Prost! A Quick Guide to German Beer Culture

Germany has a reputation for brewing good beer and enjoying it. If you are planning a visit you’ll want to take advantage of the sights, sounds and tastes that make up the country’s beer culture.

To start, get to know your basic German beers. These vary region to region and you don’t want an avoidable faux pas deny you a tasty refreshment.

Ales: Alts, Kölsch, Rauchbier and Weizen

There are two basic beers in Germany: Ales and Lagers. Let’s begin with the Ales, there are four: alt, kölsch, rauchbier and weizen. Alt and kölsch are the primary and most popular ales. Rauchbier (smoke) and weizen (wheat) are less popular but often found brewed aside top selling ales.

Alt or altbier (old beer) comes from an old style of top fermenting brewing. These are dark beers made and enjoyed around Düsseldorf. Its appearance is usually bronze to deep copper, very clear with a thick, creamy, long lasting head. The alts can be robust with typical hop bitterness balanced by crisp malt flavor. The finish can be bittersweet or nutty. Alts are sometimes mixed with fruits to make an altbierbowle (old beer bowl) or with cola called a Krefelder. Alts on their own are served in a short glass only 0.3 L or about 10 oz so don’t worry if your coaster shows many rings.

There are several outstanding altbier breweries in and around Düsseldorf: Füchschen, Schlüssel Alt, Schumacher Alt and Frankenheim Alt to name a few. Many are housed in beautiful buildings in the old part of the city. Pubs with deep mahogany bars, stained glass windows and shaded, cobblestone patios. One of the most popular breweries is the Uerige. Just off the Rhine River promenade, Uerige has been brewing and serving in the heart of Düsseldorf’s old city, Altstadt, since 1862. Their location draws large crowds throughout the year to sit in the afternoon sun with friends, family and a good beer (or two). There are two other homemade beers offered at the Uerige, as well as their famous pea soup with haxen (knuckles of pork –consider yourself warned).

Now, before we speak of Cologne region’s kölsch it’s important to know that Düsseldorf and Cologne are long-time rivals, bickering siblings really, and the region specific beers fuel the competition between them. Kölsch is another top-fermented ale beer but much different from altbier. It is lighter in color with a bright yellow hue and a smaller head. It is has less hoppiness than the altbiers. Kölsch are served in long, thin 0.2 L glasses known as stange.

A beer can only be called kölsch if it is produced within sight of the Kölner Dom, otherwise known as Cologne Cathedral. The beer became a “protected designation of origin” and this protection includes the entire European Union and several countries outside the EU. To the delight of Cologne brewers, this means that although they can brew altbiers, Düsseldorf brewers can’t copy the kölsch, heh heh.

Like in Düsseldorf, there are several breweries with pubs, about 30 in total produce the local specialty kölsch. Cologne breweries include Dom, Früh, Gaffel, Gilden, Reissdorf and Sion. The city is known for its unpretentious attitude and disdain for elitist attitudes so don’t be surprised if your waiter doesn’t kiss your feet. To fulfill the kölsch experience try a local delicacy such as the Have Hahn (rye roll with butter and cheese) or a Blutwurst/”Flönz” (blood sausage).

Lagers: Pilsners, Helles, Dunkels, Bocks and Schwarzbiers

Kölsch can be mistaken for a for a pilsner or pale lager in appearance but the distinction is important. Pilsners are popular lagers in Germany and often the base for creative mixes such as the Radler (Pilsner and lemonade) or the Alster (Pils and Sprite). As a bit of a purist I was skeptical at the thought of contaminating beer with any sugary drink. The mixes might not be for everyone but they are worth a try.

Pilsner gets its name from its origin city of Plzen, an old city in what is now the Czech Republic. In the early 1800s, Bavarian brewers began clarifying the Czech version through “lagering” beer in cool caves or cellars. The process improved the beer’s clarity and flavor. Paler malts began to be used and the result was the clear, golden Bavarian beer; the modern pilsner with a distinct hop flavor. Löwenbräu, Spaten, Weihenstephaner, Hofbräu and Augustinerbräu are all prime examples of German Pilsner. The Augustiner Gastatte brewery established in 1328 is the oldest in Munich and one of the most inviting, authentic Bavarian pubs.

Bavaria is also home to many other of the lagers. Hellesbier (pale beer) is a pale lager brewed in Munich. It is similar to pilsner but less hoppy and more malty. It is a barley based beer like another Bavarian specialty dunkelbier (dark beer). Dunkelbier is darker and sweeter than Helles and characterized by a smooth malty flavor. Weissbier (wheat beer) is also very popular in the region and found throughout Munich brew pubs. It comes in light and dark varieties

Bocks are a very popular beer in Bavaria and well known in Munich. Bock is a strong, dark lager brewed in winter and enjoyed in Spring. Bocks have a history of being brewed by Catholic monks and drunk during Lent when fasting. The most famous beer brewing monks crossed the Alps from Italy and settled near Munich. Their order, St. Francis of Paula, and the Lent tradition led to a strong bock brewing practice and they established the Paulaner brewery in 1634 offering Salvator (the Savior) bock beer to the public in 1780. Popular bocks include Hacker-Pschorr Dunkeler Bock, Ayinger Maibock and the monk’s Paulaner Salvator.

One more beer from Germany worth mentioning is schwarzbier, or "black beer." It is a dark lager beer with an opaque, black color and a full, chocolatey flavor. It is brewed with very dark malts and has a history rooted in Saxony in the eastern part of Germany. This type of beer has been around since the Middle Ages with earliest records dating to 1390. The beer was a favorite of German novelist and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

So, from alts to schwarzbiers, Germany has a lot to offer the beer enthusiast. Whether enjoying an alt on the Rhine, a kölsch under the Dom or a bock with the order of St. Francis of Paula be sure to savor the distinct culture of the various regions, and Prost!