Schtrunz Beer: A Gem Amongst Lebanese Handcrafted Beers

It was a lucky surprise to be introduced to the Lebanese Schtrunz Beer in Tawlet Mar Mikhael during a lunch with beer tasting.
The owner himself introduced a clear explanation of the malt, hops, wheat and yeast used in the making of this handcrafted beer. A lot of passion and know-how was put into the making of this great beer.

Schtrunz Beer is not a commercial beer, nor widely found in markets given that it is still home-brewed. Working on small scale production, preserves the high quality of the beer, especially that it is an unfiltered one. Particles of the beer sediment at the bottom of the bottle, keeping the fermentation of the beer alive.

Currently, Schtrunz Beer is found at The Malt Gallery in Achrafieh.

To introduce the beer:

Koelsch: Bright yellow appearance with a white rich foam, it has a strong grainy aroma, well noticed bitterness till the end, bubbly in the mouth, and has a dry finish. 5.1% alcohol level.

The Grand Saison: Golden color with heavy foam, when first poured the aromas are fruity and bready, balanced bitter hoppiness, while the bready aroma remains till the last drop. Higher on the alcohol level, at 6.5%, which is also felt in the aromas.

Unfiltered Colonel Beer - a fresh experience

We are used to drinking crystal clear crisp looking beers in Lebanon, otherwise known as filtered beers. Mass-produced beers are filtered to give them a bright crystal clear body, to meet the expectations of most beer drinkers and to stabilize beer taste during its shelf life. On the other hand, it also decreases the strong flavors of its constituents, the color is also lost during filtration.

How about unfiltered beer? A beer that has a cloudy body, rich with flavors, where yeast remains in the beer to keep it "alive".
I drank the unfiltered lager at Colonel Beer brewery in Batroun. Dense body, the flavors are accentuated, slight bitterness at the finish enhancing the beer drinking experience.