Prost! German Bier Bar collaboration with the iconic Benediktiner Brewery
Benediktiner + Prost! collaboration Helles Export Lager straight out of Germany has landed on the West coast!
Prost! German beer bars with locations in Portland, Seattle, Boise, ID and Bend, OR have collaborated with the iconic brewing monks of the Benediktiner Weissbräu Brewery in Bavaria on an exclusive new beer. Benediktiner + Prost! Helles Export Lager will be available at all Prost! locations and their sister pubs Interurban, Stammtisch, and Bantam Tavern with a Portland, Oregon release party this Thursday, August 14th at the N. Mississippi Ave. location of Prost!
“This was an extraordinary opportunity to do something we have never done before overseas. This is the first time they have ever done a collaboration with a bar group in Germany before and to anybody’s knowledge, it has never been done anywhere. It’s a pinch yourself kind of opportunity,” says Prost! co-owner Dan Hart.
The well respected Prost! German pubs are one of the only organizations in the world that could pull off such a rare collaboration with an historic brewery that usually sticks to just a few core lagers and weiss bier. With the help of the monks, the team at Bitburger, and import and craft managers at Point Blank Distributing in Oregon, kegs and just a handful of flip-top bottles have arrived in Portland. This one in a lifetime occasion will be commemorated with collaboration shirts on sale for $10, and .5 liter pours for just $8.
The collab came about after the successful Bitburger Challenge Pilsner competition at Prost! Portland in 2024. Benediktiner is part of the Bitburger Braugruppe, and after deciding to take a year off from the Bitburger Challenge they were looking for another way to work together.
“Bitburger had the idea to invite our core management team out to brew an exclusive bier just for us. I had been to Benediktiner in Ettal, Germany a number of times before, but this was an extraordinary opportunity to do something we have never done before overseas,” says Hart.
Hart, co-owner Chris Navarra and fellow publicans from Portland, Seattle, Idaho, and Bend outposts of Prost! arrived in Germany in March to get in some skiing, tourism, and drinking in early. The Benediktine Abbey is located in the tiny scenic town of Ettal near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, nestled in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps and 877 metres above sea level. Benediktiner Brewery is the first brewery in the world ran by Benedictine monks (Oregon has our own monk-ran Benedictine Brewery) who have prayed, lived, and worked in the Abbey for more than 600 years.
© Julian Leitenstorfer
Benediktiner Brewery only makes 4 different beers regularly: Weissbier, Dunkel, Helles, and a non-alcoholic Weissbier, with one seasonally available Festbier. The Prost! team didn’t want to go too much outside of the monks level of comfortability and came up with a twist on the Helles style for their collaboration.
“Benediktiner like most Bavarian breweries are know for their helles and weissbiers so I thought a “special hell” or “export hells” would be a great fit. Being a bier that is gonna be brewed and exported exclusively for us, “Export Helles” just made sense. Close to a classic hell, just with a little more body and touch more ABV bringing it up to a whopping 5.2%. The use of Hallertau Tradition and Cascade hops also ties into the transatlantic connection,” says Hart.
Rudi Wahl, Brewmaster for Benediktiner adds, "We took the smooth, bready soul of a traditional Bavarian Helles and gave it a bright, modern twist with a generous dose of aroma hops—think citrus blossom, a hint of stone fruit, and just enough herbal zing to keep you coming back for more. It’s still a Helles at heart, just with a little extra personality."
Dan Hart: “Working with our friend and Brewmaster, Rudi Wahl to brew the bier was amazing. Touring the brewery and drinking fresh unfiltered helles straight of the tank with Father Johannes and the team are memories that you will never forget.”
Prost! + Benediktiner Helles Export Lager pours a brilliantly clear pale golden yellow color with a creamy white head, lingering foam, and fine carbonation. The classic bready malt flavor gives way to a gentle honey-like sweetness true to a traditional Helles. Layered on top of the classic Helles notes are a bright, expressive hop bouquet of floral, lemon zest, and a hint of fresh-cut herbs. Classic German Hallertauer Tradition hops are present, but a northwest Cascade hop introduces subtle notes of white grape and citrus blossom. The hop kick adds a lively twist to the soft, rounded malt character. Citrus forward with notes of orange peel, tangerine, and a touch of spice, yet restrained bitterness true to style. ABV 5.2% Original Gravity 12.5%
Brewmaster Rudy Wahl sums up the significance and what to expect in this very special beer: "Brewed within monastery walls, this Helles carries the quiet tradition of the Benedictine order—smooth, bready, and contemplative. But we gave it a brighter voice with a generous touch of aroma hops—floral, citrusy, with a whisper of stone fruit. It’s a classic Helles at heart, lifted by a bit of heavenly inspiration."
Benediktiner + Prost! Helles Export Lager Release Party!
Thursday, August 14th, tapping at 5:30pm
Prost! 4237 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Logo Collab T-Shirts for sale for $10.
$8 .5L pours.
