Last month I had the chance to pay a visit to some friends in Magdeburg and Berlin, what was the former DDR ( or GDR). Maybe I should not say it, because whatever it was before it is not anymore. Still that DDR times mattered somehow, because of politics we could not have the chance to have some very interesting beers brewed over there. Like the schwarzbier ( black beer ).
That beer seems to be hugely popular over that area of Germany: it is available in most of bars and restaurants ( And also, the breweries that traditionally produced schwarzbier are located on the area). And this makes me glad: I love schwarzbier, and I love to have it over there. Let me invite you to try it and decide yourself...
I would like to point out that schwarzbier has nothing to do with Guinness ( which is stout) or any other so called black or dark beers. I like Guinness, but I found its taste too strong: I would not feel like having 2 of them in a row. Schwarzbier has a much smooth taste, slightly bitter. People describes it as the taste of pils or lager beer. Also this beer is completely different to other dark beers like dunkel.
These are some of the great beers I had the chance to drink while in Germany: ( Go for them if you have the chance )
I will start with Köstritzer, wich is the most popular brand of schwarzbier. It can be drink in many places in Germany, and even abroad (it is exported). Their slogan is: "Das Schwarze mit der blonden Seele" ( The black with the blonde soul ): They suggest that even if it is black, the taste is like any light beer. And they claim that Goethe was already a big fan of Köstritzer. ( Still, he could have never had a schwarzbier, because this kind of beer was first brewed 100 years ago !). People agree that it tastes better on draft ( But even on bottle it tastes great).
While in Berlin I also had for first time a different black beer. This was brewed in the Czech Republic: Krusovice. It is also a great black beer, with a very nice taste. Even smooother than the German brands. Another difference I found with the German beers, is this Czech one has less alcohol: about 4%. But it does not make it worste ( beer is not just about alcohol). By the way, I believe they have a similar slogan as Köstritzer: something about a black beer that tastes like blonde one. It is a pitty that I do not have a bottle nearby to check for the sentence. But again, it is true what they say about the taste.
I also had the chance to try a different German german one, this one made in Dresden: Schwarzer Steiger. This was also a nice one. It tastes similar to Köstritzer, but I do not dare to say if it is better or worste. I enjoyed it, and this is what matters.
All this breweries produce also other kinds of beer. You should not be feel confused if you find a pilsener beer sold with such brand. Just ask for the black beer kind.
