WTH is Bierstacheln?

While endlessly scrolling on Instagram, we noticed a new reel trend that made us say WTH? That trend is sticking red hot irons, or heated metal rods into beer. The practice is called “Bierstacheln” in German, which loosely translates to “beer spikes” according to google. We’ve seen it periodically throughout the years, but the prevalence of this practice made us wonder why it’s a thing. So, WTH is Bierstacheln?

Bierstacheln, or beer spikes, are part of a Bavarian tradition dating back to more than 400 years ago. In the cold winter months, people still loved beer and still hated the cold; surprising no one. Since homes, pubs and breweries weren’t as luxurious 400 years ago as they are today, people wanted a warmer drink than a chilly winter warmer while sharing a small fire or hearth.

The story goes that some fed up blacksmith, sick of a cold winter and colder beer had the ingenious idea of warming up his brew while on the job. Using his forge and an iron rod, he roasted up his stein of beer.

So what, now you have room temperature or hot beer. Gross…

Well not exactly. Per the professionals, the beers residual malt sugars actually caramelize during the process leading to a sweeter, creamier and roasted brew. This practice works best with darker beers like a Doppelbock or Belgian Strong.

While we’ve had our fair share of beers served warm or hot over the years, we haven’t tried one of these yet. Have you tried a modern version of this 400 year old practice? Let us know your thoughts below or on Instagram.

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