Recently awarded a Silver Medal by the World Beer Championships, Frankenmuth’s Hefeweizen  has been not only recognized as one of Michigan’s best beers, but one of the best light beers in the entire world. Founded in 1994, the WBC does monthly blind taste testings of brews and rates them on a 100 point scale. The Hefeweizen scored an extremely impressive 88 points in a December tasting.

Known as Hefeweiss in Bavarian brewlore, Hefeweizens are a kind of beer where yeast is left in during the complete brewing process. This results in the beers strong gold, yet somewhat cloudy appearance after pouring. The Frankenmuth Hefeweizen in particular has a strong base that features an essence of banana bread. Expanding upon this flavor note, there are plethora of other tastes that pop up once on a drinkers tongue. There is a distinct touch of clove, a perfect level of citrus and an overall wheat flavor that amps up the recipe of a traditional Hefe.

Not only has the Hefeweizen been commended by groups like the World Beer Championships, it also getting high marks from users of the influential beer rating site, Beer Advocate. Here is a sample of what a few reviewers are saying about Frankenmuth’s impressive yeast beer.

Beer Advocate Reviewer DannyDan: “The mouthfeel is a sticky, lip smacking and easy to drink while leaving a slightly dry taste in the mouth. A very good tasting light to medium bodied beer that I would recommend.”
Overall Score: 4.2/5

Beer Advocate Reviewer Brenden: “One thing that annoys me is when a brewer makes a Hefeweizen just another wheat ale and neglects what makes it special. Thank you, Frankenmuth, for using the Belgian yeast the way it ought to be used. There’s a sturdy malts backbone to frame this beer in the aroma, but the banana and clove are there and the main feature.”
Overall Score: 3.6/5

Beer Advocate Reviewer Cosberger: “Wonderful Banana and subtle clove scent with a very smooth finish. Saw a lot of people put an orange in the beer, I liked the beer simply straight up.”
Overall Score: 4.35/5

While these verdicts have been delivered, take your own trip to the brewery to have your own say about one of Michigan’s best beers, the Frankenmuth Hefeweizen. It’s taste is one that can rarely be matched by any other light tasting beer in the world.

While your crazy uncle may have extolled the virtues of leaving a warm case of beer on the porch for the duration of a cold day, most beer connoisseurs will say that leaving the brews in freezing temperatures won’t produce the best results. To properly cool down a Michigan beer the right way this winter, consider some of the friendly handling tips, courtesy of Frankenmuth Brewery.

If you are serious about your beers, you might consider using another refrigerator for cooling beverages in your home. The right temperature for a beer is often based on the style of the brew and how much alcohol is in the beverage. For darker beers like Frankenmuth’s Munich Style Dunkel Lager with a higher alcohol percentage, an average temperature between 55 and 60 degrees would be desirable, so as to keep it’s malty flavor intact. With a beer like Frankemuth’s Hefeweizen Ale, a slightly colder temperature between 45 and 50 degrees will allow drinkers to enjoy its crisp flavor, as it has lighter features. By being able to control your refrigerator’s temperature, you will be able to ensure the maximum taste of your beer.

However, a costly second refrigerator isn’t always necessary. An article printed by Beeradvocate recommends that brews be kept in a cool storage area, away from both heat and light. “Beer benefits from cool constant temperatures; usually around 50-55 degrees is ideal for most beers, and most beer collectors.” Places in your home like the basement or garage will often do the trick as they offer protection from extreme cold temperatures, but are still left to partial exposure.

No matter how you may decide to cool your Michigan beer, the most important factor is that the taste remain intact. Remember just because a beer is freezing cold doesn’t mean that it’s the best-tasting product. If a beer is too cold, it will stun your taste buds and leave them unable to pick out the proper flavor notes in the beverage. And nobody wants that.

We at Frankenmuth Brewery decided to craft an event at our brewery specifically for beer bloggers in Michigan. On Thursday, October 20, 2011, bloggers from all over the state of Michigan attended for a private tour and enjoyed a 6-course menu featuring fabulous Frankenmuth beer pairings!

Haithem Sarafa greeted the beer bloggers with a warm welcome to the brewery.  The private tour began in the Brew House, where brew master Jeff Coon revealed the method to his beer-making madness.  He educated the beer bloggers on how craft beer is made in the brewery.

Following the tour was a perfectly paired six-course menu, made specifically for the event.  Each course consisted of a Frankenmuth Beer alongside a delectable dinner plate.  Jeff and the Brewery chefs developed the menu together, making sure each beer and food pairing complemented one another perfectly. The 6-course menu was as follows:

1. Red Sky Ale, paired with Alpine Canape. Herb goat cheese and mushroom crostini, drizzled with a savory mushroom demi.
2. Batch 69 IPA, paired with a shrimp and lobster gumbo. A traditional creole specialty with the brewer’s touch.
3.  Frankenmuth Pilsener, paired with bleu cheese stuffed figs wrapped with bacon and prosciutto, drizzled with a mint raspberry vinaigrette on a bed of fresh greens.
4. American blonde Ale paired with melon sorbet topped with pineapple compote!
5. Munich Style Dunkel Lager paired with Elk flambeed with brandy, atop caramelized parsnips with a red currant and mushroom reduction. An edible flower too!
6. Hefeweizen Ale alongside a Toffee Fig Creme Brulee.  A traditional French dessert with a caramelized sugar glass lid topped off with figs and toffee pieces.

Menu

Red Sky Ale

Batch 69 IPA

Munich Style Dunkel Lager

Frankenmuth Brewery Chefs

The feedback from the meal was so outstanding, many of the dishes may even be added to the restaurant’s normal menu!  Head chef Taffy Cline shared a recipe from the Brewery menu with the beer bloggers, that uses Frankenmuth beer as an ingredient. Try it for yourself at home!

FRANKENMUTH BREWERY FRENCH ONION SOUP

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs. veg oil
• 2 Tbs. Ground Fresh Garlic
• 5 lbs. yellow onion- each julienned
• 2 whole dried bay leaves
• 2 Tbs. Dried Oregano
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 gallon of beef stock
• 1 pint Franknemuth Brewery Dunkel beer

Directions

First you will want to Julienne all of the onions first. Then in a large pot pour in the vegetable oil, garlic and bay leaves. When the oil is hot put in the onions and stir it up to coat the onions. (If you feel you need a little more oil the go ahead but sparingly). Cover the pot with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil to help sweat the onions. Sautee the onions until they are all browned. (As they begin to brown they will go very quickly, so turn down your heat). After all of the onions have turned brown, make a whole in the onions to see the bottom of the pan. Pour in the red wine. The red wine should sizzle as it goes in and this will also help to loosen all of the wonderful flavors that were on the pan. Let the wine reduce slightly and then add the beef stock and the oregano. Now, if you like your soup to be thick with onions; cut back on the amount of stock, and if you like more broth then add more stock. Let the stock begin to simmer and then turn your fire down to low and add the Dunkel beer. The soup itself is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165* F. Pour into a bowl, top with croutons, top the bowl with your choice or swill, provolone, Gruyere or even mozzarella cheese. Place in broiler part of oven until cheese us just turning brown and serve.

Note:
After you add the beer you will want to taste it as you keep going. Sometimes the beer may reduce too much and then become over bearing. Always taste your foods as you cook: Remember- you can always add more ingredients but you can not take them out.

View the photo gallery on our Frankenmuth Brewery Facebook page for more event photos!

Brew Master Jeff Coon

Shoutout to Michigan Beer Blog, I’m a Beer Hound, and Motor City Brew Tours!

Somewhere along the road from casual beer drinker to avid beer enthusiast, one must understand the key elements of beer. Among these basics: what is the difference between ales and lagers? Generally this is one of the first steps on the journey toward aficionado status. If you haven’t already, why not take that step with us now, and let Frankenmuth Brewery explain the difference between the ales and lagers.

In comparing ales and lagers, color and alcohol content don’t really factor in. The main thing we’re concerned with is yeast. The type of yeast used will effect which ingredients and techniques can be used in the brewing process.

Ales are top-fermented at warm temperatures, usually between 60-75 degrees. At this temperature, yeast tends to mature and ferment faster, sometimes in as little as a week. Lagers, on the other hand, are bottom-fermented at 45-59 degrees, which generally takes much longer. In fact, the word lager comes from the German word lagern, which means “to store”.

As the name suggestions, the yeast in the top-fermented ales rises to the top of the brew during fermentation. And as you might’ve guessed, bottom-fermented lagers are just the opposite. Because of the fast and warm fermentation, many consider ales have a stronger, bolder taste. Lagers are considered to have a smoother, cleaner taste.

There’s even a difference in how these beers are traditionally served. Ales are considered to be best at “cellar temperature”, between 50-55 degrees. Lagers should be much colder, at a crisp 40-45 degrees.

Those are the principle differences between ales and lagers. Now that you’re on the road to worldly beer connoisseur status, don’t forget to stop by Frankenmuth Brewery on the way! We’ve got a fine mix of ales and lagers to tempt your taste buds. Among our lagers is the Munich Style Dunkel and our flagship beer, the Pilsner. For ales, we brew the popular Cass River Blonde, Red Sky, Batch 69 IPA, and the Hefeweizen.

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