Annual Tapping of the Christmas Keg at the Bier Garden

The Bier Garden

St. Nicholas Day, is December 6th.  Join us in the German tradition of tapping the Samichlaus Christmas keg.

The Bier Garden has honored this tradition each year since 2000 and people come from all over to participate in this holiday tradition.  The keg is tapped at precisely 7 PM.  We recommend you get there early and make dinner reservations to insure your spot for the tasting.

About Samichlaus

Samichlaus was first brewed by the Hurlimann Brewery in Zurich in 1979,  they produced it until 1997 when the brewery changed ownership and there was little interest in continuing to brew it. In 2000, Samichlaus was resurrected by Braurei Schloss Eggenburg, an Austrian brewery that bought the rights and the recipe for what was once “the strongest beer in the world.” 

Samichlaus Classic is brewed one day a year, on December 6. Made with a variety of malted barleys, after fermentation is completed it is aged under cold conditions for ten months, then bottled, distributed, and if you’re very fortunate, it ends up in your area code. What does Samichlaus Classic taste like? It’s a kaleidescope of complex flavor, with notes of caramel, sherry, plum, dried fruits, and brown sugar.  With little to no bitterness, the sweetness is balanced by a pleasant alcohol flavor in this shoulder-warming, 400-plus calorie glass of goodness.

** Thanks to Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones (Veer) for the description of Samichlaus above.