Brauerei Gebr. Maisel Makes Beer with History in Mind

Brauerei Gebr. Maisel has always been built around family. The brewery has been crafting quality ales and lagers since 1887, when it was founded in Upper Franconian Bayreuth by brothers Hans and Eberhard Maisel, whose own family brewing history could be traced back another century. Today, the tradition continues with a stable of top-selling beers, including the famed Maisel Weisse, described here by none other than the Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson:

“Maisel’s Weisse Original has a peachy colour, and is very fruity in aroma and flavor, with suggestions of apples and bananas; a fluffy, textured, middle; and a tart, refreshing, finish.”

The brewery is run by Jeff Maisel, the fourth generation of the family to take the reins. Jeff has taken great pride in carrying that torch, and though he values tradition, he also aims to shine a light on the uncharted terrain of craft beer.

While the Reinheinsgebot is an indelible tradition, even German brewers recognize that there is more to the world of beer. This sentiment has been mirrored in the German market as of late, with beer sales contracting as waves of social change hit Germany.

Jeff Maisel continues his family’s storied brewing tradition with the more experimental Maisel and Friends line.

A shift towards tech industry jobs and a dearth of young prodigious drinkers has per capita consumption down by around 10 percent in Germany. With American brewers like Stone invading German tastebuds, the golden era of German lager consumption may be in decline.

To this end, Jeff founded Maisel and Friends in 2012, a craft brewing offshoot of the original Maisel brewery dedicated to brewing more experimental offerings. 

The seed for what Maisel and Friends has become was sown by his grandfather, Fritz Maisel.

“Back in the 50s my father wanted to brew a wheat beer – which was not the favorite of the customers at that time. My grandfather Fritz Maisel responded to his intention: ‘If nobody is willing to drink our beer, we’ll have drink it ourselves.’ According to this credo we decided to come up with “Maisel & Friends.'”

So Maisel and his friends set to work, aiming to produce exciting beers, and have fun while doing it.

It’s important to note that while craft can come under fire in Germany for not adhering to the Reinheitsgebot, Maisel and Friends has found the middle ground. They will only label a product as “beer” if it is in accordance with the purity law. If not, it is a “brew creation,” a term they christened to acknowledge the non-traditional world of beer-making. For these beers, they still have high standards.

“Using natural products such as organic roasted nuts or whole raspberries can certainly be high quality, and very tasty brew creations can arise. But we find beer using enzymes and flavorings to be of lower quality. Even for ‘brewing creations’ we need some kind of purity.”

Maisel and Friends tread the line between the Reinheitsgebot and modern craft beer innovations.

So what of these beers and “brew creations?”

One of the first was Stefan’s Indian Ale, a juicy 7.3% IPA based off an English Pale Ale recipe. Stefan Sattran is a childhood friend of Jeff’s and a wine sommelier. Their collaboration led to an ale with a “pleasant dose of bitterness and a fresh, fruity taste,” followed by “citrus notes and floral nuances” and finishing with “hints of wild honey and caramelized malt.”

There’s also Marc’s Chocolate Bock from Marc Goebel, a friend and fellow brewer whom Maisel met while studying at Weihenstephan. The Chocolate Bock features “aromas of roasted malt, coupled with a caramel sweetness, hints of dark chocolate and dark berries,” similar to an Irish stout. When imbibed, the flavor is none other than a “firework of pleasure.” (Pardon the translation.)

Thankfully, beer is a universal language, and translates perfectly to any palate regardless of nationality. Which is why Maisel and Friends is bringing its specially brewed flagship pale ale to America. The sessionable 5.5% ABV Maisel and Friends Pale Ale is brewed in the American style, using 100 percent Yakima hops, something no other German brewery has done.

The American-style Maisel and Friends Pale Ale is Maisel’s first beer to hit American shores.

The hops varietals include Hercules, Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra, providing a fresh citrus kick, and tempered with a signature smooth malt base with hints of caramel.

At the moment, you can only get this beer on draft, and more likely on the West Coast. Keep an eye on bottles in the near future, because if anything is guaranteed with a Maisel beer, it’s that it’ll be around for years to come. 

Veltins Grevensteiner Comes to America

Another leading Bavarian brewery is bringing its flagship to the American palate. Veltins Grevensteiner Original, renowned for its signature stocky bottle and smooth-drinking amber contents will now be sold in the U.S. Lovingly known as the Steinie, this 5.2% elixir is brewed with traditional dark malts, for a complex aroma “initially dominated by caramel flavors with slight undertones of honey, roasted almonds and fresh fruity notes that mostly remind of green apple,” according to a statement from the brewery. 

Brewed in the Reinheitsgebot tradition for over a century, Grevensteiner Original tastes just as it did when first brewed by twin brothers Carl and Anton Veltins. The cycle of beer culture has come full circle. Keep an eye out for Grevensteiner on a tap near you.