Zierholz Belconnen finally open!

Boy, things have changed at UC from when I was there in the 1980s. Back then the most exotic thing at the old college bar was sculling cans of VB with the jukebox playing 45rpm singles in the background.

Anyone tried the food? Is it a good place to go to have a relaxed dinner?

I downed a few pints there last night. The place was fairly packed and yet the atmosphere was completely sterile. Hopefully they can do something about this.

johnboy said :

I’m really not dissing german dark beers guys,

Never thought you were, JB, just happy to edumacate people about beer.

CZ makes some rather fine beers. Now all I need is a Belgian brewer to open in Canberra or NSW for me to be a happy camper…

johnboy said :

I’m really not dissing german dark beers guys,

It didn’t come across that way, it just seemed that you might not have been fully aware of what the German beer tradition has come up with over the years.

johnboy said :

Not worse, not better, just different.

Agreed. There isn’t a great deal of overlap between the styles that each region traditionally produces so any claims of superiority would be pointless.

Duffbowl said :

johnboy said :

As you might expect from the name he’s very much of the German school.

Having said that he does do some darker beers.

Johnboy, the Germans have quite a tradition of darker beers as well.
Dark Munich Lagers (Deep copper to dark brown) – Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel, Hacker-Pschorr Alt Munich Dark, Paulaner Alt Münchner Dunkel, Weltenburger Kloster Barock-Dunkel, Ettaler Kloster Dunkel, Hofbräu Dunkel
Schwarzbier (Medium to very dark brown) – Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Kulmbacher Mönchshof Premium Schwarzbier, Einbecker Schwarzbier
Braunschweig Mumme (Deep copper to black)
Dunkelweizen (Light copper to dark brown) – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel, Ayinger Ur-Weisse, Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse, Schneider Weisse (Original), Ettaler Weissbier Dunkel, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Dark, Tucher Dunkles Hefe Weizen, Edelweiss Dunkel Weissbier, Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel, Kapuziner Weissbier Schwarz

You beat me to it, though here’s a general list of dark German beer styles for simplicity:
Schwarzbier (literally “black beer”)
Dunkel (literally “dark”)
Dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer)
Dunkler Bock (strong dark beer)
Weizen Bock (strong wheat beer)
(Doppelbock/Weizen Doppelbock (“double” strong, ~8% ABV)
Eisbock (Doppelbock with fractional freezing to further concentrate the alcohol and flavour)

Some of the tastiest beers I’ve come across fall in to those last two categories.

I think I had the German Ale when they served it at Pork Barrel. Tons better than Swill which is fankly a pretty inferior beer. I haven’t tried all the Zierholz beers but have to say, I am more impressed by what the wig and pen have, especially in ales.

johnboy said :

As you might expect from the name he’s very much of the German school.

Having said that he does do some darker beers.

Johnboy, the Germans have quite a tradition of darker beers as well.
Dark Munich Lagers (Deep copper to dark brown) – Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel, Hacker-Pschorr Alt Munich Dark, Paulaner Alt Münchner Dunkel, Weltenburger Kloster Barock-Dunkel, Ettaler Kloster Dunkel, Hofbräu Dunkel
Schwarzbier (Medium to very dark brown) – Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Kulmbacher Mönchshof Premium Schwarzbier, Einbecker Schwarzbier
Braunschweig Mumme (Deep copper to black)
Dunkelweizen (Light copper to dark brown) – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel, Ayinger Ur-Weisse, Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse, Schneider Weisse (Original), Ettaler Weissbier Dunkel, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Dark, Tucher Dunkles Hefe Weizen, Edelweiss Dunkel Weissbier, Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel, Kapuziner Weissbier Schwarz

The UCU opening hours appear to be only a guide – I was hoping to try their coffee at 9:30, but they were still closed and looked like they were just thinking about unstacking tables. No opening hours on the door or anything, though, so it might be a miscommunication.

Had a pint of German Ale there the other day, quite enjoyable. The menu looks good too. I imagine they’ll get a fare bit of traffic come crunch time for uni students near the end of the semester!!