Old Fred Brauerei Zoller-Hof - Old Fred

Old Fred is brewed in tribute to Frederick Müller, a German native who studied and practiced brewing in Sigmaringen before immigrating to America, adopting the name "Miller", and founding Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee in 1855. Check out the neck label for more info. This type of amber lager is very much the sort of beer commonly brewed in the early 19th century before Pilsner had fully conquered the world, and we're happy to be able to bring you a top-notch example brewed in Germany the old-fashioned way... with a bit of an American twist in the form of Cascade hops. Pouring a deep amber hue with a tan-colored head, Old Fred offers up some lightly toasty and bready aromas along with caramelization. We picked up some fruity hints popping through here and there as well, reminiscent of stone fruits, plus a touch of floral Cascade hops. The aromas predict well the flavor profile; look for a satisfying tapestry of subtle flavors including toasty bread, caramel, hints of spice and earth, some fruity qualities, and gentle floral and mildly citric Cascade tones. Easy to drink on its own, this brew is an excellent match for various foods, too. Roasted pork loin, various Mexican and other spicy dishes, nachos, or a snack of tangy cheeses should pair up well. Prost!

Situated just across the Danube River from the impressive and iconic castle known as Schloss Sigmaringen lies Brauerei Zoller-Hof, which is currently in the hands of its 6th generation of family brewers. The brewery got its start back in 1845 when Carl Fidelis Graf built a small gastropub brewery to serve the town of Sigmaringen. Later, his son, Hermann, took over from his father and by the 1890s had brought electric power to the brewery, a very impressive technological advance at the time.

Paul Graf, representing the third generation of Graf brewers, built an all new brewery to help expand the business, and he took another technological leap forward by introducing refrigeration to replace ice, allowing the brewery to maintain proper year-round temperature control. World War II was an extraordinarily difficult time for most European breweries, especially German ones (which often ended up completely leveled from Allied air attacks), but Paul’s son, Hermann, and Hermann’s brother-in-law, Alexander Fleischhut, guided the brewery through the tough times and eventually expanded the operation further with new equipment and a new maturation cellar (critical for lager production).

Peter Fleischhut, the 5th generation, studied brewing at Weihenstephan in Bavaria (home of Brauerei Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest operational brewery, dating to 1040), and joined Zoller-Hof in the 1960s. During his tenure, which lasted until 2002, he guided the brewery from a relatively small operation to a mid-sized regional brewery. His daughter, Claudia Sieben, is now the 6th link in the chain, managing an operation consisting of around 45 employees.

The brewery is devoted to using only regionally-grown ingredients, including local Tettnanger hops, famous the world over. Additionally, Zoller-Hof knows how to take their time when crafting their traditional lagers, which spend around 6 weeks in cold maturation (known as lagering) instead of the 2-4 weeks typical of cheaper brands. For more information about the brewery (if you’re ever in the area, stop by for a brewery tour), visit www.zoller-hof.de/en/.