Munich's answer to Lent: stronger beer

thelocal ^ | Published: 26 Feb 10 09:56 CET

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Munich's answer to Lent: stronger beer

Published: 26 Feb 10 09:56 CET

Lent might be a period of abstinence, but Bavarian monks decided centuries ago that drinking highly alcoholic beer helped their fasting. Thomas Barkley explains Munich's Starkbierzeit tradition.

The end of Fasching, what Bavarian Catholics call Carnival, heralds the beginning of Lent, the Christian season of fasting. Normally considered a period of abstinence, in beer-crazy Bavaria it's time to crack open extra strong Starkbier brews.

Starkbierzeit has become such a fixture of Munich's annual event calendar that locals refer to it as the year's 'fifth season.' The supermarkets are stocked with the strong Doppelbock lager beer brewed only during this time.

The festival hearkens back to the fasting Paulaner monks who brewed the extra strong beer to sustain themselves between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Today the beer is served only during Lent - but is now quaffed for less pious reasons.

The festivities start on the third Thursday after Ash Wednesday. The first barrel of Triumphator was tapped this year at the Löwenbräukeller on February 25, followed by the other breweries a day later. Beer halls hold special events with traditional dances and music during the following three weeks. Most of the Starkbier revellers head to the Nockerberg to sample a couple of Maß (a one litre mug) of Paulaner’s Salvator. But if you want to dodge the crowds it is worthwhile to check out some of the other beer halls in town.

Since Munich’s Oktoberfest has become mobbed with tourists from around the world, many Munich residents have started retreating to the Starkbier festival. Just as at the Wiesn, plenty of visitors dress up in traditional Bavarian dirndl dress and lederhosen. A slightly less conventional type of leather trousers will be on display at the gay event sponsored the Munich Leather Club (MLC) at the Augustinerkeller.

Several stouts are brewed in Bavaria, but the strong beer is only served during Lent. Since the 14th century monks coming mostly from Italy found it difficult to fast in the harsh Bavarian climate and so they took to the bock beer brewed at the Hofbräuhaus, which didn’t fall under the strict fasting regulations.

In 1629, Bavarian King Maximillian permitted the Paulaner monks to brew their own beer. By raising the brewing wort from 16 percent to 18 percent, the monks made the beer stronger and more filling. This beer was piously named Salvator in honour of Saint Francis of Paola.

In 1773, Friar Barnabas came up with the new recipe for the Salvator. Other breweries started brewing so-called Doppelbock beer in the 19th century and were forced to rename their beer by decree. Since then we have been blessed with creative names for the Starkbier all ending with the same suffix: Triumphator, Maximator, Aviator, Unimator.

Entrance fees for the Starkbierzeit events cost between €8 and €13. Before 5 pm (3 pm weekends) the entrance fee is a mere €1.50. Options include the Nockerberg, Löwenbräukeller, Augustinerkeller, Unionsbräu, and the Perlacher Forschungsbrauerei.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Enjoy...

[GOP_Raider]

Beer Ping!

A low to medium ping list aimed at all of us who, well, love our beer…

FReepmail rzeznikj at stout or GOP_Raider to be added or struck from the list…

[downtownconservative]

In heaven there is no beer
That’s why we drink it here
And when we are gone from here
all our friends will be drinking all our beer

Those Bavarian monks modeled that song quite well.

[eyrish69]

That took me back to the days of watching WYO football!!

[stormer]

[CollegeRepublican]

Celebrator Dopplebock is my favorite beer. If I could only afford to drink it all the time.

[DManA]

Christians could follow the Muslim example - fast during the day, feast at night.

[DManA]

It was healthier than drinking the filthy water they had.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Celebrator Dopplebock is my favorite beer.

Would make a great screen name as well.

[Tribune7]

ping

[TexasRepublic]

Thanks for the interesting lesson. Now, pass that Spaten Optimator.

[ConorMacNessa]

And I could go for a Paulaner Salvator.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

A slightly less conventional type of leather trousers will be on display at the gay event sponsored the Munich Leather Club (MLC) at the Augustinerkeller.

Ugh...it's always something.

[downtownconservative]

And made them feel good too. Certainly didn’t contribute to their longevity, however.

[BJClinton]

Shouldn’t this be in the Religion forum?

For the starkbier, not the Lent thing.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

I posted it for the beer info...

[Jack Hydrazine]

Homer Simpson will certainly agree with this!

[DManA]

Oh it certainly did. Boiling their water would have been even better for them but they didn’t know any better then.

[Jack Hydrazine]

[SC DOC]

Beer Builds Better Bones

Don't go there. (I know what you're thinking)

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Easy...easy...

[Sarajevo]

My favorite doppelbock was produced in the Malteser BierBrauerei in Amberg i.d. Oberpfalz,Germany. It closed after a fire in 1993.

The Mrs and I had our wedding reception in their reception hall.

[Buckeye McFrog]

since the average German male gets over half of his caloric intake from beer, fasting and abstinence are pretty much the same thing.

[VeniVidiVici]

Dark Beer Fest..... yum.

[Erasmus]

In taberna quando sumus (When we are in the tavern)
non curamus quid sit humus (we do not think how we will go to dust,)
sed ad ludum properamus, (but we hurry to gamble,)
cui semper insudamus. (which always makes us sweat.)
Quid agatur in taberna (What happens in the tavern,)
ubi nummus est pincerna, (where money is host,)
hoc est opus ut queratur, (you may well ask,)
si quid loquar, audiatur. (and hear what I say. )
Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt, (Some gamble, some drink,)
quidam indiscrete vivunt. (some behave loosely.)
Sed in ludo qui morantur, (But of those who gamble,)
ex his quidam denudantur (some are stripped bare,)
quidam ibi vestiuntur, (some win their clothes here,)
quidam saccis induuntur. (some are dressed in sacks.)
Ibi nullus timet mortem (Here no-one fears death,)
sed pro Baccho mittunt sortem: (but they throw the dice in the name of Bacchus.)
Primo pro nummata vini, (First of all it is to the wine-merchant)
ex hac bibunt libertini; (the libertines drink,)
semel bibunt pro captivis, (one for the prisoners,)
post hec bibunt ter pro vivis, (three for the living,)
quater pro Christianis cunctis (four for all Christians,)
quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis, (five for the faithful dead,)
sexies pro sororibus vanis, (six for the loose sisters,)
septies pro militibus silvanis. (seven for the footpads in the wood,)
Octies pro fratribus perversis, (Eight for the errant brethren,)
nonies pro monachis dispersis, (nine for the dispersed monks,)
decies pro navigantibus (ten for the seamen,)
undecies pro discordaniibus, (eleven for the squabblers,)
duodecies pro penitentibus, (twelve for the penitent,)
tredecies pro iter agentibus. (thirteen for the wayfarers.)
Tam pro papa quam pro rege (To the Pope as to the king)
bibunt omnes sine lege. (they all drink without restraint.)
Bibit hera, bibit herus, (The mistress drinks, the master drinks,)
bibit miles, bibit clerus, (the soldier drinks, the priest drinks,)
bibit ille, bibit illa, (the man drinks, the woman drinks,)
bibit servis cum ancilla, (the servant drinks with the maid,)
bibit velox, bibit piger, (the swift man drinks, the lazy man drinks,)
bibit albus, bibit niger, (the white man drinks, the black man drinks,)
bibit constans, bibit vagus, (the settled man drinks, the wanderer drinks,)
bibit rudis, bibit magnus. (the stupid man drinks, the wise man drinks,)
Bibit pauper et egrotus, (The poor man drinks, the sick man drinks,)
bibit exul et ignotus, (the exile drinks, and the stranger,)
bibit puer, bibit canus, (the boy drinks, the old man drinks,)
bibit presul et decanus, (the bishop drinks, and the deacon,)
bibit soror, bibit frater, (the sister drinks, the brother drinks,)
bibit anus, bibit mater, (the old lady drinks, the mother drinks,)
bibit ista, bibit ille, (this man drinks, that man drinks,)
bibunt centum, bibunt mille. (a hundred drink, a thousand drink.)
Parum sexcente nummate (Six hundred pennies would hardly)
durant, cum immoderate suffice, (if everyone)
bibunt omnes sine meta. (drinks immoderately and immeasurably.)
Quamvis bibant mente leta, (However much they cheerfully drink)
sic nos rodunt (omnes gentes we are the ones whom everyone scolds,)
et sic erimus egentes. (and thus we are destitute.)
Qui nos rodunt confundantur (May those who slander us be cursed)
et cum iustis non scribantur. (and may their names not be written in the book of the righteous.)

--found in a Bavarian monastery, dating from the Middle Ages.

[thulldud]

--found in a Bavarian monastery, dating from the Middle Ages.

And, reading it, I can hear the music found in 1937.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[ArrogantBustard]

Beer is Food.

Here, have a Guinness with me:

[Global2010]

Did the gay beer fest have anything to do with the Monks brew?

Or did the writer of th article feel the need to be diverse in brew festing.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Berlin_Freeper]

Munich is an expensive place to live.

Otherwise I would be Munich_Freeper.

[SevenofNine]

OH Gee Louize LOL!

Anybody contact Looter guy YET LOL!

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Munich is an expensive place to live.

Interesting. Why is that?

[knews_hound]

Celebrator Dopplebock is my favorite beer. If I could only afford to drink it all the time.

Well, if thats the case, you could brew your own Dopplebock for about the same price as buying Bud.

 2 1/2 cases will set you back about 35 bucks.

Cheers,

knewshound

Homebrewing 1A (Homebrewing for beginners)

[Berlin_Freeper]

To keep Bavaria Bavarian.

Otherwise all the scum would want to live in such a beautiful place.

And Germany has a lot of scum.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Makes sense.

[nickcarraway]

Ping

[Bigg Red]

I gave up beer for Lent. I love beer.

[dynachrome]

[Temple Owl]

The best beer in the world is probably brewed by the monks at the Scheyern Kloster, in Scheyern, a small Bavarian town about 30 miles north of Munich. Scheyern Gold, a light or hellers beer, has been brewed by the monks there since the 1100s. There are those who prefer the dunkel but the Gold is to die for.

[philetus]

You have to climb a hill to get there?
They have black beer/ale? 60 proof?

[cpforlife.org]

Thanks for the PING, GOP_Raider !

Paulaner’s Salvator has been one of my favorites since the first time I tried it. The story of it is interesting too! Cheers!

From: http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Doppelbock.html

DOPPELBOCK

AKA:
Fastenbier ("Lenten beer"), Starkbier ("strong beer")

Pronunciation guide for English-speakers:
"Dopple-Bock"

Definition:
Doppelbock (literally "double bock") is a stronger and usually darker version of the Bavarian Bockbier. It is exceptionally malty, with very little bitterness. Standard Doppelbocks may have as much as 7% alcohol by volume. In the strongest versions (around 10 to 13%), you can actually taste the alcohol.

Related beer styles:
Bockbier, Maibock, Eisbock, Weizenbock, Weizendoppelbock, Weizeneisbock

Doppelbock—A Heart Warmer
Literally, Doppelbock means double Bock(bier). It is one of Germany's "biggest" beers, typically with an alcohol content by volume of around 7%, but some Doppelbocks go up to 13% in strength. Doppelbock emerged in the late eighteenth century as a powerful lager variant of the old monastic strong beer, the monks' "liquid bread," which they traditionally brewed for the Lenten season. Living by the strict rules of their order, the monks were regularly required to castigate themselves by periodic bouts of fasting, when next to no solid food was allowed to pass their lips. The longest and most taxing of these periods of culinary abstinence was, of course, Lent, the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Because the monks believed that liquids not only cleansed the body but also the soul, they would make plenty of liquid instead of solid bread from their grain, and then drink it in copious quantities...the more, the holier. Because the monks were society's role models in those religious times...as did the monks so did the common folk. The secular verson of the sacred strong bier was called a Bockbier.

The first Lenten strong beer was brewed by Paulaner monks at Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Munich. The Paulaners had arrived in Munich from Italy in 1627. They began brewing beer for their own comsumption shortly thereafter—exactly when is not clear. Depending on which documents one can trust, the year was 1630, 1651 or 1670. The Paulaners felt, however, that such a strong brew with such delightful qualities might be just a bit too much of an indulgence for Lent. So they decided to ask the Holy Father in Rome for a special dispensation so that they could continued to brew it with a clear conscience. The Paulaners dispatched a cask of Lenten beer to Rome for the pope to try and to pass judgment. During its transport across the Alps and along the burning sun of Italy, unfortunately—or fortunately—the cask tossed and turned, and heated for several weeks—a classic condition for causing beer to turn sour and undrinkable. So when the Holy Father tasted the much-praised stuff from Munich, he found it (appropriately) disgusting. His decision: Because the brew was so vile, it was probably beneficial for the souls of the Munich monks to make and drink as much of it as they could. Therefore, he willingly gave the brewing of this new, allegedly rotten, beer style his blessing. Little did he know...!

It is a fair guess that the Paulaners' Lenten "liquid bread" got stronger over the years. It is not exactly clear, however, when it reached the strength we now associate with a modern Doppelbock. Obviously, the Paulaners revered their weighty and now papally sanctioned brews, because eventualy they came to name the strongest of their strong beers "Salvator," after the Savior, their other passion in life.

Though initially intended only for themselves, the Paulaners must have let some of their beer leak out, for cash, to the population. This, under stringent feudal rules, required a permit from the civil authorities, which the Paulaners did not possess; and soon the Paulaners were brewing not only beer but trouble, too. We know so, because of many civil complaints on record about public rowdiness and drunkenness in the streets around the monastery. There is even evidence that the monks served Doppelbock illegally on April 2, 1751, the names day of their patron saint, Saint Francis of Paula.

It took until 1780 for the Paulaners to finally obtain an official permit from Elector Duke Karl-Theodor to disburse their brew to the public. However, their joy was to be short-lived, because in 1799, a calamity befell the Paulaners' strong Lenten potion. It came in the person of Napoleon Bonaparte. Under Napoleon's new policy of secularization, which he imposed on all the lands he had conquered, including Bavaria, the Paulaner monastery was forcibly dissolved and its brewery confiscated by the State. Napoleon's actions, inspired by the Enlightenment, were designed to institute a strict separation between church and state. Unlike in Europe's feudal past, in the new order, governed by his Code Civil, the church was no longer allowed to own property, levy taxes, or engage in business...no more pursuits of earthly riches, just the shepherding of man's immortal soul.

Thus the Paulaner brewery lay in disuse until 1806, when it was rented out to a "civilian" brewer named Franz Xaver Zacherl, the owner of the Münchener Hellerbräu. Franz Xaver swiftly ended the "salvatorless" period. By 1813, he was able to purchase the old Paulaner brewery outright...and, like the monks before him, he promptly got himself into touble with the law. There were countless court challenges to his license to dispense his drink, because the public, it seemed, was always ready to "disturb the peace." In small-minded fashion, always fearful that their subjects might have too good a time, the civic administrators simply tried to shut Franz Xaver down. It is in testimony in support of brew master Zacherl during one of those hearings, on November 10, 1835, that of a witness speaking called Zacherl's brew Salvator. Though the name had been in use for many decades before, this is the oldest documentary reference to the name Salvator for a Doppelbock.

But things soon improved for Herr Zacherl. His Majesty himself, King Ludwig I of Bavaria, issued an ordinance of favor of the Paulaner brewer on March 25, 1837. "As long as I do not decree otherwise," the King proclaimed, "the authorities are herewith empowered to grant an annual permit for the dispensing of Salvator beer. Regular closing hours, however, must be observed, but no taxes may be levied, because this beer is to be considered a luxury item." Having found a friend for his brew in the highest place in the land, Zacherl continued to pour his Salvator Doppelbock every Lent until his death in 1846. His heirs and successors, the Brothers Schmederer, continued the annual ritual of serving Salvator in the cold outdoors in a beer garden adjacent to the old monastery. By the mid-1860s however, it became clear that the public needed an enclosed beer hall to enjoy their Lenten brew. Thus was erected what is today—albeit completely renovated after a fire on November 27, 1999—the Salvatorkeller at the Nockherberg.

Soon the Salvator brew found many imitators. By 1890, many other breweries were selling their own strong beer under the name Salvator, and the Brothers Schmederer began to object. But effective legal action had to wait until the German Empire had a patent law on the books. Such a law was passed on January 12, 1894, and within two years the Brothers owned their registered trademark for Salvator, and other breweries had to choose new names for their Doppelbocks. Virtually all of them selected names ending in the suffix "ator," such as Maximator, Triumphator, or Celebrator. Today their are some 200 "-ator" Doppelbock names registered with the German patent office. Perhaps one of the better-known Doppelbocks available in North America is the Ayinger Celebrator and the amber-colored, fiery Kulmbacher EKU Kulminator 28. The latter has an alcohol by volume level of 11%.

The original Paulaner Salvator is still brewed on location. It is now lagered 72 feet underground, in the world's deepest lager cellar, before it is sent to beer connoisseurs all over the world. As an escape from the rigors of the Lenten season, thousands of Munich residents still gather annually in the Paulaner beer hall at the Nockherberg, around St. Joseph's Day (March 19), to kick off two weeks of official Bockbier drinking. The season's first cask of Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock is always tapped by a celebrity, usually the mayor of Munich.

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[cpforlife.org]

Where I shop Paulaner’s Salvator is about half the price of Celebrator and very comparable. IMO

[knews_hound]

Post of the Day



Cheers,

knewshound

http://www.knewshound.blogspot.com/

[Global2010]

I stopped drinking beer (store pee type) years ago.

Then last summer went to the Doggie International Brewfest (key here no kids but dogs attend).

WOW what a world of brew opened up..in just a taste here and there.

Along with the heat (we are cool coastal) of the valley and sipping the Ales along with Dachshaund puppy getting lotsa mosh dog pit love we had a wonderful time.

Rode a rickshaw back to our fancy smanshy dog friendly hotel, not due to drinking just darn tired from the heat/walking and dog tired.

I will know perhaps taste a dark ale once or twice a month in prep to attending this years Doggie brewfest and scoring/tracking the taste boothes and social interaction ect...

Who knew a good dark ale, I like Deshutes Black Butte (chocolate) could turn on into a taster...yet not a big fan of drinking.

I keep cherry juice on hand to handle the uric acid levels..old folk pre remedy for a rare day out tasting.

[cpforlife.org]

Thank you, sir.

Excellent blog, btw!

20 odd years ago I brewed two batches and was suprisingly impressed on the first, less so on the second. To do it right takes a lot of tim effort and detail. I just didn’t have the paitence to home brew, though I truly admire the art.

[CollegeRepublican]

Thanks for the tip. I will check it out.