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Here we are again with another special German beer to celebrate 500 years of the Reinheitsgebot German beer purity law, Radeberger Zwickelbier. Unlike Weihenstephaner 1516 Kellerbier, however, this isn’t a beer that was brewed especially for the celebration of a half millennium of pure German beer. Radeberger Zwickelbier has been around for several years at least, though I’ve never seen it in the United States. It’s also not bottled, either, as you’ll find it only on draft.
On their Facebook page, Radeberger announced an April 19th event at the Toronado in Seattle to celebrate the introduction of Radeberger Zwickelbier on the West Coast:
Come and meet Udo Schiedermaier the Head Brewmaster at The Radeberger Brewery. He will be tapping into one of 2 20L wooden kegs of Radeberger Zwickel that he has brought over for The 500th Anniversary Celebration of Reinheitsgebot. This beer has never been to the west coast and has only been poured in one place in the entire US.
About a week later, Radeberger Zwickel started to appear here in Atlanta on tap at Taco Mac. My local Canton location had it, but I ended up drinking it on April 27th at the new Cumberland location on the perimeter. Zwickelbier is pretty much the same as Kellerbier, usually lagers with yeast in the bottle or keg for a secondary fermentation.
Radeberger Zwickel has an alcohol content of 4.8% by volume according to Taco Mac, and I paid $6 for a 20-ounce mug.
That mug of Radeberger Zwickel arrived a hazy yellow color with a thick rocky head and a fresh bready malt nose. Taking a sip, the beer fresh has that same bready malt in the palate, is a little biscuity and yeasty, too. A kiss of herbal grassy hops leads into the gently bitter finish.
I just love the extra flavor added by the yeast in this style. I think of pilsner malt as being biscuity in flavor, but the yeast left in suspension works with this to give the bread impression. There is yeast in bread, after all.
If you have a chance to try Radeberger Zwickelbier, you should not miss it.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
