Schwarzbier

, or "black beer," is a German dark lager beer. It has an opaque, black color and a full, chocolatey or coffee flavor. Although they share some similar flavours, they are quite a bit milder tasting and less bitter than British Stouts or Porters.

Schwarzbiers are bottom-fermented beers, though originally top-fermenting yeast was used in brewing them. The alcohol content usually ranges from 4.8%–5%. They get their dark color from the use of particularly dark malts in brewing. The malt in turn gets its color during the roasting procedure. Dark beers are some of the original types of beers brewed, with lighter colors only becoming possible with lighter, short-roasted malts approximately one hundred years ago.

The roots of the Schwarzbier lie in Thuringia and Saxony; the oldest known Schwarzbier is Braunschweiger Mumme ("Brunswick Mum") brewed since the Middle Ages (the first documented mention is from 1390 [ [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweiger_Mumme#Rechnung_von_1390 German Wikipedia entry on Braunschweiger Mumme] Retrieved 2008-02-24] ) in Braunschweig. The earliest documented mention in Thuringia is of Köstritzer from 1543, a popular Schwarzbier still produced today. Present-day Eastern Germany has many unique varieties of this style from regional breweries. It is often served with dark, chunky breads with cream cheese. It also pairs well with marinated meats like brisket and is an excellent companion to German Sauerbraten.

Renowned German writer Goethe enjoyed Köstritzer schwarzbier.

A number of U.S. breweries produce Schwarzbier. The Boston, Massachusetts based Samuel Adams distributes a Schwarzbier under the name "Samuel Adams Black Lager." Spoetzl, a 100 year old brewery in Shiner, Texas produces Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. The town of Shiner was settled by German and Czech immigrants in the 19th century. Saranac also produces a Schwarzbier under the name "Saranac Black Forest." The Gordon Biersch Brewing Company chain also produces and carries schwarzbier.

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