We’ve been fans of Jever, the famously bitter pils from the North German city of that name, for some time. When we met Knut a couple of weeks back we spent a few minutes collectively rhapsodising about what a wonderful beer it is when it’s not gone stale, as the bottles that turn up in London seem to have done about 50 per cent of the time.
We’d never had it on tap, though, and were determined to put this right in Hamburg where Jever is one of the three or four most readily available commercial lagers. The Friesenkeller, which is in a cave between the Alster lake and the Rathaus and focuses on Friesian specialities, caught our eye as a likely spot.
The pils came in a stone krug so that only the rocky head was visible peering over the top. The familiar sulphurous smell hit us before we’d even lifted the vessels. The marvellous lingering bitter aftertaste was thrown into sharp contrast by all the timid brewpub beers we’d been drinking — it really seemed a bold, lively, interesting beer.
One dimensional? Yes, probably, but nonetheless a beer we’d like to be able to drink in good condition more often.
