Not your old man’s Kartoffelbier
A James Brown dance move, a starchy supper staple, and now a beer! * Once thought extinct by aleontologists, the rarely brewed and not oft quaffed potato lager is ready for a big-time comeback courtesy of Sawdust City. The COMDB translation department quickly told us what we already knew, that “Kartoffel” is German for potato.** Have we ever sampled a tankard of tater? The definitive answer is “sort of”, SC and Second Wedge did an ESB with Sweet Potato collab which we enjoyed. ***
A site visit to Sawdust City on Muskoka Oktoberfest weekend is always an enjoyable escape from reality. Shout out to Chris (Chief Suds Sampler) and Sam (Mashed Tater Creator) for the tour of the brewery, much appreciated. They were nice enough to divulge the super secret recipe for this brew which I swore I would never reveal. Here it is. Toss some taters in the mash, add a Polish hop or two, and voila, you’ve got yourself one big ol’ batch of Kartoffelbier. I may have missed a step or two, home brewers beware.
A light bright lemon gold pour, maybe Doré or Yukon Gold spuds? **** Mild malt aroma, a bit earthy. The taste is a mild to middlin’ malt, a touch bready, with a nice full mouthfeel to it. Smooth with a slightly crisp almost pils like finish. The minimal bit of bitters on the finish at the start, start to become a bit more bitters on the finish as I finished. That made sense to me anyway. Easy drinking and balanced, and just like potatoes, goes well with any meal. A nice solid lager with a little something extra to make it unique, and quite tasty.
SC tells us “All hail the mighty potato” and I would agree, when it comes to this beer the stolid steady spud is worthy of our worship.
*Editor’s Comment: The Mashed Potato was a dance move that James Brown introduced in 1959. It became a dance craze in the early 60’s with a number of hits to go with the dance including the 1962 song “Mashed Potato Time” by Dee Dee Sharp, and Brown’s song “Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.”
**Editor’s Comment: What they didn’t tell you is that although the literal translation of the word “kartoffel” is potato, the term is also a slang word for Germans, either humourously or derisively.
***Editor’s Comment: Strictly speaking, sweet potatoes aren’t potatoes. Regular potatoes come from the nightshade and the sweet potato from the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are not yams either, but they are naturally sweet.
****COMDB Translation Department: Getting paid double time for some OT here. The French word Doré in English means golden or gilded or something that has a golden colour.
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