Food & Beer Culture

Franconian pub food belongs with Spalt. A Brotzeit platter with bratwurst, Presssack, and hearty farmhouse bread pairs well with Helles, since the malt carries the spice and the carbonation cuts the fat. A crispy Schäufele, pork shoulder with a dumpling, calls for a darker beer or a robust Weissbier.

Why does beer pair so well with hearty food like this? Hops bring bitterness that balances the fat. Carbonation cleanses the palate between bites. And malt picks up the roasted notes from the meat.

With the town brewery's beers, the hops stay close to home. The Spalt hop region even has its own Beer Queen, who represents the town. Anyone wanting to see the hop gardens can find them along paths around Spalt, best visited in late summer when the trellises are thick with leaves.

In Franconia, the Seidla — a half-liter — is the standard order, with the full liter Maß popular on weekends. In the countryside, people gather at the inn or at the parish fair, the Kerwa. After a walk around Altmühlsee or Brombachsee, stopping for a drink is practically tradition.

The beer year has its own rhythm too. Spring brings the bock beers, which Spalt brews as Bockl in pale and dark versions; winter brings the winter beer; summer belongs to Helles. In September, when harvest is underway, fresh hops take the spotlight. What gets drunk where depends on season and occasion, and no one has to drink something they don't enjoy. At home, it's worth comparing against other hop varieties.