3 brews older than the St. Louis World’s Fair

By Katie Herrera // August 19, 2016


The St. Louis World’s Fare kicks off tonight at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park and lasts through the weekend. While we celebrate the significance of that historic 1904 event, I wanted to pay homage to international brewing tradition. In this day and age experimentation and adjunct-crazy recipe building, it’s good to step back and salute the foundation on which the modern brewing scene was built. These three beers were enjoyed during the 1904 World’s Fair – and decades (or even centuries) before. Raise a glass to history, St. Louis, and nerd out!

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1. Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier (5.4 percent ABV)
Highlighting Bavaria’s importance to beer culture, Weihenstephan Monastery stands as the oldest brewery in the world, originating in 1040 in Freising, Germany. Its Weiss beer is the granddaddy of all Weiss beers. A heavy wheat malt bill allows for a billowy body and clean canvas for that well-known Hefeweizen yeast expression. Look for intense notes of clove and banana on the aroma, a palate that follows suit with soft spice and banana and a crisp, lightly bitter finish.

2. Original Ritterguts Gose (4.7 percent ABV)
Goses have been incredibly trendy in the American beer scene these past few years, but the style itself isn’t new. Born in 1824, Ritterguts Gose is the oldest currently brewed gose in the world. A wheat beer that boasts lactic tartness, salt and coriander, it’s a refreshing treat and a great introduction to the world of sour beers.

3. Pilsner Urquell (4.4 percent ABV)
This Bohemian delight is the result of a local protest in 1838 in Pilsen, Czech Republic, during which angry beer drinkers dumped 36 barrels of “spoiled” beer in front of the town hall. In an effort to compete with the Bavarian lagers introduced to the area, Pilsner Urquell was born in 1842 – a beautiful, medium-bodied lager with satiating bitterness that pairs well with the delicate bouquet of black pepper and floral notes from the Saaz hops.

All beers available at The Wine and Cheese Place