Rotbier

Based on conversations with Brauerei Schanzenbräu founder Stefan Stretz, here’s a recipe for the Nuremberg brewery’s popular red lager—drier and slightly more bitter than other versions of the regional style.

Nuremberg’s Schanzenbräu sells plenty of helles, but it’s best known for its distinctive red lager—a niche style, even within Germany. The challenge, says founder Stefan Stretz, is achieving easy drinkability in such a full-bodied, malt-forward beer.

An important piece of this old-fashioned lager’s puzzle is the Swiss-style lager yeast, which Elder Piper cofounder and brewer Trace Redmond says provides floral notes that accentuate the hops.