Schlenkerla Weichsel Rotbier

Rotbier, or red lager, was once a staple in Franconia, particularly in Nuremberg, until its complex brewing process led to its replacement by the more easily produced Braunbier in the 19th century. Revived in 1997, the style returns with Aecht Schlenkerla Weichsel Rotbier—a unique take on the tradition. Instead of using beechwood like in classic smoked beers, the malt here is dried over cherry wood, lending a fruity, almost sweet smoke character and a beautiful copper-red hue. Fine aroma hops enhance the experience with berry-like notes, resulting in a full-bodied yet quaffable beer at 4.6% ABV. The name “Weichsel,” often associated with the Vistula River in Poland—where premium sour cherry trees grow—actually derives from the Indo-Germanic root *u̯eis, meaning “flowing” or “seeping.” This etymology not only links to the river’s slow pace but also to the cherry tree’s resin once used in glue-making, where it was left to ooze from the bark, reinforcing the poetic tie between the fruit, the beer, and the name.