Another edition of Hopfen und Malz, this time with a more historical take on German double bock beers and the fasting period of Lent. Enjoy!
Ok, so this is a pretty broad and impersonal grouping to qualify as a “saint.” Then again, I could probably do a whole series in this column just on the contributions that monks have made to beer. No experienced beer drinker needs to be reminded of the contributions Belgian monks made to the cause of expanding our palettes. But in this season of dopplebocks and starkbiers, it is really to the German brothers …read more

Yesterday we talked about Rose Monday in Cologne, which is that city’s way to mark the beginning of the Lenten season. Other cities, notably Munich (with the end of Fasching) and, of course, New Orleans (with Mardi Gras) mark that with a huge celebration on Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday. In Brazil, though, they celebrate for four whole days, and have the entire period of Lent to recover. They probably need it since, according to Wikipedia, “more beer is consumed than the total for the rest of the year” during the four days of Carnival.
What many don’t know, however, is that …read more