A brief history of beer: Episode 7, Kellerbier

Kellerbier is the German term for “Cellar beer” and as you can easily imagine, it is because this kind of beer was originally aged in the cellars of the brewers.

Originating in Bavaria of middle ages, Kellerbier was one of the first beer kinds that were lagered. During this times, refrigiration technology was not even a thing but German brewers had to find out a way to store and condition their beers under cooler temperatures. So they lager (means “to store” in German) the beers in natural caves that acted as cellars that kept the beer cool and allowed a slow maturation process.

Kellerbier was originally aged in oak barrels that had a hole to allow CO2 release during the secondary fermentation. It was also served from the same cask or barrel. As a result, Kellerbier contained a moderate to low carbonation level.

In terms of flavor and aroma characteristics, Kellerbier is one of the most malty styles with significant notes of bread and biscuit. The body can range from medium to high with a creamy texture.