Description
The Dortmunder Bier PGI is a beer produced with water, malt, yeast and hop.
Production Area
The production area of the Dortmunder Bier PGI is the city of Dortmund, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Production Method
The malted barley is finely ground until it takes on a consistency similar to flour. It is then mixed with warm water and brought to increasingly high temperatures, turning into wort. The product obtained is brought to the right temperature and then hop is added, which lends it its bitter flavour. After a period of time needed for the cooling, yeast is added, provoking the fermentation, i.e., sugar turns to alcohol and carbon dioxide, producing the typical aromatic substances.
Appearance and Flavour
The Dortmunder Bier PGI is a bottom-fermentation lager beer, with average hop content. The colour is bright golden and the flavour is pleasant, not too bitter. This beer does not exceed 5% ABV.
History
During the first half of the Middle Ages, beer production was an exclusive privilege reserved for the clergy and the nobles. At the beginning of the second millennium, the production became more difficult to sustain given the progressive crisis that struck the mercantile class. The private citizens of Dortmund were amongst the first to benefit from the right to produce beer, granted by the king Adolf of Nassau in August of 1293. The prominent variety of the Dortmunder Bier PGI, the Export variant, prospered short after World War I, when the exploitation of the Ruhr mines was intensified and when its use was mostly to quench the workers' thirst.
Gastronomy
In order to maintain its characteristics unaltered, the beer should be kept in a cool yet not cold place, away from direct light sources, which modify the aroma and flavour, and at a constant temperature. It is recommended to cool it in the refrigerator or, however, to keep it at lower temperatures only before serving it. Once opened, it is recommendable to consume the beer within a short period of time, since contact with the air causes oxidation. The Dortmunder Bier PGI is best enjoyed cool. It is a particularly good match with fairly flavoured dishes and those with strong aromatic impact.
Marketing
The product is sold as Dortmunder Bier PGI, in the following varieties: Dortmunder Export, Dortmunder Pilsener Brauart and Dortmunder Alt. It is marketed in glass bottles or in tins.
Distinctive Features
The Dortmunder Bier PGI of the Export variety was the most consumed beer by the Ruhr coal miners. The quality of this beer and the average hop content are the basis for growing consumer appreciation.
