Bierschnapps?

[fretlessman71]

Anyone had bierschnapps? I saw a bottle of Sierra Nevada bierschnapps in a store the other day, and I was intrigued... not enough to pay $40 for a bottle of it, but intrigued nonetheless...

[steveh]

It's a pretty common drink in Germany. I've had it at Bed Breakfast and Brewery just outside Munich before. They literally distill the beer down to a liqueur (sp?). It had the consistency of JagerMeister, but not that cough syrup flavor. I have a teeny bottle that I brought back - haven't wanted to consume it though.

S.

[fretlessman71]

OK... but what did it TASTE like? And would you consider buying a bottle about the size of a bottle of wine for $40? (Yikes! That's 2 tanks of gas...)

[steveh]

Hmm - trying to think back...the flavor was very malty, the same malty as a double-bock - sweet and chewy, but thicker in body. Had that alcohol bite typical of a liqueur, but not the sort of alcohol as, say, a single malt Scotch.

$40 dollars a bottle sounds a bit steep, but that may be based on how much they make. How big is the bottle, and do they say what beer they start with to create the final product?

AFA the cost factor goes, this is not something you're gonna down in one sitting - unless you're sharing with a dozen or so friends. You don't know how wide the availability of this new product is, do you?

S.

[fretlessman71]

The bottle is a little bigger than your average wine bottle (I forget the actual quantity), they used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I'm in Nashville... this suggests nationwide availability to me. It is a rather upscale liquor store, though.

[steveh]

Schnapps from the Pale? I'm pretty sure what I had was distilled down from a bock or double bock. I'm gonna ask my liquor store purveyor if he has it available.

S.