Oldie but so goodie!

Well, it's no secret that we like to indulge in the occasional delicious beer around these parts. What's better after a long stressful week (or day!) than a nice cold one with friends, music, and good conversation? This is not a new practice by any means, people have been doing it as long as people have known the magic of fermentation, and have been producing it since at least as far back as the 5th millenium BC. In fact, back when water still presented a danger in Europe, people brewed beer as their primary form of hydration in the form of small beer (with big beer at night ;). Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer

Men, women, children, people of all classes, all drinking beer all day, at least in places where grapes were not readily available for wine. Crazy? True story. In the country people brewed their own, in the cities the brewers were important and often wealthy craftsmen, and it was quite common for monasteries to brew beer as well. Many of the oldest existing breweries have monastic origins. Some sources might suggest that people did drink water too, but that is not what we're talking about right now.

One of the things we love about German beer is that they've actually maintained a law since 1516 ensuring purity standards, so you know that there are no unwanted chemicals or additives in your beer. It's just beer and the ingredients that should go in it. How cool is that?! Germany is also one of the major opponents of genetically modified food in Europe, with the EU already having one of the most stringent GMO regulations in the world (again, backing this up with Wikipedia... that's valid, right?). Plus, if you've ever seen the water flowing down from the Alps in Bavaria, you know why the beer is so tasty! Pure, delicious beer.

We happen to have an amazing selection of German beer at our disposal via the amazing Vendome down the street, where we can pick up a couple of half-litres at a time to share and sample. And we've noticed in our "research" that many breweries claim to be the oldest.... The oldest in Munich, the oldest in Bavaria, the oldest in Germany. And we've been wondering, here at the Ms. Schnitzel tasting room, which really IS the oldest? 

Take the lovely at the top - the Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff - we really loved this beer. It was light like a lager, a Helles Lager to be exact, but had a bit of the flavor of a hefeweizen - very smooth, a hint of citrus or something sweet, no bitter aftertaste. Refreshing, oh so tasty, one of our faves. Is this really the oldest in Munich, as the packaging brazenly claims?

So if you're a history nerd and love beer, this is the post for you!

Weihenstephaner - Yay! We love this brewery, the hefeweizen is really what made Jen begin to love beer! This is in fact the oldest brewery in Germany, actually the oldest existing brewery in the world, tracing its monastic roots to 768. The monastery was originally dedicated to St. Vitus, hence the shout out with their very strong, might we warn you, Weihenstephaner Vitus. Later it was dedicated to St. Stephen, and so the name of the brewery. The brewery was licensed in 1040 by the City of Freising, which is the founding date claimed by the modern brewery.  If you haven't tried any of their beers yet... Well, you haven't really lived, have you.

So that answers the question of the oldest brewery in Germany, and apparently Bavaria. So what's up with Augustiner's claim to being the oldest brewery in Munich? Well, Weihenstephaner is actually about 25 miles outside of town. So Augustiner is actually Munich proper's oldest brewery, dating back to 1328. That's still pretty old.

Weltenburg, which we have yet to try, was actually founded in 1050 -  so not far behind Weihenstephaner - while Gaffel (1302), Franziskaner (1363) and Spaten (1397) are formidable institutions as well. We know we love Weihenstephaner, Augustiner, Franziskaner, and Spaten, bring on the Weltenburg and Gaffel! So now you know what we'll be looking for next.  

Prost!

Prost! Part 2

German beers are turning Jen into a total snobby fraulein. She never was a fan of beers until a few years back when Blue Moon and Leinenkugels became her go-to beers. Within the last couple of years she took it to level two and started drinking Hoegaarden, Franziskaner and Weihenstephaner Weissbiers. 
 
Having done so much blog "homework", aka sampling a lot of beer, Jen has taken her beer snobbery to level three.

Tara remembers hearing on a brewery tour in Wisconsin (New Glarus shout out!) that the water used in brewing is a big determining factor in the flavor profile of the resulting beer. Makes sense, right? Well after witnessing first-hand that crystal clear, aqua-colored water flowing down from the Alps into Munich, it is no shock that Germany produces some of the best beer we've ever tried!

Jen and Tara were SO pumped to get ahold of some Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest being that the last time we were at Bevmo we were told it sells out the same day every time it comes in. We felt the Hacker-Pschorr was similar to the Paulaner Oktoberfest, which is also a Marzen style amber, but a little lighter in taste. Vote = 8 stars.

Since Jen and Tara were already super fans of the Erdinger Weissbier on draught at Wirtshaus, we were extremely excited to try the Oktoberfest brew which is a cross between the Marzen style ambers and weissbier. Lighter than a typical weiss and full flavored and refreshing like a Marzen. Vote = 9 stars.

Jen found this little beer gem at Whole Foods which has a surprisingly orange, citrus-y flavor. We were a bit deceived by the dark bottle and Marzen label. The other Marzen style beers that we tried were neither citrus-y nor sweet. Vote = 8 stars.

Wirtshaus Restaurant Part 1- Beer

 

Day 12 of Oktoberfest, and still going strong! We hope everyone out there has had a chance to bring a bit of Bavaria into their life because - may we tell you? 

It's kinda nice. 

When Jen's parents suggested they might visit during Oktoberfest, we were so excited at the prospect of new palates from which we might extract opinions! Of course we were excited just for their presence, but we didn't need to tell you that...did we? Jen made it clear it would be a working weekend, and they happily obliged. So cheers to the Bish clan! 

You will recognize Jen of Ms. Schnitzel fame, and GK from previous posts, we're sure. The lovely Adrienne, who has participated in a couple of other tasting panels, is standing above them. And meet Bob and Janet on the left!

We arrived at Wirtshaus in Hollywood to waving banners, flags, and a friendly German host who really wanted to take our picture. With our phone, of course. It wasn't creepy.

We settled into a sturdy wooden table with long benches, cozied right up next to another group of Oktoberfest revelers dressed in costumes (right?!), with images of the alps on the wall, steins hanging from the bar, and an incredible accordion player setting the ambiance for the whole scene. He played the chicken dance song a lot, and we mean to investigate whether this song has Bavarian roots. Anyone, anyone?

                          

We did eye the outdoor beer garden with a bit of envy at first, it was a perfect night and it really looked like a biergarten right out of Munich...or at least just a festive, fun patio. We weren't aware of it whilst making reservations and the place was packed, so indoors it was. This did not in any way sully our good time. We even got to see a (semi) celebrity. No night in LA is complete without that. 

There were some other stars of the night, however. So many, in fact, that we decided to split this experience into two posts. 

Enter Beer, stage right.

It's somehow become a thing where Tara ends up with the crazy foamy heads on her beer, almost invariably, as above. Who's complaining? That Erdinger Weiss had a lot to say, and how else is a beer to express itself? The ensuing Paulaner Oktoberfest was equally expressive. She gives a big thumbs up to both. 

Adrienne was more of a fan of the Krombachner Pils. She described it as crisp, with a light taste but not at all lacking in flavor. She gave it an 8 out of 10:

Yeah, she was double-fisting. 

She did not love the Erdinger Weiss, but passed it on to Janet who seemed to enjoy it. 

GK also tried the Krombachner Pils, which he found to be "smooth, flavorful, and delicious". He preferred it over his first beer, Jever, which was a "light, Stella-esque" brew.

Janet's first beer was the Fruh Kolsch, of which she said, "Well, I only drink Miller Lite, MGD 64 or Bud Light so... All I can say is that it was smooth, no harsh after-taste, and on to Erdinger!" Thank you for your willingness to try German beer, it's not for the faint-hearted and you've proven yourself an adventurous fräulein!

Jen also tried the Erdinger Weiss, a popular choice because we all love German Weissbiers, and she found it to be light and refreshing. But she was hooked on the Paulaner Oktoberfest, as pictured above, which went over so well in our initial tasting. It's dark in color and rich in flavor, yet light and balanced at the same time. Jen and Tara both found it even better on draught than the bottled version. 

So there you have it. Go out and get yourself some Paulaner Oktoberfest while you still can!

And a big thanks to Bob for being our designated driver! 

Schnitzel Notes:

* When making a reservation at this or any local German place, make sure to ask if they have a biergarten. Having said that, our indoor experiences have been adventures with a decor, charm, and ambience all their own!

* Tune in for Wirtshaus Part 2, all about food! 

* A special "Prost!" to Will Chalut, who would have loved this! 

Prost!

Ein prosit, ein Prosit

Der Gemütlichkeit.

Ein prosit, ein Prosit 

Der Gemütlichkeit.

Oans, zwoa, drei, g'suffa!

Now we just need some proper steins for toasting. 

We've been having so much fun cooking (and eating!) for this blog but, in an effort to explore all things German, we will occasionally be posting items that are not centered around recipes or recipe adaptations. 

Furthermore, there is a cast of characters that will inevitably pop up here and there, such as in Tuesday's Cheddar-beer Spread Part 2. That was actually the same tasting panel that was assembled for today's post on - you guessed it - BEER!

We will at some point properly introduce everyone with pictures and mini-bios or some such thing. For now, you just get names. Deal with it. 

We have so far been able to track down 3 of the 6 official beers of Oktoberfest in Munich. We have high hopes for one more, but sadly think the other two are a lost cause.

The 6 official beers are as follows:

* Augustiner (1328)

* Hacker-Pschorr (1417)

* Hofbräu (1589)

* Löwenbräu (15th century)

* Paulaner (1634)

* Spaten (1397)

Did you know that there are actual laws, strictly adhered to, in Germany regarding the standards of the beer that is brewed there? Germans do not take beer lightly, which is probably the reason that German beer is SO FREAKIN' GOOD.

Without further ado, here are the results of this first official tasting.

Hofbräu Oktoberfest:

Adrienne- Unimpressed, initial flavor but overall bland. 5 stars

Jen- Light & crisp, but mediocre; could drink it all day and not feel full, good festival beer. 3 stars

Rob- Refreshing but it doesn't make my tongue think too hard. 5 stars

Tara- Flavorful upon first sip, smooth, no notable aftertaste. 6 stars

Bevmo- Pale in color, dry with a festive finish.

Spaten Oktoberfest:

Rob- Smooth, caramelly guten-ness. 6 stars

Adrienne- Evenly blended, mild. 7 stars

Jen- Surprisingly smooth for a darker beer. 8 stars

Tara- A bit of a metallic taste initially but smooth overall, lighter than it appears but flavorful. 7 stars

Bevmo- A bronze, amber-red color lager with accents toward a sweet maltiness.

Paulaner Oktoberfest - Unanimous Winner:

Adrienne: Rich taste with a hint of hop, favorite of the tasting. 8 stars

Jen: Pleasant, balanced flavors, similar to Spaten. Favorite of the tasting. 9 stars

Rob: Robust, somewhat chocolatey, favorite of the tasting. 7 stars

Tara: This beer's creamy head came right out of the bottle to meet me and was like, "drink me now"! Favorite of the three. 8 stars

Bevmo - "Marzen" style; amber colored lager; full, rich, creamy; hops give a special crispness; balances with rich hops.

Bonus Beer
Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier:

There are no official notes on this beer, which Tara and Jen shared the night before the tasting. Suffice it to say there was a mixed review - Tara loved it, Jen did not care for it at all. 

Bevmo - This wonderful Oktoberfest shows lots of grain in the aroma with some faint spice and light citrus. Sweet, malty flavors start things off, plenty of grain are complemented by some light spiciness.

This tasting was too much fun!!! Rob even threw on some traditional German Oktoberfest music to set the tone. May we strongly suggest getting some friends together and doing your own tasting? Now...

Auf die Bänke!! (Command from the band to stand on the tables, lock arms, and sway with your neighbors!!)

Cheddar-Beer Spread Part 2

 

Sprechen Käse! 

It's day 4 of Oktoberfest, and we've been working hard to bring some good stuff to your table. For instance, tonight we sampled beers from three of the six breweries sponsored by Oktoberfest in Munich! Yes, hard work. We took one for the team. Check back Thursday for official reviews!

So close your eyes, relax, roll back in time... a few weeks ago we posted about this amazing Cheddar-Beer Spread. Oh, it was sooo good. Remember? Well, we encapsulated half of it in time for a later date, and that day has come. 

If you've never worked with paraffin wax, it is completely edible and not as scary as it seems.  You melt it, pour it, even mix it with chocolate if you want to make buckeyes... Well, some around here have Ohio roots.

When Grandma's Cookbook instructed us to "Seal top with melted paraffin. Keep refrigerated for several weeks", we looked at each other with big question marks in our eyes, and then decided to try it!  But we needed the overnight fix too. So... Check out our first post for initial impressions.

 

Without much direction from the recipe, this crazy experiment worked! The following reviews are all from people who tasted the initial product and the end product:

Rob: "It takes me back to a train ride in Bavaria, with mountains and castles in the distance."

He liked it better aged.

Adrienne: "The perfect snack.  Some cheese was made for wine, this cheese is made for beer."

She liked it better aged.

Jen:  "The perfect balance of flavors, the original had more potent individual flavors."

She liked it better aged.

Tara: "Drier on top after aging, make sure to stir it up! Flavor mellows with age."

She loved it both ways.

If you want to try aging it, just cut off a chunk of paraffin wax, melt it in a pan over medium-low heat, pour a layer a couple inches thick over the top to seal it, and pry it off after 3-5 weeks. Voila!

(Not) Knackwurst In Beer

Ein bier, bitte!

Or two... One for the sausages, one to enjoy whilst preparing the sausages. This recipe for Knackwurst in Beer from Grandma's Cookbook resulted in quite possibly the most tender, flavorful bratwurst that any of us had tasted! We actually prepared them for guests (no, all of those brats below were not just for us), along with sauerkraut and kartoffelsalat. Do you think we remembered to take pictures of anyone actually enjoying the feast?

Silly fräuleins.

So sure, this is a bit more involved than just throwing some wieners straight from the package onto the grill.  But it's Oktoberfest, live a little!  Buy a whole bunch of sausages - knackwurst, mettwurst, bratwurst, whatever you can get your hands on - and invite the gang over for your own Oktoberfest celebration, wherever you may be.

We used this beer from Trader Joe's for the marinade:

And this bratwurst from Whole Foods:

...As well as some brats from their meat counter, but we won't show you the pictures of them in prep because, let's be honest, raw sausages just ain't pretty. But here they are grilling away on the barbie!

After grilling, they were all thrown back into the pot with the marinade to boil away.  We actually doubled the batch of marinade to accommodate all of the brats and tried our hardest, as the recipe suggested, to let the liquid boil down completely. This ended up taking much longer than anticipated, and we had a lot of hungry folks, so we eventually gave into our bellies' demands and pulled them off with a bit of liquid left.  And that was perfectly fine, we don't think they could have been any better.

The kartoffelsalat (potato salad) and sauerkraut pictured at the top will be  featured in upcoming Oktoberfest posts, so stay tuned!

Schnitzel Notes:

* Adapt this recipe to the amount of sausages required simply by making sure there's enough beer to cover them. We ended up with about 12 sausages and used 2 bottles of beer, with 2 cloves of garlic and 1 decent-sized onion. We originally planned on only 8 sausages and one beer, but were able to adjust on the fly.

* After marinating, we threw the brats on the BBQ until nice and brown, then transferred them back to the kitchen to simmer in the beer mixture.  Feel free to sauté them instead, and let us know how they turn out!

* We sliced up an extra onion, tossed it with a little olive oil in some tin foil, and grilled it alongside the brats to serve, as shown in the photo above. 

* Horseradish and German mustard, anyone?

Cheddar-Beer Spread Part 1

Guten tag und willkommen to the first of two posts on Cheddar-Beer Spread!

We always read through our recipes before starting to make sure there aren't any wild cards, such as in this recipe where Grandma's Cookbook instructs us to seal the spread with paraffin wax and keep refrigerated for several weeks…. Wait… What?! We have to wait several WEEKS to sink our crackers into this?! Unacceptable.  So we looked into other similar recipes online, and without variation the instructions were to leave the spread (sans wax) in the fridge overnight.  The conclusion we came to was that we simply had to make two batches (there's no such thing as too much Cheddar-Beer Spread, right?) and, for the sake of authenticity, try the paraffin wax method as well as the overnight method and compare the difference.  What a delicious experiment! In Part 2 of this post, we will let you know how the aged spread turns out.
 

We think, as with any simple recipe, the key is to use high-quality ingredients so the flavors really shine.  We also look for pasture-raised and humanely treated animal products, so our version was not exactly cheap, but we both agree the expense of using a high quality German beer and Kerrygold cheddars was totally worth it. Kerrygold, you ask?  Isn't that Irish?  Well, we couldn't find any German cheddars, which we're pretty sure Germany is NOT known for, so we thought to ourselves, "Irish cheddar will do!"  And Kerrygold's website assures us that all cows are raised on lush, green Irish pastures.

Yay, happy cows!

Since we were making a double batch, we needed two 7oz blocks of cheese. We decided to try a little mix and bought Kerrygold's Reserve Cheddar and Red Leicester Cheese. On a side note, while perusing the cheese counter we witnessed a young man without a cart or basket walking around the store creeping on unsuspecting female shoppers. 

Oh, LA.

Afterwards, we went to our favorite local beer store to pick out a German beer (or three) and that was its own adventure. Make sure to look for our future posts on this awesome store and it's massive German beer selection!

Now that we have our ingredients all that's left to do is start mixing, so get your bowl and spoon ready!

This is a fairly simple recipe to throw together, but the flavor is everything you could ask for and more out of a cheese spread - at least the way we made it. The first batch went over so well we had a hard time not eating the entire jar in one sitting! 

Stay tuned for part 2 ...