Six and a half centuries is the age of Franziskaner, a German top-fermented wheat beer. According to chronicles, in 1363 in Munich, the German brewer Seidel Waterstetter was already brewing and selling a foamy drink. The intoxicating Weissbier got its name from the proximity of the brewery to the old Franciscan monastery.
In 1841 the company was bought by Augustin Diegelmeier. He moved production to Lilienberg and modernized the technological process. Since 1861, Josef Siedelmeier became the owner of the plant. In 1909, the Siedelmeier family business was formed – a combined company that produced several brands of beer. In 1935, thanks to the painter Ludwig Hohlwein, the brand received its trademark in the form of a Franciscan monk holding a mug of beer in his hand.
At the beginning of the 3st century, a complete modernization of Franziskaner production took place. The brand has taken the 2002rd place in the world in terms of production among the producers of light beer. By 1, he crossed the milestone by releasing more than XNUMX million hectoliters of the drink.
All flavors
Since its inception, the classic Franciscaner beer recipe has only 4 ingredients:
- clean water extracted from our own well 200 m deep;
- carefully selected hops;
- wheat malt (not less than 50-75%);
- special culture of yeast.
Master brewers have invented a unique technology for cleaning liquid from large yeast particles. For hundreds of years, the manufacturer has strictly observed the medieval “Beer Purity Law”, approved in 1516 by Duke William IV. The quality of the beer is confirmed by a special sign of the European Union.
Types of Franciscaner beer
Experimenting with hop varieties, bottling and aging technology, the company’s craftsmen created 7 types of alcoholic and 4 types of non-alcoholic beer:
- Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrub – white unfiltered, with hints of honey;
- Franziskaner Royal – light, with rich fruit tones of taste and smell;
- Franziskaner Weissbier Kristallklar – golden filtered, made using yeast-free technology, sparkling, with original fresh, slightly bitter flavors;
- Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Leicht – pale golden unfiltered, with a sweet-tart bouquet, characterized by low calorie content;
- Franziskaner Natur Russ – light, delicately light, with natural lemon juice;
- Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel – dark unfiltered, with a taste of freshly baked bread;
- Franziskaner Kellerbier – dark, unfiltered, bottled, with a soft, velvety taste and delicate smell;
- Franziskaner Alkoholfrei – golden non-alcoholic, with a sweet aftertaste and various fruity aromas.
The strength of traditional Franciscaner beers is 5%, light – 2,9-2,5%, non-alcoholic – 0,5%. Density – from 7,5% to 11,8%.
The work of brewers is highly appreciated by experts from all over the world. Franziskaner Weissbier Royal in 2016 received a gold medal in the “German-Style Wheat Ale” nomination at the prestigious World Beer Cup in the USA.
How to drink Franciscaner beer
The manufacturer advises to cool the beer to +6 °C before drinking and rinse the glasses with cold water so that the Franziskaner flavor bouquet opens up and lasts longer. The corked bottle should be shaken slightly to raise the sediment containing valuable substances from the bottom. These simple rules will help you feel all the facets of the taste and aroma of an old intoxicating drink. Gourmets recommend adding a slice of lemon to the beer, which gives the drink a special flavor.