Beer in Germany is what wine is to France. It’s more than just a drink in Germany it’s an important part of the countries national identity and as I’ am sure you can guess it as a very rich history. Let’s take a more detailed look at beer in Germany shall we?
Beer in Germany was made according to the German Beer Purity Law known as the Reinheitsgebot. The purity law permits that only water, hops and malt as ingredients in beer and that any beers not using barley-malt must be top-fermented.
Although the purity law was later updated to include other new ingredients upon their discovery including yeast and sugar for top-fermented beers. The exact origins of the purity law are a bit of an enigma although it’s believed to have originated in the German state of Bavaria at around 1516.
There are numerous possible reasons for the purity law although it’s strongly believed it was designed to help prevent price competitions when it came to ingredients. Although it’s now used as a powerful and effective marketing tool for some German beers.
The purity law was repealed in 1987 making it the oldest food-quality rule in the world and even though it doesn’t officially have to be followed anymore many German breweries do still use it and it’s still highly regarded by many.
Spoilt For Choice
There is a lot of choice when it comes to beer in Germany, in the north of the country you’ll find more centralised lager breweries while the south of Germany is the home of smaller local breweries and as seen a sharp rise in microbreweries as well.
Germany is in many ways the beer lovers paradise! Unlock some other European countries it doesn’t overly favour one kind of beer either, yes some styles are more popular than others but there is a huge variety available.
Pale beers are unsurprisingly still popular and there is a large selection available including stronger Maibock style beers which are brewed in the spring. Wheat beers are another popular choice and come in fermented and unfermented styles and there are also dark beers like Bock and Dunkel known for their strong flavours and full-bodied yet sweet taste.
But it doesn’t stop there you’ll also find cask ales, unfiltered beers and much more. Beer lovers will be able to try many amazing beers in Germany and it is well worth visiting for that alone! But while there are many different styles of beer to try what brand names should you look out for?
Beck’s is going to be one of the names most familiar to people in the UK and its brewery is found in the Northern German city of Bremen. Oettinger is another popular German brand that many people outside German likely don’t know about because they don’t advertise. They also have the achievement of being Germany’s most popular beer from 2004 to 2013.
So, it’s well worth giving it a try! Another popular beer worth checking out is Krombacher from the Krombacher Brauerei brewery which is a pale lager. It’s also worth giving their alcohol-free version a try as well which is made using lemonade! So, there is a lot to try when it comes to beer in Germany from famous brands to craft beers and much more.
Celebrate In Style!
We couldn’t talk about Germany and beer without talking about their world-famous festivals, can we? Oktoberfest is the most famous of these festivals but far from the only one, but since many people from all around the world come to Munich to celebrate it let’s look at it in more detail shall we?
Oktoberfest was actually first celebrated officially when the people of Munich were invited to celebrate Ludwig the 1st marriage. Although the festival grew year on year and beer became the main celebratory focus of the event.
Today the official Oktoberfest still follows many of the same traditions, for example, only beer brewed within the city limits can be consumed and it must have a minimum of 6% alcohol. Oktoberfest and many of its customs are celebrated all around the world these days although they usually don’t go on for the traditional 16 days like the official celebration in Munich.
Beer is celebrated in Germany in many ways it even has special glasses designed just for beer! Like the classic German beer stein and the Weizen glass that is used for wheat beers. So, if you’re visiting Germany make sure you sample some of their traditional and specialist beers you won’t regret it.