This column appears on page 16 of the March 2012 issue.
BOCKING THE TREND — The historic, springtime Bavarian lager styles can be found in San Diego
As spring approaches, with it comes two related styles of lager beer: doppelbock and maibock. Doppelbock is the strongest of lager styles and is a traditional German Lent drink, once consumed as the only source of sustenance for monks while they fasted in preparation for Easter. Maibock (Mai for the month of May in German) is brewed for the short Bavarian spring as a paler, lighter bock meant for drinking before the warm summer months when even lighter lagers such as helles and kellerbier take over as the drinks of choice. While both styles are Bavarian in origin, they are also commonly brewed in the U.S.
Lager brewing slowly evolved in Bavaria over hundreds of years, where cold-tolerant yeast strains dominate due to the practice of fermenting and aging beer in cool caves and cellars. Over time, a hybrid formed that was a mix of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the species used to make ales, and Saccharomyces bayanus, another that has been traced to the forests of Patagonia. Brewers and scientists now call this yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus but it was formerly named Saccharomyces carlsbergensis because it was first identified and isolated in the late 19th Century at the Carlsberg brewery in Denmark.
Lager yeast was the first yeast isolated and used as a pure culture for fermentation, versus most ale yeasts that were mixed with wild ones and bacteria as the result of serial re-use and the absence of modern sanitary practices. The colder temperatures of lager fermentation and storage also inhibited the growth of wild yeasts and other spoilage organisms. Lager was probably the first “clean” tasting beer that many drinkers ever had, which is one of the reasons for its rise to immense popularity throughout the world.
Yet to fully appreciate the evolution of lagers, we have to look directly east of Bavaria to Bohemia. Both regions made dark beers, but the Bohemians (then part of the German-speaking Austro-Hungarian Empire, now part of the Czech Republic) continued to make ales into the 19th century, while the Bavarians had by this time firmly switched to lager brewing. In 1842, Bavarian brewmaster Josef Groll used new malting technology from England and oversaw the construction of malt kilns at a new brewery in the Bohemian city of Pilsen, which allowed the production of pale malts.
These pale malts, mashed with the soft water of Pilsen, made it possible to brew lighter colored beers than ever before. Combined with imported Bavarian lager yeast and a large amount of local Saaz hops, the Pilsner style of beer was born. After awhile, this new style of pale lager made its way back to Germany and Denmark, where lager yeast was finally isolated, beginning the revolution in single-culture fermentation that has come to define modern beer.
Today, pilsner-style beers (or watery, loose interpretations of the style) dominate beer sales the world over, Germany included; however, many diverse styles are still brewed, from the pale, refreshing helles lagers of Munich, to the dark and smokey rauchbiers of Bamberg.
Bocks, however, are the big, bold players of the lager world, often displaying rich, intense malt flavors and elegant hop counterpoints. Traditional bocks are dark in color, but newer versions are inspired by the original golden beers of Pilsen, commonly brewed for spring. These beers, often called “maibocks,” reflect the lighter weather of the season and are typically gold to amber in color and brewed to the regular bock strength of 16-18 degrees plato. Malt character is lighter than you find in doppelbocks, and focuses more on the lightly-toasty, bready side than dark bread crust or dried fruit. Some maibocks have significant hop aroma and bitterness, exhibiting the refined, spicy character of noble hops.
Locals Mission Brewery and Karl Strauss Brewing Company have both created seasonal maibock beers in the past, and Karl Strauss is set to release the Minden Maibock again at their brewpubs in May. Gordon Biersch brews an annual maibock at its brewpubs and packaging brewery, and its year-round Blonde Bock also falls in the style, though it is a particularly pale take on it.
The “double” version of the bock, doppelbocks, are legally classified as such in Germany, and must have an original wort strength of at least 18 degrees plato. Doppelbocks are typically amber to dark brown with a low hop bitterness and flavor. They may show a light herbaceous spice character from noble German hop varieties. Flavors of intense bready malts, toffee, dried fruit, and bread crust are dominant, with the long lagering periods contributing to a smooth, mellow profile; think big, chewy malt-bombs that could stand in as liquid bread for fasting monks. Paulaner Salvator is the original beer of this style and comes in at a healthy 7.9% ABV, though some doppelbocks come in at significantly higher strengths, like the 14% ABV behemoth Samichlaus from Schloss Eggenberg in Austria. Salvator actually used to be the name of the style, with many versions brewed in Munich, until the brewery successfully defended a trademark claim. Since then, other doppelbocks have been typically named with the “-ator” suffix to denote their style. Spaten Optimator, Ayinger Celebrator, and Andechser Doppelbock are other popular German examples of the style. The Fulminator Lager from Poway’s Lightning Brewery is an interesting, state-side twist that uses malted dark and white wheats for added flavor and body. This beer is scheduled for release March 30th. Also, Ballast Point’s Home Brew Mart location often sees the Navigator Doppelbock on tap, and Karl Strauss is set to release Conquistador Doppelbock at their brewpubs in April.