Roggenbier
A Bavarian rye beer revived after nearly 500 years.
Roggenbier is a beer style in which rye is substituted for a portion of the malted barley, originating in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is notable for being brewed with the same type of yeast as a German Hefeweizen, resulting in a similar light, dry, spicy taste, and for its historical disappearance and modern revival.
- Rye malt proportion
- up to 60%
- Typical abv
- 4.9-5.6%
- Typical ibu
- 10-15
- Minimum rye malt
- at least 30%
- Color
- fairly dark
Lore & Background
In Bavaria, rye malt was used for brewing beer until the 15th century. After a period of bad harvests, it was ruled that rye would be used only for baking bread, thus only barley was to be used for beer, under the law known as the Reinheitsgebot. Roggenbier disappeared for almost 500 years. In the late 1980s, the Spezialbrauerei Schierling near Regensburg created the first modern Roggenbier, Schierlinger Roggen, using a modified, patented mashing regimen to cope with the effects of the highly viscous rye wort. The modern version of Roggenbier is typically about 4.9-5.6% ABV and is fairly dark in colour. The flavour is grainy, often having a hearty flavour similar to pumpernickel bread. Typically, at least 30% of the malts used to make the beer are made from rye. Hop aromas should not be present, and bitterness should be very low (10-15 IBUs).
Reader's Guide
Roggenbier represents a significant revival of a traditional Bavarian style that had been absent for nearly five centuries due to the Reinheitsgebot's restriction of rye to bread-making. Its modern recreation by Spezialbrauerei Schierling in the late 1980s required a patented mashing technique to handle the high viscosity of rye wort, demonstrating the technical challenges of brewing with rye. The style is defined by its use of up to 60% rye malt and Hefeweizen yeast, which gives it a light, dry, spicy character distinct from other dark beers. Its flavor profile, reminiscent of pumpernickel bread, and its low hop bitterness (10-15 IBUs) with no hop aroma set it apart from hoppier rye beers like the American Rye IPA. Roggenbier's legacy lies in its successful reintroduction of a historical beer style, preserving the use of rye in brewing while adhering to the traditional Bavarian yeast character.
Did You Know?
- Roggenbier originated in Bavaria, southern Germany.
- The first modern Roggenbier was created by Spezialbrauerei Schierling near Regensburg in the late 1980s.
- The style disappeared for almost 500 years due to the Reinheitsgebot law.
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