The unofficial start of summer is officially here. As the amuse bouche of the summer season, Memorial Day weekend brings vacation time with it. For those stay-cationing this weekend, Peaks & Pints will transport you to vacation spots via our daily flights. Today, we’re taking you to Germany — specifically Aying, Germany, home of Ayinger Brewery. This 147-year-old brewery has a deep family history, and remained almost completely unchanged until a new, updated brewery was built in 1999 in order to keep up with the growing market. Again and again Ayinger has won awards for its beers, including the World Beer Cup, and the Deutschen Landwirtschafts Gesellschaft – DLG (German Agricultural Society) gold and silver medals. Stop by Peaks & Pints, grab our Memorial Day Weekend Beer Trip to Germany: Peaks & Pints Ayinger Beer Flight, close your eyes, and enjoy.

Memorial Day Weekend Beer Trip To Germany: Peaks & Pints Ayinger Beer Flight

Ayinger Bräuweisse

5.1% BV

Brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516, this authentic Bavarian hefeweizen’s fragrance and flavor are distinguished by a refined top-fermented flowery-yeast character and an unmistakable, distinct banana aroma. First sensation on the taste buds is full-bodied, very soft and mild with a lively, champagne-like sparkle. A light, typical wheat beer taste is expressed, the bitter tone of which can scarcely be detected.

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

5% ABV

Up until the Second World War, dark beer was the predominant beer type in the Munich area. The hard water found in the region played a special role in producing this specialty. One of Ayinger’s DLG gold medal winners is their dark larger, Altbairisch Dunkel. The dark lager offers easy caramel and light, grainy malts on the palate first, followed by a lovely, floral hop bite that counters the sweetness. With its paltry profile, courtesy of a light body, low alcohol, and dry, clean finish, this brew embodies the style’s approachability.

Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier

5.5% ABV

This beer was first brewed in 1978 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ayinger. It has a golden-yellow color with a slightly flowery yeast, honey-ish aroma, tastes a little spicy and is full-bodied in initial taste, mild before swallowing and soft with a refined sparkle and fades with a well-balanced hint of bitterness. Conrad Seidl, known as the Austrian “Pope of Beers”, on the Jahrhundert Bier: “It is a malty beer that pronounces the precious earthy quality of malted barley.”

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

6.7% ABV

During Lent, as legend goes, German monks sustained themselves by sipping strong, dark lagers dubbed doppelbocks. This timeworn tale of liquid bread tends to overshadow an indisputable truth: Dopplebocks are fantastic feats of brewing engineering, no more so than Ayinger Celebrator. With accolades from the late Michael Jackson and a collection of gold medals from the World Beer Cup, this rich, toffee-rocked lager is dark, crisp, with a touch of chocolate and grape notes. While presenting a full body, it’s not cloyingly sweet and features a wonderfully creamy body and enough alcohol to warm your palate.

Ayinger Maibock

7% ABV

Maibocks (mai-, pronounced “my,” is German for May), like other bocks (stout lagers) are malt-forward, full-bodied beers with a stronger alcohol content than your typical helles or dunkel. The origins of the style date back to 1614, with Hofbräuhaus laying claim to brewing the first. But Maibock didn’t truly take off until the pale beer craze of the 19th century. While most bocks are dark in color, Maibock came at a time when the availability of pale malts changed how brewers approached beer, which is why you will occasionally find the term “Maibock” interchangeable with heller bock or helles bock (helle is German for bright). Do note there is some dispute as to the direct relationship between Maibock, often darker and maltier, and heller bock, paler and softer, but brewers — especially in America — like to play fast and loose with styles, often making the style suit them and not the other way around. Ayinger’s German Maibock is a lighter representative than the dark doppelbocks from their brewhouse. Its golden-yellow color and malty aroma go hand in hand with the sweetness of a real bock beer, softened by Hallertau hops.

LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory