Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Stiegl Goldbräu

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Sep 5, 2007 5:30PM

Around the virtual Chicagoist "offices" we're known as "Grandpa" because we're one of the older members of the staff. We also have a penchant for telling "back in my day" stories, so sit back and strap in as we take the Chicagoist Wayback Machine on a trip to the spring of 1987. Back then, Harold Washington was re-elected as mayor and he had the votes in City Council to fully implement his agenda; Andre Dawson was beginning to put together an MVP season with the last place Cubs; Hawk Harrelson found a soft place to fall in New York after his disastrous one year tenure as White Sox GM; and Mike Ditka was well on his way in transitioning from "Da Coach" to "Da Coach Who'll Put His Name On Anything For a Buck." This story also details underage drinking, which we do not advocate now that we're legally old enough to drink. So please file this in the "do as we say, not as we do" file.

Back then we decided that the pomp and circumstance of the senior prom wasn't for us, so we went to a party with some friends, instead. The money we saved on tuxedo rental, limos, and tickets went toward a weekend pass to Great America and beer. Not just any beer, but "German beers" that our friend Harry acquired from unknown sources. We arrived at the party, where we were met by Harry with an unopened bottle and a question. "Stiegl?" He asked.

To be fair, Stiegl is Austrian, but they speak German there, too. Still, how could we refuse? Today, Stiegl is fairly commonplace around the beer bars in the city. Just last weekend, we were hanging at Mitchell's Tap with a Chicagoist alumni who was pounding back the Skull Splitters as fast as they were being set up while we enjoyed Stiegl. What we find likable about this premium lager is the flavor of the malt one the chill wears off. Many of our favorite lagers become undrinkable when they start to warm, but the sweetness of the malt in Stiegl becomes more pronounced without overpowering the bitterness of the hops. Stiegl also benefits from some wonderfully effervescent carbonation reminiscent of champagne bubbles. It's a wonderful beer for grilling; we soaked our Labor Day bratwurst in Stiegl before throwing them on the grill.

We thank you for joining us on this trip down memory lane, and remind you that Stiegl, Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week", can also be enjoyed in the present day.