While a big wooden barrel is not imperative to a great beer, there’s little denying the power of the image. Add to that a brass tap and it being driven in with a large wooden mallet and it’s the thing of beery legend. Anstich is one of those German words that flexes the power of the language, making the English “broaching” sound diminutive.
Bockanstich at Kneitinger
I still remember seeing the word for the first time. I was at the Kneitinger brewery in Regensburg with my then German girlfriend now wife when I saw the sign heralding an upcoming Bockbieranstich. She explained what it was though she’d never been to one. We went and were hooked.
the Bocks pulling the Bock
I returned many years later, but early enough to catch the ceremonial parade where goats (Bocks in German) pulled a cart with the barrel to be tapped. On the same trip, I caught the tapping of Schlenkerla’s Ur-Bock in Bamberg.
Schlenkerla’s Bockanstich
Still, my favorite has probably been Zehendner’s tapping of their annual Weihnachtsbock in Mönchsambach. I’ve had the beer elsewhere but it never seems to taste as good as from the barrel that first day.
one of the best Bockbieranstich events is Zehendner’s in Mönchsambach
So, when I read about the 2nd annual Rauchbieranstich at another Franconian favorite Brauerei Knoblach in Schammelsdorf, I couldn’t resist. With beer hiking research to be done for an upcoming book, I decided to take advantage of the mild late winter weather and walk in from Memmelsdorf on the 13-Brauereienweg, effectively killing two beery birds with one stone.
some scenery from the 13-Brauereienweg on the way to Schammelsdorf
We arrived about 20 minutes before the Anstich only to find people already outside drinking. There was no sign of a big wooden barrel or more likely in a small village like this, a small plastic barrel that is formed to look like wood. There was a small dispensary to the rear, where the Rauchbier was on tap. There appeared to be no sign of the ceremony so we looked inside to find it busy with people drinking the beer in question. Since we had a reservation for 7 and it was just a little before 5, we decided to go check into our room, drop our gear off and return.
smoky Anstich at Knoblach
When we got back, there were a few more people outside and it was still early for our table, so we grabbed a couple and stood by one of the large cans of fire. Though a bit disappointed to have not only come all this way but also to have rushed a bit in hopes of the ritualistic Anstich, we had to admit that not only was this Rauchbier great but both the visual and olfactory smokiness of the flaming cans were pretty atmospheric. It was, however, getting cold and our newish down jackets had absorbed more than their share of smoke so we sauntered in for our table and a meal.
Knoblach in Schammelsdorf is a great place to have a meal
They had a rib special on and these were really excellent. My wife got a meal she rarely finds, leftover dumplings, fried and served over ham and eggs. It seemed the Rauchbier was a bit softer inside and I initially thought it might be from gravity dispense but on closer inspection, only their classic Lagerbier was being served that way. To be fair, it would be impossible for a brewery in such a small village to have four beers from “the barrel” and thankfully, they still go through the trouble of serving their main one that way.
amazing Rauchbier from Knoblach
Though I would have liked a true Anstich and to have seen this admittedly marvelous beer to be flowing from a wooden barrel, I’d not hesitate to return to this very local event. Around one of the barrels, we met the brewer from Brauerei Reh in nearby Lohndorf and he was a huge fan of this not overly smokey delight. There were parents with their kids running around, couples and small groups of guys all enjoying not only the beer but also the camaraderie of standing around on a cold winter night, drinking a great beer not on offer anywhere else. I guess that’s pretty special in itself.
That looks like fun – would love to try one of those!
You’d have liked it. It’s one of my favorite places on that trail. They always have four beers on tap, one from gravity. Great food, too.
That is one huge wooden mallet! Lol
Haha….had to use that shot again. She surprisingly had no problems pounding it in. I guess she’s had a bit of practice.
I love the electricity in the air during an Anstich. Unfortunately, I don’t get to witness too many of them. It’s not much of a thing in Vienna, and I never seem to have enough time to justify a weekend jaunt into Bavaria. One day, though. If you haven’t already, maybe you could put together a calendar for your website with festival dates and dates of the various Anstich ceremonies throughout the region. That’d be pretty cool!
Sounds like a good plan. There are some Bockbieranstich sites out there but all in German. Some of the dates pop up kind of last minute. Still, it would be a worthy endeavor. Hopefully, come the next season, I’ll have more time. At the least, I’ll send you a few potential ones that you might want to pop down for. Forschungsbrauerei had one yesterday. Their new Starkbier is out and should still be if you make it down in a couple weeks.