Chicagoist's 'Beer of the Week:' Metropolitan's Arc Welder Dunkel Rye Lager

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Jun 21, 2013 8:20PM

Last week, we predicted our Beer of the Week picks would get lighter with summer finally sticking around for a bit. With this storm that's rolling through today, however, we find ourselves eating our own words and putting forth yet another darker recommendation to hunker down with until the rain passes.

Arc Welder is a Dunkel Rye Lager from the good people over at Metropolitan Brewing Co. We caught that spicy rye right up front, but were very happy that this beer wasn't a one trick pony. Underneath that spice, there are wonderful notes of toasted walnuts, caramelized pears, and a touch of char. There's just enough malty sweetness to balance things out, but not be cloying, and overall, the malt profile is very bready, with a juicy richness that keeps it in the forefront. At 6.1 percent alcohol content, Arc Welder is packed with flavor, but remains relatively crisp and light-bodied.

If you're ever having trouble decoding a the label of a German or German-Style beer, here are a few helpful tips. Dunkel (as seen in the paragraph above) means dark, and Helles, or Hell, means pale. Weizen means wheat, so you know that the beer will have a considerable amount of wheat in the grain bill, which can lend a touch of sweetness and a creamy consistency on the palate. A bock is a strong lager, while a doppelbock is an even stronger one. "Doppel" means double, in this case. Hefeweizen is one of the most common German Styles to come across, and the word Hefe translates to yeast, which is pointing out the special yeast used to make these wheat ales.

Keep an eye out for the Arc Welder on tap this weekend, and check beermenus.com to see where you can find it in your neighborhood.