German food and beer plus recipe

As our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, heads to Germany we see how Germans pair their beers with some mighty fine food

As our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, heads to Germany we see how Germans pair their beers with some mighty fine food

Historically, German beers had to adhere to a strict purity law called the Reinheitsgebot; a law which stated that beer could only be made from water, barley, hops.

This rigid law didn't allow for much experimentation, rather the beers were required to be clean, unadulterated and pure. While the Reinheitsgebot has adjusted over the centuries to accommodate other ingredients like, well, yeast, it's easy to see why German beers are noted for their refreshing, crisp lagers, including the famed Oktoberfest Marzens and German pilseners.

Aside from its crystal-clear lagers, the weizens of Bavaria, kolschs from Cologne and Dusseldorf altbiers are equally revered. Throwing in the sour goses and Berliner Weisse, anybody should be hard-pressed to say that German beer is boring. Indeed, these classic German styles stand tall in the face of the IPA or the stout, finding themselves at the top of the industry's trends and on many breweries' brewing schedules.

German beer culture is also heavily integrated with food, perhaps as much as Belgium. The bierkellers of Bavaria serve their beer with huge amounts of food and it pairs brilliantly. The classic Schweinshaxe—a roasted ham hock with potatoes and sauerkraut—is perfectly matched with a massive stein of beer.

Germany, like many other countries, is in the midst of a massive craft beer renaissance. Drawing inspiration from the American scene, cities like Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich have become the new capitals of modern German brewing. Blending the old with the new and the IPAs with the bocks, Germany is making sure that they'll have a new tradition to go down in history.

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Potato & bacon soup

We've also the first of two recipes. The first is an amazing potato & bacon soup recreated by Maggie, our Beer Sommelier. It's so good!

I visited Munich for the Christmas markets last December and one of the most memorable things I ate while there was a fantastic bowl of potato soup from the Schneider Weisse Brauhaus with a Tap 5 Meine Hopfenweisse. With the weather turning a bit colder (but always in season for a delicious Weissbier!) there's nothing better than a big bowl of piping-hot soup. Here's my favourite recipe:

You'll need

50g butter 4 rashers smoked bacon, diced 2 onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled, diced 3 celery stalks, peeled and diced salt and pepper 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp caraway seeds 2 tbsp plain flour 1000ml chicken stock 1 tsp dried marjoram 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

METHOD

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced bacon, onion, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened. Do not brown. Drain any fat.

2. Stir in the ground cumin and caraway seed and cook for one minute.

3. Add the flour and stir until coated.

4. Pour in the chicken stock, add the marjoram and stir well. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.

5. To serve, ladle into soup bowls, season to taste. Serve with crusty bread and a delicious German beer. Guten Appetit!

MATCH WITH: 

Schneider / Weisse Tap 5 Meine Hopfenweisse / 8.2%

The clove notes and bready malts work well with the vegetables while the hops give an interesting contrast.

Schneider Hopfenweisse (Tap 5)