Zwickl / Keller Beer in DC Area?

[aaronhirsch]

Hi,

A couple of times in Europe I had beer that was really top notch. One was at the Andechs monastery near Munich years ago. I think it was a dunkel weizen made unfiltered and unpasteurized. More recently I had a Zwickl in Vienna made by Ottakringer which had very similar qualities. My understanding is that this type of beer can't be bottled because it will spoil within two weeks.

I saw that Gosser is making a bottled Zwickl and wonder if anyone has seen it in the US, if so where, and how is it?

Because of its perishability I'm wondering if there's anyone selling zwickl or other keller type beer in the DC area?

Thanks for any advice.

Aaron

[WebScorpion]

You should be able to find the Eggengerger Pils in Old Town Alexandria, VA at a place callled Bilbo Baggins. http://www.bilbobaggins.net/ I think their beer menu is available online through that link.

[Jim Dorsch]

Occasionally you'll see Eggenberger's unfiltered pilsner in the DC area. In fact, some appeared recently.

Legendary in Richmond wholesales one whose name escapes me.

St Georgenbrau has been replaced by this: http://www.bunitedint.com/portfolios/...

[TongoRad]

Too bad about the St. Georgenbrau, around here it seemed like it was the ubiquitous Kellerbier since I started paying attention to stuff like this in the 80's. That St Michaelsberg does look interesting, though- I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

[Jim Dorsch]

I forget the reason, but the brewery decided to stop brewing it, hence the new version. I do like those kinds of beers. Tuppers' Pils (which we'll hopefully see again) was an unfiltered pils, of course.

[aaronhirsch]

I got the St. Michaelsberg yesterday. It was light, bready, and low in alcohol. It was very clearly a quality beer. But the fact that it's in a bottle makes me think that it is surely pasteurized. It was missing that je ne sais quoi that those other beers had. It's a great beer and I'll continue to drink it when I'm whenever I'm willing to pay $4.50 a bottle. So, my search continues...

[Jim Dorsch]

I checked with the importer, and as I suspected, St Michaelsberg is not pasteurized.

[TongoRad]

There are three imported Keller Biers that immediately come to mind that you should be able to find: St. Georgenbrau, Mahr's, and Monshchoff. All are very good, and quite complex- if I had to give the edge to one it would be the Mahr's (more pale and fruity), but they really are all distinctive from one another.