This image and post were originally uploaded to Flickr, in 2014. Samichlaus —aka Santa Claus or, more 'properly, Saint Nicholas— is the Roman Catholic patron saint of brewers. His 'feast day' —St. Nicholas Day— is celebrated annually on 6...
This image and post were originally uploaded to Flickr, in 2014.
Samichlaus —aka Santa Claus or, more 'properly, Saint Nicholas— is the Roman Catholic patron saint of brewers. His 'feast day' —St. Nicholas Day— is celebrated annually on 6 December.
Samichlaus is also the name of a potent doppelbock (dark lager) of 14% alcohol! Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg —a family-owned brewery founded in Austria in 1681— brews the beer once a year on St. Nicholas Day, ages it for nearly a year, and then releases it for sale.
Eggenberg also produces a special version of Samichlaus —Samichlaus Barrique, pictured above— which, in addition to a year's maturation, is aged five weeks in oak wine barrels. Those barrels come from the Anton Bauer Winery, also in Austria.
A happier St. Nicholas Day!
-----more----- Bottle purchased at a wine/beer shop, in northern Virginia, on 3 December 2014. Photo taken shortly thereafter.
A personal remembrance of St. Nicholas Day: here. More about other 'saintly' brewers: here.
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