As with many of Germany’s industries, German beer is produced with the finest in craftsmanship and to the highest standards. Germans took their beer so seriously that they created the world’s oldest food law, Reinheitsgebot, which decreed that beer could be made with nothing other than water, hops, and malt.
When you think about beer in Germany, it’s easy to imagine a few brands synonymous with the country. But as any true connoisseur knows, there’s more to German beer than just a simple lager or bock. Many types of beer in Germany are brewed nationwide, each with its history and taste.
If you’re planning a trip to the land of Oktoberfest or want to try something new at your local bar, these different types of beers will help expand your horizons when it comes time for another pint.
Different Types of German Beers
Dunkel
Dunkels are dark brown beers with a reddish hue on the inside created by having fewer hops than other types of beer; they also have a higher alcohol content due to their extended fermentation process and use of more malt than different types of beer.
They were the first types of beer to be introduced in Germany, and they are still produced today. One of the most popular types of Dunkel is Warsteiner Dunkel.
Dunkels can be served at room temperature or chilled; when served at room temperature, drinkers can appreciate their full flavor and the types of malts they are made with.
When Dunkels are served ice cold, the hops and types of malt within them become masked by a stronger focus on their alcohol content. This is partly because Dunkel beer has a higher percentage of alcohol than other types of beer while remaining less filling because of its types of malt and hops.
Helles
This type of beer is yellow to light brown, with a sweet aftertaste, and can have fruity notes due to the malts used in the brewing process. Helles lager was made when it was illegal for Saxony brewers to produce types of beer with higher alcohol content.
In order to get around this legislation, honey types malts were added to types of beer to give them the types of malty taste that gave them their flavor; after this type of beer was created and became popular, it was legalized for types of brewers in Saxony to produce types of beer that had higher alcohol content because types of drinkers liked this new style.
Now, there are some types of Helles beers: Köstritzer and Einbecker. Both have a light-brown color with a type of malty taste to them, and they are served ice cold. Different breweries make it by using various malts at different times to add nuances to the beer they make.
Berliner Weisse
Berliner Weisse is a sour wheat beer that originated in Berlin, Germany. It is light and effervescent, with a dry taste that makes it refreshing for summertime drinking. The cloudy appearance of this beer indicates its high carbonation level and low alcohol content, which can be served at around 3%.
Its tartness may come from lactic acid bacteria or other sources (such as woodruff syrup). It is often served with raspberry or woodruff syrup (an herbal syrup made from an herbaceous plant) to balance the sourness and lemon slices drenched in salt water. These ingredients help cleanse your pallet between sips to enjoy each flavor more fully.
Export or Exportbier
These types of beer are dark yellow, have a spicy taste, and are produced with hops introduced into Germany from abroad. These beers have been introduced into Germany after the unification to this date.
Several breweries produce popular export or exportbier types, such as Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Bitburger.
Pils or Pilsner
These types of beer are clear in color, have a bitter aftertaste, and are produced using types of hops that were also introduced into Germany from abroad in the 19th century. The most popular types of German pilsner are Bitburger Pils and Warsteiner Pils. They tend to be drinks for locals to enjoy during sporting events.
German pilsners are light, golden in color, and have a clean, crisp taste. They are light and refreshing with a low to medium bitterness. German Pilsners are considered “session beers,” meaning you can drink several without feeling too full or hungover the next day.
Weißbier or Weissbier
One of Germany’s most famous types of beer is Weissbier (Wheat Beer), which has been around for over 200 years. It remains one of four core types of beer from Germany.
It was invented by the brewing engineer Josef Groll in Bavaria. The German term for “white beer” comes from German terms relating to wheat: Weiß and Bier, which is German for “beer.” Even though the style has existed for over 200 years, it is still popular among German types of beer. This sweet beer has distinct flavors that can be easily enjoyed during summer.
Hundreds of restaurants all over Germany serve Weißbier and Germanic food. These restaurants usually have German decorations or music playing to complete the experience.
See Related: Different Types of German Wines to Try
Rauchbier
Whenever I visit Germany, I have to get a Rauchbier, a style of lager with a distinctive smoky flavor due to the malt being dried over an open flame.
It’s an acquired taste, but I think it’s one of Germany’s most unique beer styles. You can find excellent Rauchbier from breweries like Schlenkerla and Spezial, located in Bamberg.
Doppelbock
Doppelbock is a particularly fascinating, more robust version of traditional German bock beers. It was first brewed in Munich by Paulaner monks and had a rich, malty taste with notes of caramel, chocolate, and, sometimes, dark fruits.
When in Germany, don’t forget to try some famous Doppelbock brands like Paulaner Salvator, Ayinger Celebrator, or Weihenstephaner Korbinian.
Bock Beers
Bock beers are another must-try when you’re in Germany. They range in color from fairly light (Maibock) to quite dark (Doppelbock and Eisbock).
Initially from Einbeck, Bock beers have a rich maltiness and a low hop profile, perfect for those who prefer a less hoppy beer. Look for a goat on the label, as it’s a common symbol associated with Bock beers!
Gose
Gose is a style of wheat beer that I found pretty refreshing during my travels. It’s brewed with coriander and salt, giving it a tart, slightly salty taste. The style originates from Goslar but has gained popularity all around Germany. If you want to try this unique wheat beer, I highly recommend Ritterguts Gose or Bayerischer Bahnhof Original Leipziger Gose.
Zwickelbier
Zwickelbier, also known as Kellerbier, is another of my favorite German beer styles. It is an unfiltered lager with a hazy appearance and a smooth, slightly grainy taste.
Brewed with both top and bottom-fermented yeast, Zwickelbier is often served directly from the barrel. Some famous examples include Kulmbacher Mönchshof Kellerbier, Greif Bräu Zwick’l, and Löwenbräu Buttenheim Kellerbier.
Eisbock
Eisbock is a strong style made by freezing a doppelbock and removing the ice, which concentrates the flavor, aroma, and alcohol content. If you’re up for trying something intense and flavorful, give this style a shot. Schneider Aventinus Eisbock and Kulmbacher Eisbock are excellent examples of this beer style.
Kellerbier
Lastly, Kellerbier is an unfiltered German lager that I’ve come to appreciate for its smooth and robust flavor. Typically stored in cellars, Kellerbier is less carbonated than other beers and has a hazy appearance due to the presence of yeast.
Although it’s similar to Zwickelbier, it does have its distinctive taste. To experience the essence of Kellerbier, try St. Georgenbräu Kellerbier, Mahr’s Brau Ungespundet Hefetrüb, or Tucher Kellerbier.
Kölsch or Kölschbier
Kolsch is a beer type that originated in Köln, the German name for Cologne. The origins are unclear, but historians believe it was created on November 11, 1838. Adding other ingredients to your gruit beer is not uncommon, but German Kolsch brewers incorporated a new twist on the process.
They used two types of roasting instead of hops to give it its unique flavor and added golden color. The taste is similar to the typical sweets shops you might find in Germany but more mellow with flavors of malt and sugar.
German gruit beer is quite popular among German brewers, but the particular style of Kolsch can only be found in one place: Cologne (Köln). Where Gesmondner is a summer-type German gruit, Kolsch has become a winter-German gruit beer, and competition between the two brews is fierce.
In order to fix the mead’s lack of color, brewers from Köln added Coke and burnt sugar. Adding flavorings similar to those found in German candy shops gave it a unique flavor profile different from the other wines’ roasts before it.
Yeast is naturally present in gruit beers, but adding yeast creates more carbonation. In German gruit beer recipes, you will often find wheat as an ingredient, which is common in Germany and has been used for centuries.
Marzen / Oktoberfest
A Marzen (from Latin), or a German bock, is a type of beer from the Munich region of Germany. It is made from pale or amber-flavored malt and caramel malts. Marzens are brewed with varying degrees of strength, between 6 and 10.9% alcohol. Marzens are typically light-bodied, refreshing, and slightly sweet with a complex malt flavor.
The name “Marzen” comes from the German word “Märzenbier,” which means “March beer.” The style was traditionally brewed in March to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Nowadays, it’s brewed all year long.
But this beer shines the most as an Oktoberfest beer that is enjoyed to celebrate the tradition of the excellent German culture of beer and festivals.
Schwarzbier
Schwarzbier is a German lager whose name comes from the word “black.” This beer style originated in 1872, and it’s typically dark brown with a malty flavor. It’s also brewed with roasted malts to give it an almost coffee-like taste. Schwarzbier is a seasonal beer available in the winter and early spring. It’s often served with hard cheeses like parmesan or gruyere.
Altbier
Like Kolsch beer, altbier is only brewed in a specific region of Germany, which happens to be adjacent to Cologne in the city of Düsseldorf. It’s one of my favorite German beers due to its uniqueness. It’s a hybrid of ale and a lager with a caramel color. Given the lager components in the brewing process, it still has a clean, refreshing finish.
Plenty of great breweries in Düsseldorf serve altbier fresh from the keg. Altbier is one of the freshest beers in the world, and there’s no better place to experience this than in Düsseldorf.
Gesmondner
Gesmondner is a type of beer made in Bavaria since 1821 and is only consumed during the summer season. It is served with a slice of lemon so the drinker can get some citrusy taste from German mead (which translates to Germonder).
It is generally considered to be a summer German gruit type of beer. As the name Gesmondner suggests, this German gruit was made to be consumed during hot German summers. Due to this, its alcohol content is relatively low at about 2%. German Gruit beers are supposed to remain German, but Gesmondner retains its German style.
Gemunden is a type of beer made in the former state of Bavaria but is now produced by only one brewery: Salm-Salm Bräu. The original brewery from which it hails is called Brauerei Hübsch. This beer style has been a part of society since 1821, and the recipe has changed little during those years.
History of Beer in Germany
Germans consume more beer per capita than any other country but the Czech Republic and Ireland. There are over 1,300 breweries in Germany and over 5,000 brands. Almost half of these breweries are located in Bavaria, also home to many Oktoberfest celebrations.
Germany is definitely the fatherland of beer brewing; the oldest existing brewery in the world can be found in Germany; it is a Benedictine Abbey called Weihenstephan that has existed since 725 and has been brewing beer since 1040. Germany’s beer has many varieties: wheat, pale, dark, and unfiltered.
The advent of dark lager beer was responsible for another law and piece of beer culture. When the beer was created, it was decreed that it could only be brewed during certain months and had to be kept in cellars underground.
In order to ensure that the drinks were kept cold, brewers planted trees to shade the cellars and ended up putting benches under the trees for their customers to sit and drink the beer. This was the start of the traditional German Biergarten, or beer garden, which has been copied worldwide.
Other cultural icons that have been created around beer include other drinkware such as the beer stein, which is mainly ornamental, and the beer boot, which was said to have been made after a German general told his troops that if they were successful in battle, he would drink beer from his boot.
When they were victorious, he had a glassmaker create a glass boot for him to drink from, and beer boots have been popular among German soldiers and in beer-drinking challenges ever since.
How many different types of beer are there in Germany?
Germany is known for its diverse beer styles, with more than 1,300 distinct varieties. This rich beer culture stems from centuries-old brewing traditions and is governed by the Reinheitsgebot, or “Beer Purity Law,” which mandates that only barley, hops, water, and yeast be used in production. Each beer style offers a unique flavor profile, from lagers and pilsners to weissbiers and bocks.
What is the most popular beer in Germany?
The most popular beer in Germany is typically Pilsner, a type of lager. Pilsners originated in the Czech Republic, but they have been fully embraced by the German populace, making up more than half of the beer consumption in the country. These beers are known for their crisp, clean taste and light golden color.
Best German Beer Brands
There are a number of beer brands in Germany, but the most popular brand is Krombacher. This brewery produces over 50% of all the German beer sold within Germany. Other popular German brews include Beck’s and Warsteiner, which featured prominently at many German beer-drinking events.
Even though German brews are not the most popular worldwide, these beers remain incredibly popular in Germany and other German-speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland.
When looking for a beer drinker’s gift, German beer glasses can be a great source of German pride. A mug or German stein is a great gift option; these traditional beer mugs are available in many sizes, colors, and designs.
How many breweries are in Germany?
Germany boasts over 1,300 breweries, the most in any single country worldwide. These range from small, family-owned operations producing artisanal craft beers to some of the world’s largest and most well-known beer brands. Every German state has breweries, with the most found in Bavaria, which is often considered the heart of Germany’s beer culture.
Cultural Events Related to Beer in Germany
Beer is only half the reason significance here. It’s a lifestyle that makes it taste that much better.
Beer Festivals in Germany
Finally, Oktoberfest is a German event that has been popularized around the world. Lasting between 16 and 18 days from late September through early October, Oktoberfest has stringent requirements for what kinds of beer can be served.
There is also a group called the Society Against Dishonest Pouring, which has existed for centuries and patrols beer-drinking events like Oktoberfest to ensure that beer drinkers receive the amount of beer they have paid for.
The beer industry in Germany dates back to the year 800 and has evolved into a highly-structured organization that produces some of the world’s finest beers.
Today, Germany is home to over one thousand breweries, many of which are responsible for producing some truly unique brews that the Germans have popularized. Oktoberfest showcases German beer culture.
Beer Glasses
When looking for beer glasses from Germany, it is best to visit authentic shops from countries that speak German. Such places offer beer glasses with symbols such as Germany’s flag or cheers to beer mugs! Consider giving a Stein instead if you’re not up for controversial choices.
While they might not have as many words related to drinking, like “prost” or phrases about friends, your friend can have something under the tree that reads “Prost Mein Freund.”
Beer Steins
One should first look at German gift stores when searching for beer steins. The reason being they carry both Germany-themed Beer Mugs and Stein for buyers. In addition, these German gift shops also offer a mix of German phrases inscribed on the mug or stein.
Steins are a big deal in Germany; collecting them is a fun way to participate in the culture and heritage of this incredible country.
Beer Boots
Beer boots are traditionally a German product and are often given as gifts from Germans to their peers. Despite this, the tradition has spread to many places around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you say beer in German?
Beer in German is translated as Bier /biːɐ/ and pronounced as Bi-Ya, which is useful when ordering beer in Germany.
How much are German beer steins worth?
Steins were traditional beer containers and a holder made of glass and ceramic with a beautiful art pattern design that could cost from $50 to $500.
What is the best German beer?
There is a variety of the best beer to try in Germany that is brewed remarkably. Wheat is the best beer in Germany, where the Erdinger Kristall is. Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier, a beer with a touch of Bavarian-style wheat brew, and the Spaten Oktoberfest, a Herman beer traditionally brewed to perfection.
Where can I buy German beer?
Buying beer in Germany is not hard. With the country’s abundance of great beers, the number of pubs and bars serving authentic beer is everywhere and is relatively inexpensive. German beers can be bought from pubs that are scattered across the country.
How to ask for a beer in German?
Knowing what beer is in German is not enough in ordering beer, like saying “Bier please,” The right way to ask for a beer in Germany is to say that you want a beer starting with the German words Ich möchte… which means I’d like… or say Ich hätte gerne… that means I’d like to have. Knowing what kind of beer to order and the size of servings you want is necessary because there are various beers in Germany.
What are common types of German beer?
There are extensive and overwhelming kinds of beers that can be bought and tasted in Germany, but there are standard beers served in this beautiful country: the Pilsner by Helles, which has light color and flavor; Traditional Bock by Maibock, that is has a little more kick in taste than Pilsner; and Doppelbock and Eisbock that is packed in rich flavor. Other typical beers where the Schwarzbier is light to drink and in the body, the Rauchbier is made in malted barley and rich in smokey flavor.
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