August Schell Brewing creates new Beer with direct German Influence

August Schell Brewing Company, a Minnesota- based craft brewery with roots that trace back to 1860, has announced a brewing collaboration with a German brewery to produce a new beer product for distribution in both the U.S. and in Europe.

Gold Ochsen is a German brewery with a long history that dates back to its founding in 1597. Located in Ulm, Germany, its home base is the sister city of Ulm, Minnesota, where August Schell Brewing Company runs its daily operations. The “family” relations between these two cities made each the ideal choice for a brewing collaboration with the other. The result is a blonde doppelbock slated for release later this fall, 2013.

 

This new beer is made using Tettnang, Sapphire, and Smaragd hops grown in the region of Germany located close to the Gold Ochsen Brewery. To make the product unique respective country, August Schell and Gold Ochsen each selected its own hop variety for dry- hopping. August Schell selected Polaris hops and Gold Ochsen went with Mandarina Bavaria hops. The malts used in the process were obtained from local sources, but the specialty malts- Pilsner, Munich, Abbey, and Carapils- are identical. The differences between the two beers are slight, at least on paper, but the difference in flavor is obvious as anyone will attest who has the chance to sample them both or who has tasted beers made identical in most ways except for the hops.

 

August Schell is naming its beer Stag #8 August Bock. The name has special meaning to both breweries, for it is taken from the names of past brewery presidents from five generations back. Going back that many years on a timeline would come reasonably close to August Schell’s founding. But it is still dozens of generations removed from Gold Ochsen’s founding, which dates back to 1597.

 

Gold Ochsen’s version of this collaborative effort will require some overseas traveling to find, but the August Schell version will be distributed to places currently selling August Schell products. Look for it in stores, taverns, and restaurants in November, 2013.