The Einbecker Brewery (German: ''Einbecker Brauhaus'') is a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of be ...

located in

Einbeck Einbeck (; Eastphalian: ''Aimbeck'') is a town in the district Northeim, in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, on the German Timber-Frame Road. History Prehistory The area of the current city of Einbeck is inhabited since prehistoric times. Vario ...

, Germany. Founded before 1378, it is one of the oldest still operating breweries in the world. The city of Einbeck is noted for its

bock Bock is a strong beer in Germany, usually a dark lager. Several substyles exist, including: *Doppelbock (''Double Bock''), a stronger and maltier version *Eisbock (''Ice Bock''), a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer an ...

beer, and Einbecker, the only remaining brewery in town, makes multiple varieties thereof.Oliver and Colicchio, ''Oxford Companion'' 320-21.

History

The region of Lower Saxony and the town of Einbeck in particular dominated the European beer market during the fourteenth century, when the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

helped distribute Einbeck's bock beer throughout Northern Europe.Oliver, ''Brewmaster's Table'' 56-57. The Einbecker Brewery is the only remaining brewery from that tradition, and was already in operation in 1378: the first city record in Einbeck that mentions beer dates from 28 April 1378, and refers to the sale of two casks of beer ("Einbecker") to the town of

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...

, some 80 miles away. The brewery claims the tradition with a legend above the door, ''Ohne Einbeck gäb's kein Bockbier'' ("Without Einbeck there would be no bock"). Notable drinkers of Einbecker include, reportedly,

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

, who was given a cask of it before the 1521 trial where he was to be excommunicated, and supposedly praised it in a two-line doggerel verse. Luther was also gifted a barrel of Einbecker in June 1525 by the city of Wittenberg on the occasion of his marriage to Katherine von Bora. Einbeck’s dominance lasted until the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

. Brewing rights in Einbeck were owned by the city, and brewing operations were consolidated in 1794 in a publicly owned city brewery, from then on the sole brewery in the city.Voigt 59. Its beer was first bottled in 1884, in the "distinctive low-shouldered bottle" that the company still uses. The brewery, which had taken over two other regional breweries (''Göttinger Brauhaus'' and Kassel's ''Martini Brauerei'', in 1988 and 1997), merged into the brewing consortium Brau und Brunnen.Oliver, ''Brewmaster's Table'' 278-79. Einbecker produced 850,000 hectoliters per year and employed 200 people.

Products

Einbecker Brewery produces three "original" bocks,Jackson 29. but its best-selling beer is a

pilsner Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (german: Pilsen), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewe ...

, ''Brauherren Pils''. Like the Czech beer

Pilsner Urquell Pilsner Urquell (; cs, Plzeňský prazdroj ) is a lager beer brewed by the Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Plzeň (German name: Pilsen), Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell was the world's first pale lager, and its popularity meant it was much copied, ...

, Einbecker is considered "original" enough to warrant the designation ''Ur'', or "original," which it carries in all of its bocks.Jackson 16. In 2018, the brewery offer
five bocks
(two seasonal) an

(inc. one seasonal).

Bock

round the year: *''Ur-Bock-Hell'', a golden bock, 6.5% *''Ur-Bock-Dunkel'', a dark bock, 6.5% *''Ainpöckisch Bier 1378'', an unfiltered bock, 6.7%. - This is an attempted recreation of the 14th century hit, promoted as "Martin Luthers most beloved beer". seasonal: *''Mai-Ur-Bock'', a Maibock, 6.5% (available in May only) *''Winter-Bock'', a doppelbock, 7.5% and the strongest they brew (available November/December only)

Pilsner

*''Brauherren Pils'', 4.8% (also in a non*-alcohol version. *Means less than 0.5%) *''Premium Pils'', 4.9%

Other

*''Dunkel'', a dark malty lager, 5.3%. *''Landbier Spezial'', an amber lager with noted hops, 5.2% *''Weihnachtsbier'', an amber lager, 5.3%. This X-mas beer is available in December only. *''Kellerbier'', an amber lager, unfiltered, 4.8%. *''Radler'', the ''Brauherren Pils'' above mixed with citrus juices, 2.5%.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{Authority control 1378 establishments in Europe 1370s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Breweries in Germany Beer brands of Germany Companies based in Lower Saxony Einbeck