Grau Bräu

When people think “lager” they think pilsner, lite beer, or something of the sort. But there is so much more to the world of lager bier.

Grau Bräu is a rustic lager that captures the quirky character of German landbier. “Landbier”—which translates to “country beer”—is not so much a style as a descriptor used in southern Germany to describe niche traditional recipes or local house favorites. These beers can have a range of flavors, but are often lower ABV, malt-forward lagers. A little rough around the edges, they’re not meant to be the simple, ultra-clean, mass produced beer; they’re meant to have character.

The grain bill for Grau Bräu lays a hearty foundation with a trifecta of malted barley, wheat and oats. The pilsner malt is light and clean while the oats add a smooth mouthfeel, and the wheat layers in notes of whole grain bread. The kilned Munich malt melds with the wheat to push the toasted bread character to the fore, and also pairs beautifully with the Altus hops. Though a relatively new hop variety—and a high-alpha one at that—Altus brings a delicate spiced aroma that fits with the rustic German vibe alongside Hallertau Tradition.

Grau Bräu is named after the ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria), a small ground-nesting solitary bee that is common across Europe, particularly in Germany.  It has fluffy white fur, matching the appearance of this hazy lager.  In German its name is “graue sandbiene” (which translates to “gray sand bee”).

If you brave the gray weather, you can catch a pint of Grau Bräu at the Watts taproom, or on draft at select locations across the Seattle area!