In This Article
- Introduction to German Beer
- How it all started
- The Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law)
- Traditional German Brewing Techniques
- German Lagers
- German Ales
- Wheat Beers (Weißbier / Weizenbier):
- Regional Specialties and Rare German Beer Styles
- German Beer Festivals and Serving Traditions
- German Beer Glassware
- Beer gardens and communal culture
- Conclusion
Introduction to German Beer
When you think of Germany, images of giant mugs of beer and pretzels will likely come to mind. It’s no secret that Germans love their beer, but the country’s favorite beverage is so ingrained in their culture that it’s hard for foreigners to fully wrap their minds around. And while easy-drinking lagers are ubiquitous in Germany, there’s a surprising variety of beer styles and variations throughout the country. It feels like just about every town has its own specialty!
But where to start? Whether you’re planning a trip to Germany or just want to find out more about the German beers on the shelf, there’s a lot to know. Here’s everything you need to know about German beer:
How it all started
While the Germans are indeed an authority when it comes to beer, they certainly weren’t the inventors. Our understanding of beer’s earliest days dates back to between 3500 and 3100 BC in the Middle East, quite a distance from modern-day Berlin. Still, the people of Germany have been drinking beer for as long as other Europeans and have been producing it in mass since the end of the first millennium. This is when monasteries, some of which are still in operation today, such as Weihenstephan, Kloster Andechs, Weltenburg, and St. Gallen, brewed for their communities.
Beer was a staple and vital to sustaining life, as it was the safest way to drink water and nutritious. Even children were allowed to drink beer, as it was considered a valuable source of sustenance. Beer was so important to German culture and commerce that even royals and officials took great interest in the beverage. The ‘Reinheitsgebot’ law was implemented in Bavaria, and Germany as a whole adopted some of the most advanced brewing and quality control methods in the world.
Germany was on the cutting edge of brewing, as it was an early adopter of the use of hops to flavor beer. They were also the first producers to standardize barrel sizes, enabling them to industrialize and begin exporting their beers. A few things have changed over the centuries, as Germany’s brewing industry is now dominated by larger brands that market their brews nationally and internationally. There is still a varied beer landscape, where regionality significantly impacts the type of beer served (more on that below).
The Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law)
Leave it to the Germans to apply their strict and methodical approach to their favorite beverage. To ensure product quality, Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV implemented the Beer Purity Law of 1516, which limited the ingredients to water, barley, hops (specifically those from Hallertau), and yeast. This was to protect drinkers from lower-quality barley, rye, spelt, emmer wheat, semolina wheat, or rice and forced producers to keep their quality standards as high as possible. It’s still technically in place to this day!
Traditional German Brewing Techniques
German breweries tend to focus on approachable and lighter beer styles, such as lager, but they still employ highly complex and advanced techniques, driven by their relentless pursuit of perfection.
- Decoction mashing is one of the most common German brewing techniques, resulting in the cleanest and easiest-drinking lagers possible. It involves highly controlled boiling temperatures by removing portions of the mash during the boil. This helps brewers extract more sugars from the grains and provides highly distinct malty characteristics. The best European lagers owe their distinctive bready flavors to decoction.
- Most German brewers rely on standard fermentation processes, such as top-fermentation (for ales) or bottom-fermentation (for lagers). A few niche producers will practice open fermentation, often found in Belgium, to incorporate highly localized airborne yeast strains that reflect the terroir and location of the brewery.
- One of the more modern developments in brewing is the advent of cold storage. Traditionally, beer was stored underground in a cellar, also known as a bierkeller. German brewers implemented refrigerated facilities in their supply chain to create the ideal conditions for storage and transportation. The beer could be crafted by the best brewer in the universe, but if it’s not handled correctly, it won’t taste great once it reaches your glass.
German Lagers
You likely associate German beer with the crisp and clean-drinking lager or Pilsner. These bottom-fermenting beers are the most common styles brewed and consumed in Germany, and have dominated the market for centuries. Here are a few subcategories you’ll find in Deutschland:
Pilsner (Pils)
With origins in the Czech town of Plzen, this pale lager is by far the hoppiest traditional German beer style. And yet, the 4.5–5% ABV makes Pilsners drinkable and crisp, with a dry finish and subtle bitterness. There’s a reason why massive brands like Bitburger, Jever, König, and Krombacher are so popular.
Helles
The most common beer style in Germany originates from Munich and is characterized by its lighter body and bright, straw-colored appearance. Look for distinct Hallertau hop flavors and a nice breadiness. This is your ideal beverage to pair with a pretzel, and you’ll be able to have a few.
Dunkel
The name stands for “dark” and is highly apt, as Dunkel is more or less a blanket term for any dark lager. Expect light bitterness, playing with pronounced sweetness from the malt.
Bock
One of the most substantial styles of beer brewed in Germany, this dark lager comes in several variations. Maibock, brewed in spring, is lighter. Heller Bock is only a little maltier and sweeter than a Helles lager. Doppelbock (or “Double Bock”) is where things get heavy. Eisbock (Ice Bock) is quite boozy, as parts of the beer are frozen during fermentation to concentrate the alcohol content. Weizenbock is made with wheat and combines sweeter notes with the traditional banana flavor typically found in a Weissbier.
Märzen
This malty lager is most famous for being the beer served at Oktoberfest. Expect a drinkable yet more flavorful experience that’s ideal for putting back a few.
Kellerbier / Zwickelbier
Perhaps the most flavorful German beer style, this unfiltered lager gets a flavor boost from suspended yeast left in the beer. It’s somewhat of an event as Kellerbier is traditionally served directly from the barrel to the beer garden. Stiegl Paracelsus is the gold standard, but evasive, so never miss your chance to try it!
Schwarzbier
Brewers use darker malts to create this pitch-black lager, giving it coffee and chocolate flavors along with a lightly bitter finish. Despite the hefty flavors, it’s still quite drinkable!
German Ales
Their calling card might be lager, but Germany’s breweries have been putting out superb top-fermented beers for centuries. Ales are where you’ll find the diversity in German beer. Here are a few of the most notable:
Kölsch
The residents of Cologne are known for their welcoming demeanor and their favorite beverage. This ale drinks like a lager, but it has been top-fermented with a conditioning treatment similar to that of lagers. Kölsch is traditionally served in small cylindrical glasses called “Stange,” and servers will keep them coming until you cover your glass to tell them you’ve had enough. These are only 6-ounce servings, but you can really put a few of these away.
Altbier
This ale is brewed in Düsseldorf and is a direct response to its neighbor Cologne’s Kölsch. It’s much darker and maltier, but still boasts impressive drinkability.
Berliner Weisse
This summer sipper is crafted with wheat and specialized yeast, resulting in a highly acidic and tart flavor. The low alcohol content and citrus fruit flavors make Berliner Weisse ideal for patio drinking or even the beach.
Gose
Another sour beer, this Leipzig specialty utilizes (Reinheitsgebot-banned) ingredients like salt, fruit syrups, and coriander to achieve ample flavor.
Wheat Beers (Weißbier / Weizenbier):
Even with Reinheitsgebot, German brewers have been brewing with wheat for centuries. These top-fermenting ales are a vital piece of Germany’s beer traditions and are perfect for afternoons at the beer garden.
Hefeweizen
Also known as Weißbier, this ale is brewed with wheat and pale air-dried malt to deliver the smoothest drinking experience you’ll find anywhere. With origins in Bavaria, brewers use a specific yeast strain that lends the beer aromas of banana and clove.
Kristallweizen
This style of wheat ale goes through filtration that others don’t, and is a specialty of Southern Germany. The result is a clear beer that won’t have the cloudiness or chewy mouthfeel, but it’s perfect for drinking a few in the sun, as it’s pretty approachable.
Dunkelweizen
This dark wheat ale combines chocolatey malt flavors with the distinctive banana and clove aromas characteristic of other weizen beers.
Weizenbock
One of the most complex German beers, the Weizenbock seamlessly blends the Bock and Weissbier styles to achieve a rich profile of dark fruit flavors, including plum, raisin, and grape, complemented by bready malts and banana-like wheat aromas. Weizenbock is essentially the Grapenuts cereal in a glass.
Regional Specialties and Rare German Beer Styles
Rauchbier
This smoked beer is a specialty from the town of Bamberg in Upper Franconia. The malts are fried over open flames, imparting smoky, almost barbecue-esque flavors.
Steinbier
“Stone beer” is a historic beer style that has been largely abandoned in the last century but can still be found in various communities in southwestern Germany. It’s named for the use of hot stones that heated the mash in wooden tubs, giving the beer a caramel-forward and earthy flavor.
Zoigl
This Bavarian concoction utilizes wood-fired heat in the boil and is lagered and fermented at specific pubs, as opposed to the brewery.
German Beer Festivals and Serving Traditions
Oktoberfest is held in Munich every year from late September to the first Sunday in October and is one of the largest festivals in the world. The Märzen lager served during the event is drinkable and has a nice malt backbone. All of Munich’s breweries (Löwenbräu, Hofbräuhaus, Augustinerbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Spaten) brew a Märzen for the event, and it’s also called Festbier or Wiesn.
The event is hardly specific to Munich at this point. You’ll find Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the world, particularly in areas where German immigrants have settled. The largest by far is still the one in Munich, but you can attend epic Oktoberfest parties in places like Milwaukee and Buenos Aires.
German Beer Glassware
- Stein: These pewter or glass mugs are decorated with ornate artwork and often depict beer gardens or special events, such as weddings. There are smaller and more practical biersteins that you can actually drink out of, along with highly ornamental ones that are too large or unwieldy to use but make for amazing gifts or decor. This is the perfect gift for the beer lover in your life!
- Maß: The ubiquitous glass mug holds exactly 1 liter of beer and is served in beer gardens all over Germany.
- Stange: These thin glasses, which hold about 6 ounces of beer, are designed to preserve the carbonation of a beer like Kolsch and are commonly found in Cologne beer halls. These beers are transported in a Kranz tray filled with kolsches and are served to your table automatically. Just down the river in Dusseldorf, Altbier is also served in a Stange.
Beer gardens and communal culture
Because beer is so important to German dining and social culture, it’s unsurprising that communal spaces and traditions often revolve around beer. Similar to traditional pubs in the UK and Ireland, German beer gardens and beer halls are where neighbors and families gather after work or on weekends. It’s that “third space” between work and home that just so happens to have liters of delicious beer. The traditional German beer garden will have long picnic tables and ample greenery to provide shade. Fun fact: beer gardens were invented in Bavaria!
Conclusion
Germany boasts one of the world’s most vibrant drinking cultures, making it an ideal travel destination for beer enthusiasts. Even better, the variety of experiences available in different cities offers a fantastic landscape for discovery. From lighter Helles Lagers to sour Goses and even pitch-black Schwartzbier, there’s a German beer for every type of drinker!
