The Columbus Brewing Company (CBC) located in the Brewery District of Columbus, Ohio has been serving a solid variety of ale and lagers for almost a decade. The head brewer, Eric Bean, honed his brewing skills at Gordon Biersch and brought to CBC some fresh ideas in terms of beer styles and beer-food pairings. The results, of late, have been nothing short of spectacular. Eric's pilgrimage, this last Spring, to the Lager Mecca of the world - Bamberg Germany - has provided the inspiration, and brewing techniques, to produce a truly superior Bavarian Lager, or Kellerbier (cellar beer).
A Kellerbier derives its name from its original brewing process. Prior to refrigeration, lagers were fermented in underground cellars in order to keep them cool enough to promote fermentation. Indeed 'Lager' is the German word for refrigeration or cold storage. Lager yeast does its thing best at a range of 45-50 F. At temperatures above 60-65 F, these same yeasts tend to produce esters that are not characteristic to style. So lagering literally means the (relatively) cold storage of beer during fermentation.
Eric tapped this beer something shy of three weeks ago and it seems to be altering the fundamentals of my living routine. Are these the first signs of an addiction? Having just made my fourth sojourn down to the CBC, a 25 mile round trip, last night; I can validate that the CBC's Kellerbier is not only faithful to the Bavarian Lager style, more importantly it is a beer that just doesn't stop giving drinking pleasure. Every sip is a reward. True to style, it is unfiltered and lightly carbonated. Malty without being heavy, the secret to this beer is the balance.
Thank God for growlers and thank-you Eric Bean for bringing a truly remarkable brew here to the heart of the Midwest. Those bloody Belgian bastards may have wrested Anheuser-Busch away from us, but if they mess with CBC, I'll go to war!
Take a virtual tour of the CBC at: http://www.columbusbrewingco.com/
Prosit!
the Bier Kaiser
