A dark Weissbier?

A dark weissbier?

Now, here you have a great Bavarian beer speciality, a ‘dunkles’ weissbier. At first, that looks like a contradiction: dunkel = dark / weiss = white. The beer in front of us is definitely as dark as night, so why is it called ‘weissbier’?

Many of us have come across the blonde Weissbier while visiting the south of Germany or skiing in the Alps. It is a sunny day on top of a snow-white, you take a break from skiing or hiking mountain and you taste the freshness of a Weissbier. What a fantastic thirst quencher that is, after running down the slopes or walking up the hill. Our version of this Weissbier is Blau&Weiss.

Before the Bavarian brewers invented the Weissbier some hundred years ago, they brewed dark beers. The Bavarians named their beers after colours. Accordingly, dark wheat beers are called ‘dunkelweizen’ (dark wheat), while blonde wheat beers are named ‘Weissbier’ (white beer), because of the pale colour that malted wheat adds to the beer.

Dunkelweizen are brewed in exactly the same way as Weissbier. The main ingredient is malted wheat, which makes up more than 50% of the malts. Both beers contain the same yeast, which offers banana and clove like flavours. Some even taste a hint of bubble gum. Here, ends the flavour scale of the traditional Weissbier. In order to unlock additional flavours, the brewer must add dark, roasted and smoked malts. The dark malts add chocolate, toffee and coffee flavours to the beer. The brewer has now created a Weissbier packed full of delicious flavours that is, of course, very dark in colour. So here we are! How delicious!

Schwarz&Weiss

Krafty’s version, Schwarz&Weiss, is a very traditional Bavarian Dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer). Smell the flavours of roasted and oak-smoked barley malts. Savour the moderate spicy, fruity, malty, refreshing wheat-based ale. This premium beer reflects the best yeast and wheat character of a Hefeweizen with the malty richness of a Munich Dunkel. The hop bitterness is low. The ingredients we use are malted wheat, malted barley, hops, yeast and water.

How to drink your Schwarz&Weiss

Dunkelweizen is often considered a winter beer and preferred in the cooler months. You should pour your Schwarz&Weiss into a traditional Weissbier glass, also known as a 'vase' because it looks like one. Vase glasses have narrow bases that open up into larger bowls.

Both of our Bavarian wheat beers, the Blau&Weiss Hefeweizen and the Schwarz&Weiss Dunkelweizen pair naturally with hefty traditional German dishes like cured meats, sausages and hams. The most classic combination is probably Weissbier with Vienna Schnitzel, or even better, traditional Munich Weisswurst. If you like Mexican dishes, try pairing them with our wheat beers. That is one of my favourite combinations! Dunkelweizen is a great match with enchiladas and also with traditional Franconian ‘Sauerbraten’. Guten Appetit!

Cheers&Prost, Uli