What? You don't drink pilsners?

That's what we thought too, but after the success of Barley's Oktoberfest last fall, we thought it's time to introduce a lager for the spring.

We thought a Helles would fit the bill.

When the golden and clean lagers of Plzen (Bohemia) became all the rage in the mid-1800's, München brewers feared that Germans would start drinking the Czech beer vs. their own. Munich Helles Lager was their answer to meet the demand. A bit more malty, they often share the same spicy hop characters of Czech Pils, but are a bit more subdued and in balance with malts. "Helles" is German for "bright."

It's okay if you get tired of pilsners --- all those national beers that try like hell to be just like everyone else. There's a place for them, sure, but it's okay to get tired of having "crisp" and "refreshing" thrown in your face, only to find there's no flavor.

"If you've tried one pilsner, you've tried 'em all," won't work here. Gabriel Sedlmayer, brewmaster at Spaten Brewery had the same thought about 110 years ago. He called his new style of brewing "Munchner Hell." Now Hell.

Our offering is a bombshell of a blonde, so that's what we named it, paying hommage to the countless blondes that served as nose cone art on WWII aircraft.

Barley's Bombshell Blonde

Style Guidelines: This is the second in our series of true lagers (Barley's Oktoberfest was the first.) This is a Munchner style Helles.

Rotation Schedule: This is our first foray into a spring time lager.

Food Pairings: German cuisine, cheese (buttery, Brie, Gouda, Harvarti, Swiss); salads, pork, fish, seafood

Body: medium light

Color: bright blonde

Grain: English lager, Victory

Bittering Hops: German Perle and Berman Spalt

Finishing Hops: German Spalt

Original Gravity: 1.045

IBUs (estimate): 20

Alcohol By Volume: 4.5%

First Tapped: April 18, 2008

Barley's Smokehouse & Brewpub Ale House No. 2xx 1130 Dublin Road Columbus OH 43215