Top German Beers to Know to Experience the German Beer Culture
Prost!
Have you ever come across a German beer but didn’t find the courage to try it because it wasn’t the mainstream Coors Light or Bud Light, or your go-to IPA or craft beer? Fear not my friend, for this article will help you become the all-knowing master of German beers. And, with this new-found knowledge, you’ll eagerly try that Dunkel or Radler the next time you see it offered on the drink menu! In keeping with our German blog theme (see our previous blog “Manly Man Tips for Moving to German”) we wrote this article on five popular German beers. So, if you’re Germany bound—be it on holiday or relocating—knowing a little bit about the German beer culture will help you out big time!
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Hefeweizen
Translated as wheat beer, Weizenbier is a heavy yet refreshing German beer—and my favorite! In this rational drink from Bavaria (Germany’s largest state), a good proportion of malted barley is replaced with malted wheat. The drink has to be top-fermented according to German law. Specialized yeast strains are used to give a banana or wheat like flavor whilst fermenting. There is a low hop bitterness to the flavor and a high carbonation with gives the drink a malty sweetness with a smoky undercurrent. It is a heavy beer; however, and you’ll probably only be able to have two rounds in one sitting before you’re full.
My favorite Hefeweizens include: Augustiner, Guttman, Maisel, and Weihenstephan.
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Pilsner
Bitte ein Bit
First produced in 1842’s Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, Pilsner was the world’s first blond larger. Brewers age their beers with bottom fermenting yeasts in caves; this improves the clarity and shelf life of the drink. The German incarnation of the drink went from a light straw color to a golden color with a bitter, earthy taste.
German Pilsners are drier and crisper than the Bohemian versions and have a more bitter and lingering aftertaste. If you’re touring between southern and northern Germany, the Pilsners will vary in color and bitterness. Because the drink is so light it can be versatile with a variety of food. In fact, the drink almost provides a palate cleansing mix of bitter and malty sweetness. The mighty Pilsner is my second favorite beer on German soil. It serves as my go-to afternoon beer or my beer of choice at the football matches or music festivals that I’ve attended. Actually, after each football match (I played for a local German team, TSV-Elpersdorf 1963), we concluded each match with a case of Pilsner shared among the team—it didn’t matter if we had a winless season (perhaps I had something to do with that since I played striker), we still enjoyed our beer after each match!
Top German Pilsners include: Beck’s, Bitburger, König Ludwig, and Radeberger.
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Kristallweizen
Meaning light colored beer, Kristallweizen is noticeable for its clarity. In reality, it is a Hefeweizen that has been filtered and it stands out for being clear, unlike most unfiltered and hazy German wheat ales. It produces a similar banana and clove aroma and flavor, but with an added character of having a low flocculation of yeast. This means you get the tastes of those hazy beers but in a clean light-colored formula. The filtration removes the haze of yeast and wheat and it moderates the flavor, making the fruit banana flavor a little more subdued but keeping the spicy and fruity undertones.
Once you take out the heavy clover of banana taste many people mistake Kristallweizen for a Pilsner, due to the delicate light gold color, that is until you smell and taste it!
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Radler
Radler comically means cyclist in German and is essentially a shandy—you know, a beer mixed with a soft drink. A 50/50 mixture of lemonade and ale and it’s so named due to the popularity of cycling in Germany and the need for a refreshing low alcohol drink whilst traveling by bike.
In keeping with the Radler tradition
Radler with no Radler!
The story goes that in 1922 a German innkeeper was waiting for his regulars (who happened to be cyclists) when he found out he was low on beer, so he mixed in lemonade and the rest is history. In northern Germany, it is made with Pilsner and lemonade and is known as Alster due to the river Hamburg sits on and in southern Germany they mix Weissbier and lemon soda, calling it a Russ. Everyone has their own version, some mix beer with cola, some a citrus lemonade, some use stout and some use a blonde ale. This is a favorite drink for my Spouse—that is when she’s not drinking her Chianti, Cabernet, or Riesling wines!
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Dunkel
Dunkel refers to dark German lager, and they usually range from an amber color to a dark red-tinged brown. Dunkel is most popular in Bavaria with an alcohol content of between 4.5% and 6% and is procured by using a Munich-style malt.
Most Dunkels have a distinctive flavor that comes through decoction mashing, which is a special brewing technique. Some Dunkels are wheat based giving them a fruity and sweet taste, and often have darker roasted malts than the much lighter hefeweizen.
Popular German breweries specializing in a Dunkel include: Altenauer, Erdinger, Löwenbräu, and Paulaner.
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