carbonation delivers this whole package.  How many times have I used the word “crisp” in this paragraph?  Enough to get the point across I hope, this is one tasty lager that will slake your thirst!

If you feel like a bite to eat along with this Austrian brew nothing could be more authentic than some wiener schnitzel, or some other variation of veal cutlets.  Real doughy, salty pretzels will also be balanced with this bready quenching beer.  Salty or breaded appetizers and finger foods will be tamed and kept in their place.  This will also cut through the slight acidity of tomato-based dishes, while the bready malt will balance them out.  Purported food recommendations from the Stielg Brewery restaurant’s gourmet chef include roasted meat, goose, duck and chicken.  Regardless of what you are preparing in the kitchen Stiegl Goldbräu is satisfying to sip on while you cook too.

The next steps in the cooler:

Other Austrian Beer:
Gösser

Lateral Steps:
Czechvar
Löwenbräu
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold
Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier

For The Adventurous:
Black Cat Lager - Paddock Wood
Warsteiner Dunkel
Lobkowicz Baron
Rogue Dead Guy Ale