Ramstein Spring
Spring is here,
The grass is riz,
Where the hell the maibock is?
Forget the pending blizzard.
Spring definitely is here. And one sure way to tell is when Greg Zaccardi launches his Maibock.
Apprised of the pending release, I hied myself to the Ramstein Brewery (complete with its Hobbitt-door entrance) in Butler with my official--and gorgeous-- Ramstein Growler in hand. The event was set to start at 2 PM, and by the time I arrived at 2:07, it was already in full swing, with the Greg-arious Zaccardi flitting about, shaking hands, pouring beers, chatting with customers (ALL of whom seemed to know him personally) and being the general factotum he always is. That's JP--the unofficial "palate" of Ramstein--and jack of all trades in the photo with Greg above.
Zaccardi's beers are deservedly very well known, and beer nuts come from near and far to partake of one of his best--Ramstein Maibock. Maibock is a personal favorite style of The PubScout, as is Zaccardi's version. In fact, I like it much better than Rogue Dead Guy, which beat it out for Number One on Beer Advocate by just one one-hundredth of a point.
Maibock is a lager, of course, and the Germans set the standard for the style a long time ago. I think it's every bit as good as--if not better than-- Einbecker Mai-Urbock, which held the top spot in my personal hit parade for many years. Dave Hoffmann, down at Climax, also makes a stellar version.
And what do all three--Zaccardi, Hoffmann and Einbecker-- have in common?
They're German. Well, at least two of them are, but Zaccardi has been brewing excellent beer in the German tradition for--lo, these many years, and doing it so well that he should at least be recognized as an Honorary German.
Brewed with Munich and Pilsner malts, the 7% maibock is beautiful to look at, heavenly to smell and purt-near orgasmic to taste. Must be the rare lager yeast Zaccardi uses, but it makes this beer a perfect representation of the style: really nice malt character with a smooth mouthfeel, a touch of toffee sweetness and the Noble hops make this beer one I don't mind driving fifty miles each way to get. Men's Journal rated it one of the top 100 Beers in the World.
Nor could I resist a glass of his incredible Double Platinum Blonde Weissbock, said to be New jersey's BEST beer by The Huffington Post. You can check out the other beers here. And speaking of containers to transport your treasure home, check out Larry (below) and his custom made growler from Growlerwerks.
One of The PubScout's pet peeves about bringing good beer home in a capped growler is the hassle associated with keeping it carbonated.
First, unless you're drinking the growler with family or friends in one sitting, you're going to need to store it. Even if you screw the cap on tightly with doubled Saran wrap after enjoying a pint or two, the shelf life of the beer doesn't last much longer than 48 hours--72 if you, um, screw really well. (Minds out of the gutter, please.)
According to the website, the device will keep your beer not only pressurized, but cold, too, while allowing you to be your own bartender wherever you bring it.
They come on a few different sizes--and cheap, they are not. But since Christmas comes but once a year, I'm hoping the missus is reading this section.
One beer you will NOT find on the Ramstein list was Zaccardi's one-time experimental venture into IPA waters. I did not have the opportunity to sample it, but JP said it was very well received by Ramstein's loyal customer base.
And loyal they are. But why wouldn't they be? The guy who makes their beer knows most--if not all--of them. He does events like this regularly and makes sure his patrons know about them. He has food vendors and musicians at every event. Whether they're there for for a special release or personal favorites, they show up faithfully. Every time.
And the reason for that is not hard to understand.
Ramstein produces exceptional beers.
And if the missus takes my hint above, I can go in 2018 without having to worry about my beer going flat.
Or sharing my Maibock with anybody.
Cheers!
The PubScout
