But let’s take things in the proper order: the exact origin of Eisbock is unclear. There is a legend that says it was discovered by accident around 1890. Apparently a brewery employee in Germany’s Franconia region left some barrels out overnight, and because it was winter the beer naturally froze. As punishment the employee had to break up the ice and drink what remained. The result was an incredibly smooth and strong drink – and one drunk brewery worker. 

The special thing about Eisbock is that the flavor of the beer is intensified. The alcohol carrying the flavor is more pronounced, as are flavor notes that were just barely perceptible beforehand.

Our Weizenbock Vitus is an outstanding candidate for this treatment. With its 7.7-percent alcohol content and notes of fruit and banana, it’s the perfect starting point to create your own Eisbock. But just how does that go?

Take a plastic bottle, fill it no more than 80-percent full with your beer, and put it in the freezer overnight – or a minimum of 12 hours. Once the beer is frozen, turn it upside down and let it thaw at room temperature while dripping into a glass. What you get at first is a very strong concentrate; of course this changes as the ice melts and thins it out with water. Be sure to taste it now and then to find how you like it best. But be careful: at the beginning it will be quite strong. Have fun tasting!