The Naked Pint (24 page)

Schwarzbier
(SHVARTS BEER) means “black beer” in German. Upon hearing that, many beer drinkers head for the hills, thinking that a black beer must be stronger and bigger than even the most imperial of Stouts. As a matter of fact, Schwarzbier is a lager that is actually much lighter bodied and much less intense than even typical Porters and Stouts.

Traditionally brewed in Saxony and the surrounding areas in what is now eastern Germany, Schwarzbier is becoming very popular among craft brewers and drinkers alike. Using chocolate, caramel, and Munich malts, Schwarzbiers are usually opaque, super-dark beers that can range from auburn to an ebony tone. Clean, light- to medium-bodied beers with typical flavors of coffee, chocolate, and licorice and just a waft of smoke, Schwarzbiers can range in intensity and can sometimes be so surprisingly light-bodied that they are referred to as Black Pils. The hops used in this beer style help create roasted and toasty notes with a medium dryness that lingers at the finish, sometimes with a nice sweetness. Drink these Black Lagers so the Schwarzbier can be with you:

Another famous substyle of the Dunkel dynasty is the delicious Dunkelweizen, which translated from German means “dark wheat.” And, you guessed it: this beer is a style that, like a Hefeweizen, uses a substantial amount of wheat as part of its malt profile. Unlike a Hefeweizen, however, a Dunkelweizen also uses chocolate, caramel, and Munich and several other tasty darker malts that give this beer a coffee, toffee-like quality. However, the Dunkel version Weizen also uses the yeast styled for banana and clovey Hefes. So you end up with flavors of delicious banana nut bread or a delectable bananas Foster. The hops in this style of beer are present in their spiciness more than their bitterness or dryness. Get a load of these tasty Dunkelweissens:

Note:
Dunkel Lagers and Dunkelweizen beers should not be confused with a style of beer that exists in some parts of Germany called Dunkel-bier, which does indeed taste sweet and malty but has no alcohol (The Horror!).

Like much of the beer history in the world, the origin of the name of this beer style, Bock, is a point of contention. One theory is that the style got its name vaguely from the city in which it was invented, Ein beck, Germany. Others think that the moniker was given because this beer style was traditionally brewed in winter months during the sign of Capricorn, whose zodiac symbol is the goat. “Billy goat” in German translates to
Geißbock
or
Ziegenbock
, and many Bock beer brewers have even taken the goat (which is also a customarily satanic symbol) as a mascot for their beer. Personally, we like the theory that the name was based on the German phrase
einen bock schießen
, which means “to commit a blunder” or “to pull a boner.” (Look it up!) Regardless, it’s true that if you drink too much of these strong beers, you might end up feeling like you got kicked in the head by a goat the next morning.