What's this beer style I'm trying to remember?

[Kai]

I read an article about it recently, it might have been on the babblebelt. It's dying out, made only in a few villages somewhere in Germany. It's in the style of old alehouses, various households are on a rotation to brew it, and they serve it on cask in their own houses to neighbours. It starts with a "z", I think, or has a "z" in it. I remember it was characterised as being slightly tart, which makes me think it might still be done with the ancestral natural brewers yeast.

I just can't remember the word. It's silly. And it's driving me crazy.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Only think I can think is Gose. Not sure if thats it though.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I'm pretty sure you're talking about Gose. Does it have salt in it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gose

 

[Kai]

Zoiglbier

Although now you're wanting me to go find a Gose, too.

Thanks.

 

[RoaringBrewer]

The local Micro (Appalachian Brewing) has a January specialty beer... Zoigl Star Lager. It's pretty good stuff, but no clue how it measures up to the original since I've never had it. Let me read this article and I'll chime back in...

EDIT: Hrm... first impression is that the local micro's version isn't what these guys had. Their description, "The beer was very sharp and was brewed with a lot of hops; cloudy and amber coloured" seems quite different from the Zoigle Star Lager I've had here and I guess I should have expected it. The one I've had is VERY light (the lightest of about 20 offerings this brewery makes) in color, although a bit cloudy. I didn't find it that hoppy either. I mean, it was crisp and there was hop presence, but not like drinking IPA or even American Pale Ale IMO? If I recall it was kind of "fruity" or "estery" for a lager. Like maybe it had been fermented with lager yeast at a little warmer temp before undergoing lagering? I'll try to dig up the stats on the local micro's version...

EDIT2: Not a whole lot of help on the abc website either:
"January Specialty - Zoigl Star Lager
OG: 14.0; FG: 2.8; ABW: 4.6; ABV: 5.9
Zoigl is a golden, unfiltered lager beer which was originally brewed only in the region of Eastern Bavaria, between Franconia and the Czech Republic. For centuries, Zoigl was brewed in brewhouses owned by the town or an association of small brewers. The Zoigl-Star, a six-angular star similar to the Star of David, was the sign of brewers in the middle ages. The star symbolizes the three elements (water, earth, and fire) and the three ingredients (water, malt, and hops) used for brewing. The importance of the yeast was not yet known in the 1400’s."

Seems they know the history though. Hmmm... who knows...