| The town of Münster in western Germany is home to a humble population of less than 300,000 people. Still, it is internationally infamous for a rather macabre tourist attraction.
Hanging from the spire of St. Lamberti Church, a 15th-century Gothic cathedral, are three now-empty iron cages. In 1535, these cages held the rotting corpses of the Anabaptist leader Jan van Leyden and his two deputies. The corpses were hung from the cathedral spire as a warning to any would-be Protestants that their wicked ways would not be tolerated.
It seems odd that people would travel from around the world to see such a grim sight, especially when there are much more delightful things to see in this university town – for example, the Brauerei Pinkus Müller brewery, established in 1816. Privately owned by the Müller family for five generations, the brewery is based next door to the family restaurant that continues to serve traditional German fare.
Despite this small size and quaint nature, Pinkus Müller beers, many of which are certified organic, are available around the world, including three available here in Calgary, at Metro Vino or Willow Park Wines and Spirits.
· Organic Alt – Alt (old in German), is one of the rare styles of ale brewed in Germany, generally regarded as the land of lager. However, in and around the area of Düsseldorf and Cologne, ales have maintained a strong presence. When lagers began to become popular, brewers in western Germany kept brewing in the "alt" or old, ale tradition.
Pinkus Müller's alt is unique because it is brewed with a large proportion of wheat. Indeed, with almost 40 per cent of the grain used being wheat, this alt contains more wheat than many wheat beers. This gives Pinkus Müller's alt a golden colour, whereas most other alts are brown.
Brewed with organic malt and enjoying a long period of storage, the beer has a gentle and smooth texture, aided by the presence of natural lactic acid. The flavour is medium-bodied with a light, clean, crisp maltiness. There is a slight sharpness to the mouth and a lingering, though light, metallic note in the finish.
· Hefe-weizen – The first German wheat beers were brewed in the late 15th century. Today, over 200 breweries in and around Germany brew it.
Brewed with 60 per cent malted wheat and 40 per cent malted barley, Pinkus Müller's Hefe-weizen is brewed without artificial stabilizers. The hazy yellow beer has a softer and more gentle presence in the mouth than other beers of this style. As a result, it is not as complex as other German hefeweizens, but it is therefore more approachable and very pleasant.
· Organic Ür-Pils – Pilsner was originally concocted to satisfy demands for pale lagers that could be visually admired in glassware, that was, at the time, replacing earthenware as the beverage container of choice. Since its invention in the 19th century, brewers have made pilsner paler and more flavourless.
Today, the term "pilsner" has lost all connection to the original beers from the Czech Republic and Germany. It seems anybody can make an innocuous light lager and slap a pilsner label on it. But good pilsner should have flavour.
The Pinkus Müller Ür-Pils is, like its brothers, brewed with organic malt. Golden in colour and pouring with a big white head comprised of tight bubbles, this beer is a beautiful sight. But Ür-Pils' appeal does not stop at the visual inspection. When sipped, it has an interesting initial lemon-like acidity balanced against an interesting vegetal hop flavour. |
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