Many consider Roggenbier to be a lost art of a beer style. This specialty beer first originated in Regensburg, Bavaria as fuller-bodied Dunkelweizen brewed with malted rye instead of malted wheat. It has a grainy, spicy flavor that balances rich malt flavors with crisp hop character at its finish. That balance makes for a perfect food beer.
Craft breweries like Reuben’s Brews in Seattle and FATE Brewing in Boulder are helping to educate American beer drinkers on the unique flavors, drinkability, and food pairing potential of this often forgotten beer style.
Ingredients and Process
Traditional Roggenbiers are brewed with 50 percent rye malt and Noble hops, and fermented with Weizen yeast that imparts the beer’s esters and subtle phenolic notes. “We design our recipes around the finished beer in the glass,” says Adam Robbings, the cofounder and brewmaster at Reuebn’s Brews. “So for Reuben’s Roggenbier it means using a true Hefe yeast, 50 percent Rye, and German Pilsner malts.”