Tasting

A Seidla in Franconia usually means half a liter, drunk from glass or from a stoneware mug. Many reach for the mug with Kellerbier, since it keeps the beer cool and hides the cloudiness. Pour it into a glass instead, and you'll see the color and the yeast, and get an instant read on how fresh the cask is.

What does Kellerbier taste like? Bread first, then malt, with a touch of honey and a whisper of hay from the hops. The bitterness stays soft, the carbonation fine. A bit of yeastiness lingers on the finish, and that's exactly what sets it apart from a smooth bottled beer.

Four examples from the region show the range. Brauerei Rothenbach in Aufseß, the Hochstahl brewery Reichold, and Brauerei Stadter in Sachsendorf all represent the village-style beer of the Aufseß valley. The Klosterbrauerei Weißenohe, meanwhile, sits along the Fünf-Seidla-Steig near Gräfenberg.

On temperature: cool, not ice-cold. Too cold strips the malt of its aroma, too warm makes the beer feel heavy. The cask in the cellar naturally finds the right middle ground. Anyone drinking a Seidla outdoors in the sun doesn't let it sit long — better to order smaller rounds more often.

Pouring calls for patience. The innkeeper lets the Seidla run in at an angle and gives the foam time to settle, so the beer doesn't lose too much carbonation. Look closely and you'll notice the first half looks a touch clearer than the second, once the yeast gets stirred up.