Beer of the Weekend #9: Paulaner Original Munich Premium Lager

My sister called today. She was on her way to pick up mom from work because they were closing the bridges in Iowa City.

Shit.

The news from Iowa is so depressing I stopped visiting the Press-Citizen and Gazette websites. Sure, they gave me the latest on what’s going on back home, but they depressed the shit out of me. As the news got worse and worse I became more anxious and worried. My adrenaline would start pumping and I’d become eager and motivated to help. But I can’t do shit. To calm down I had to convince myself to chill out. There’s nothing I can do so there’s no reason to be stressed. All there is to do is wait, watch Euro 2008, and hope the water stops rising soon.

One thing I know I can do is numb my anxiety with alcohol. On with this week’s tasting.

The beer this weekend is Paulaner Original Munich Premium Lager brewed by Paulaner of Munich, Germany.


Ja. Another German beer — “bier” is more like it, actually — and another from the Beach BevMo!. For the past few weeks I’ve gone in with no idea what to get and this time was much the same. Yet despite not knowing exactly what I want I do have a style of beer in mind. During the week I’ll develop a craving for a certain brew and that yearning will guide my selection on Friday evening. Some weeks I have a thirst for stout/porter and others I’ll want a lager or pilsner (I haven’t had a pilsner for the tasting yet). There are also weeks when I’m craving something in between, something crafty and/or experimental. Amber Ale. India Pale Ale. Alt Ale. But this week I had no fucking clue what I wanted. I spent 15 minutes just browsing. I was thinking stout but decided against it (I had a dark beer last week and want to mix things up a bit). Then I thought IPA. I had a sixer of Acme IPA in my hand but put it back on the shelf. Too hoppy. That was when I realized I wasn’t in the mood for bitterness and set my eyes on a lager.

Here’s the thing about craft lager in the United States: As far as I know they’re very rare. The macrobreweries pump out lager every day so the little guys don’t bother with it. It’s not artistic brewing. I searched the local craft brew shelf nonetheless. Most microbreweries will have an ale, an IPA, a stout/porter, and a specialty brew like a summer wheat. That was all I found. I was beginning to think I was shit out of luck until I remembered the Germans.

Helles to the rescue.

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Golden in color with a very light foam head that evaporated quickly, leaving a ring around the edge. The beer is slightly effervescent; there are bubble trails rising to the surface long after pouring.

Smell: The grassy, flowerly aroma which is common with most helles brews. Clean and malty.

Taste: Very clean and smooth, which is something I love about German beers. There is a beginning of citrus and a hint of hop bitterness in the end.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. This is something you could drink most any day. It’s even a good bottle beer.

Fun facts about Paulaner:

-Serving temperature: 40-45°F.

-The Paulaner brewery was first established in the early-1600s by Minim friars. It’s not unusual for European beers to have roots in religion. Catholic monks loved their booze. While they fasted they drank beer for energy.

-Paulaner is one of the “Big Six” German breweries that supply the Oktoberfestbiers for Oktoberfest in Munich. The others are Spaten, Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Hofbrau, and Hacker-Pschorr.

-No beautiful descriptions of local landscapes on the Paulaner carrying case or bottle, just a ribbon in the corner that says, “Welcome to Munich.” I wish I were somewhere in Germany.

-This isn’t a fact but it is a little fun. German beer always reminds me of a Mystery Science Theater 3000 quip, which is conveniently at the very beginning of this clip (starting at 0:03):



The Quiet Man’s grade: Good. Real good. B+.

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