December 6 is Samichlaus Day
Nov
13
Written by:
11/13/2008 1:07 PM
On the 6th of December, in 1979 (Saint Nicholas day) Hürlimann Brewery brewed the first batch of Samichlaus Bier in Zürich, Switzerland. The beer was allowed to ferment and condition for a full year before it was offered for sale. At the time, it might have been the strongest commercial beer available, weighing in at 14% alcohol by volume. The resulting dark lager beer was extremely rich and malty with lots of chocolate aroma and sweetness from the alcohol. It was best savored very slowly and as it warmed up to room temperature, its complexity only increased.
Alas, the Hürlimann Brewery closed in 1997 and Samichlaus Bier was no more. Until, that is, the Austrian Schloss Eggenberg brewery took up the gauntlet a few years later. The new beer is, in my opinion, not nearly as complex as the old one, but it is still a formidable, tasty beer that is prized by lovers of great beer.
In 2005, the drought brought on by Hürlimann's closing and the difficulty and high cost of getting the new incarnation, which wasn't available in the Houston area, inspired a few homebrewers to renew the tradition of brewing a Samichlaus Bier every December 6. This year we hold our 4th annual Samichlaus Brew In at the home of its founder, Donald Sajda. Always an advocate for bigger and stronger beers, his was the perfect location to hold such an epic event.
Donald and I will brew two batches of beer this Samichlaus Day. Of course, we will brew 10 gallons of our Samichlaus clone and another 10 gallons of a wee heavy scotch ale. Life is good!
I hope several others will show up with their kits and brew along with us. I believe we've had as many as five batches going on in his driveway at once. But we won't be just brewing! Several year's worth of our homebrewed Samichlaus vintages will be available for tasting, along with a few of the commercial variety. Plus, it's a pot luck dinner, so there will be plenty of foundation material to hold up all of these heavy brews.
Even if you don't brew beer, you're still welcome. If you'd like to see how beer is brewed from scratch, come on by, but remember to bring some food for the pot luck dinner! Check out the KGB web site for the time and location.