Sauer O'Kraut -

SAUER O'KRAUTS

Buddelship/Lervig

Sauer O´Kraut is an example of the creativity only craft brewery can have. Wild ale that was injected with sauerkraut? Can this be good? Before I will answer this question few comments.

First - I am jealous. Poland is the land of sauerkraut. It should have been Polish brewery that brew this one. On the other hand, German sauerkraut is also famous in the world, so it is fine that they get a credit

Seriously.

On top, I have never expected this type of innovation from German brewery. Normally, Germans are bound with the Beer Law and their beers are not supposed to contain anything except of water, barley, hops and yeast (with some exceptions made for top fermentation beers).

What if not? Well there are two possibilities – you can’t call it a beer. Seriously. I remember that German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) prohibited most of Belgian beers to be sold in Germany. Until 1987 EU had to enforce the rules of free market (correct me if I am wrong) Alternatively - I remember that when Köstritzer wanted to sell their Masterwork Series (Pale Ale and Wittbeer) – they had applied for a special exception from the law. Both ways its stupidity. German beer law might have been great in the middle age, nowadays it’s just the dinosaur of the law, and stops the advance in beer development. Hough.

Do not believe me? Well, guys from Buddelship (Hamburg) had to brew Sauer O’Krauts as a collaboration brew with Norwegian Lervig Aktiebryggeri, so that it can be re-imported to Germany and sold as a beer. Again, my huge thanks for German authorities for complicating the

Still not clear – here is what Brewers write:

“We are celebrating 500 years of Reinheitsgebot with this very unique sour ale. A collaboration with the good Germans from Buddelship, this "impure" beer is full of oats, wheat, rye and barley, and was soured with fresh sauerkraut infused with mango and pineapple. It may not adibe by the German Purity Laws, but remember, reines bier gefaehrdet die gesundheit.”

Yes, Pure beer is dangerous to your health

Therefore – big respect to Buddelship for making the effort to keep their beer as un-pure as possible.

And the beer – it is awesome. Really. As a child, I loved to drink the sauerkraut juice. I remember the feeling that you cannot stop once your starter. A kind of an impulse, that tickles your taste buds and forces you to take another sip. More and more until the glass is empty.

With the Sauer O’Kraut I had the same. The smell of sauerkraut is clear and unforgettable. Taste is clearly sour, with notes of pineapple and mango and the aftertaste of sauerkraut. No hop bitterness, but I don’t cry for one in sour ale. On top medium carbonation that makes the whole thing lighter and more drinkable. Wow, a piece of good craft.