The term Lehe is not entirely unknown in Germany. However, it does not refer to a district of a northern German coastal town, nor to a river in the northern part of Germany - rather, it is about beer - hand-brewed specialty beer from Estonia.
The origins of the Lehe brewing craft began in the Tali couple's own home. Brewmaster Tarmo Tali gave up his job at a communications company to turn his hobby into a career. His wife Gristel initially had to serve as a guinea pig, albeit not entirely voluntarily. The various brewing styles and the charm of craft beer took her by storm and convinced Gristel to get into the business too. What began with dandelion wine quickly developed into an absolute hit in the craft beer world: The demand for beer from Lehe rose so rapidly that the bottles were sometimes sold out right at the bottling line.
The Lehe Brewery has entered into a cooperation with the Bamberg brewery St. ERHARD® with a special end result. With combined forces and clever ideas, the two craft beer pioneers have conjured up their masterpiece Endspiel , which was awarded gold at the Meininger Craft Beer Award : a barley wine that surprises. The first thing you notice are the sweet notes of velvety caramel and candied fruit. A pleasant effervescence and freshness underscores the aromas in an elegant way and prevents them from being too heavy. In keeping with the name Endspiel, every ingredient in the beer plays a role like the individual pieces on a chessboard and creates the special note.
As a newcomer to the beer business, the Lehe Brewery is extremely keen to experiment. It goes beyond the imagination of traditional beer drinkers and takes risks. A good example of the joy of experimentation is the Carrot Cake Ale from 2017. What must have caused supporters of the German Purity Law to shake their heads in horror turns out to be a spicy, light ale with a surprising carrot cake aroma. But chili and strawberries have also found their way into the kettle. The Lehe Brewery interprets the classic beer tradition in a playful way and has taken Estonia and the international craft beer scene by storm. If you want to give beer with a special flavor a try, try the cherry-flavored Lehe Hetk or the beer with the lyrical name Lehe RIGHT AWAY, I KNOW YOU ARE WONDERFUL . True to the motto “Everyone loves strawberries”, the Talis have dug deep into the fruit box and created a surprisingly classic pilsner with a stunning strawberry note in the finish. A midsummer night's dream.
