So last Sept @ Oktoberfest there was a brand represented that brought universal praise: Franziskaner Weissbier. Then, at the Main Line festival there was a Spaten tasting and part of it included the company’s corporate video (starring a well-coiffed-and-spoken mod German), touting the merging of Spaten and Franziskaner – both well-respected München beers (Spaten holds the honor of being the first beer tapped to hearld the beginning of Oktoberfest each year).
Being a big fan I was still surprised to see Hans’ video about “gaining market share for the Spaten and Franziskaner family” manifested at a beer store a couple of weeks ago with $22 (24x12oz) cases of Franziskaner. I’m of the opinion that Franziskaner far outshines Hoegaarden for summer weissbiers, but cases of Hoegaarden are ~$35+. Just had a Franziskaner tonight with dinner and I gotta tell you it’s sublime. And for $22/case it’s a total bargain. Highly recommended especially for summertime – it’s a light wheat that’s full of flavor but goes great with an orange or lemon garnish. Also, there’s a cheerful monk on the label and that counts for something in my book.
Note: the $22 case may have been a random promotion but wasn’t marked that way – online Hoegaarden and Franziskaner are about the same price. Still tasty beer though.
Update: I’ve seen $4/case Rebates for Franziskaner in three different locations.