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| Märzen translates to the German word for March. |
Hofbräuhaus Chicago celebrates the arrival of each new seasonal beer with their "First Thirst-Days" celebrated on the first Thursday of every month at 7 pm. Brewmaster Rob Hunter hosts a small keg tapping ceremony providing information about the seasonal beer accompanied with a free half-liter sample of the the seasonal brew! Last night's "First Thirst-Day" Rob tapped Märzen. April's "First Thirst-Day" on April 5, Rob will tap "Royal Export". Brewery Tours are available upon request.
I had the honor of enjoying a pint and conversation with Brewmaster Rob at Märzen's First Thirst-Day celebration.
How long have you been the Brewmaster at Hofbräuhaus Chicago?
Not quite 5 years, but I've been brewing for over 20 years.
Are the seasonal brews available at the other Hofbräuhaus locations?
Each location in the US has there own seasonal beer schedule; the only two requirements from Hofbräu München are that you have brew the Maibock in May and Oktoberfest in September and October.
What Hofbräuhaus brew do you enjoy the most?
We drink the Lager on a day to day basis. Specialty wise is Oktoberfest.
How much beer does HBC brew each year?
4,000 kegs including the all year round Lager, Hefe Weizen, Dunkel, and our 11 seasonal beers.
How has technology changed the way you brew?
We are a franchisee of Hofbräuhaus so we are brewing their beer under license, we have to use their recipes, techniques, and equipment. Even though this is very modern; it's not state of the art, but this is advanced. You don't see automation like this in a lot of small breweries but it keeps us very consistent and efficient. And it's ironic because with all this modern technology and automation, the process we use is very old fashioned and traditional on modern equipment. The affect technology has for us is that it keeps the process very consistent, so we are following Hofbräuhaus recipes all the time to a T. If they want the mash to rest at 66 degrees for 23 minutes then it's at 66, not 64 or 68 and it's there for 23 minutes because the computer is mandating the time and temperature. This technology we use keeps our process regulated so we brew is the exact same beer every time.
Where did you acquire this craft? Who influenced you?
I liked beer growing up in rural Arkansas a long time ago, and the beer back then was Schlitz and Miller. I liked it and thought that if this is what beer tastes like, then I like it. I went into the Air Force out of high school and in the mid 80's, going to Germany was just part of the gig. So we were in Germany and we liked beer, since Germany was known for beer its lets go get some! And I was hooked. After drinking Schlitz and Miller I could not go back. I was like what else you got? They have dark beer, they have cloudy wheat beer. To make matters worse (or better) depending on how you look at it, a guy in my squadron had family in Belgium, so we got some time off and went to visit them... and oh my god they have sour beers, beer with fruit in it, and wow! So we were stationed in Colorado when we got back from Germany there were some import bars where we could get those types of beers like the ones we got in Germany. Then when I got back to Arkansas to go back to college and now it's the early 90's there is still nothing in Arkansas, no Sierra Nevada, no Sam Adams. So I started home brewing as a hobby to try to make those beers like they have in Europe, and it got out of hand.
A few years later I moved to Nashville with my wife for her post doc internship, so she had a job and I didn't have a job and needed one. I worked a bunch of factory jobs and that wasn't happening. With my newly minted psychology degree I couldn't get a job, can you believe that?! (subtle chuckles) We were renting an apartment in a pre-civil war house from a guy, and one afternoon we were having a few local beers on the porch, complaining on how I can't find a job and he tells me "you just need some focus, you're interviewing for used car salesmen jobs one week and pharmaceutical tech the next", so I was like I just want to make some beer and spend some time at the house. So we literally turned the six pack upside down, there's a phone number for the brewery at the bottom, called them up and they needed somebody. Brewers in the mid 90's were hard to come by, so they were willing to train. When I started they told me I was the assistant keg washer and worked up into the brewhaus, where I became apprentice to the brewmaster. I have been very fortunate to work with very knowledgeable people who were very generous with their knowledge.
Being the Brewmaster at Hofbräuhaus Chicago must be your dream job.
Absolutely! It's perfect for me, getting to brew German Beers working for a German Company and still living in Chicago. This is wonderful. It doesn't get much better than this. Unless i'm sitting next to an astronaut or a golf pro, my job is probably cooler than yours.
How well can you say Hofbräuhaus 3x fast after a few beers?
Let's find out later! I made sure to ask him before I left and he said it prefect.
And in case you were wondering, Rob does not wear lederhosen when brewing.
As delicious as Hofbräuhaus Chicago onsite brewed beer is, which it is. Let's move on to food and other fun!
Hofbräuhaus Chicago will continue its " Off the Hook" seafood specials during lent until March 31. Daily seafood specials will be available for dinner and feature salmon, halibut, shrimp, mussels, and white fish dishes, amongst other types of seafood.
Kick off Easter early with Hofbräuhaus Chicago at their Easter Kinderfest on Sunday, March 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be fun for the whole family, including egg coloring, a juggler, face painting, as well as meet and greets with the guest of honor, the Easter Bunny.
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| Photo Courtney of Hofbräuhaus |
Bayrische Kartoffelsuppe
Creamy Bavarian potato soup with vegetables, frankfurters and croutons.
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
Smoked salmon deviled eggs garnished with fresh dill and fried capers on a bed of arugula and shaved fennel.
Geschmorten Lammhaxen
Tender braised lamb shank served with green beans, roasted red potatoes and rosemary gravy.
Entenbraten
Classic half roasted duck served with potato dumplings, red cabbage and rosemary duck sauce.
Knusprige Schweinshaxen
Crispy pork shank served with Bavarian cabbage and bacon salad, potato and bread dumplings and Hofbräuhaus Dark Beer gravy.
Créme Brule
Classic créme brule served with sweet whipped cream and fresh berries.
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| There are Beer Stein lockers available for rental at Hofbrauhaus. |
Hofbräuhaus Chicago is located at 5500 Park Place in Rosemont's Parkway Bank Park entertainment district. Valet parking is available for a minimal charge. Parking is also available in the nearby parking garage (free with validation). For reservations and more information, call 847-671-BREW (2739) or visit hbchicago.com.
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