Zoiglbier is a German brewing tradition that didn’t make the leap over the Atlantic in the way that industrialization did. Centered in Franconia, Zoigl traditionally was a style that was produced at a community level – literally “Kommunbrau.” The residents of a town would go in together on a set of brewing equipment and duties for wort production would rotate among townspeople. You’d go to the brewery, make wort, and that liquid would then go home with a number of folks to ferment in their home cellars. Once production levels got to the point that one of these community breweries could make more than a reasonable person – even a German one – could drink themselves, a tradition of hanging the Zoigl star outside your house when you had beer ready to drink developed. Local residents would see the star, head inside and get a fresh lagerbier to enjoy with their neighbors, for a nominal fee.

American Zoigl is a new tradition that began in 2023 at Goldfinger Brewing in Downer’s Grove, IL. It started as a one-off collaboration with Live Oak Brewing that re-imagined what one of these Zoiglbiers would have looked like if it was brewed in 19th century America.

Tom at Goldfinger had the idea to make an actual Zoigl to hang outside the taproom once it was ready, brewers from around the country noticed via the magic of the internet (often overrated but very useful in this case), and the American Zoigl project as we see it today took form.

Since 2023, Tom has been sending the Zoigl star to breweries across the country, each of whom has in turn brewed their own version of this imagined style. Built around cereal mashed corn grits, a small amount of specialty malt, and heritage hop varieties, American Zoigl is a loose umbrella just in the way that German Zoigl was. The Double Elbow version takes inspiration from what a 19th century Midwestern Vienna-style lager might have looked like. Corn, barley malt, low alpha hops, cold fermentation. 

The American Zoigl project speaks right to the heart of what I want to do with Double Elbow, and it’s a true pleasure to get my chance to hang the star out for all of you!