Our guide to German beer…

Germany has a rich heritage when it comes to beer – Germans were brewing beer as far back as the 10th century – and so seriously was the science of brewing that the first known purity law (Reinheitsgebot) was passed way back in 1516 by Duke William IV of Bavaria – and is still in force today. This law stipulates that only barley, malt, hops and water are allowed to be used in the production of beer. Things have relaxed slightly since then, but the majority of German brewers still adhere to the law.

Today, German beer is still considered to be the some of the best available anywhere in the world – Germany exports 1.5 billion litres each year! We have listed our handy guide to the main styles below:

Pilsner:

A pale style lager taking its name from the city of Pilsen (Plzeň), where it was first produced in 1842 (now part of the Czech Republic) so a relatively latecomer to the German beer scene! Considered by many as an upscale, sophisticated beer, Pilsner is bottom-fermented, light in colour and has a distinctive bitter/hoppy note and aroma.

Weizen:

Weizen is the German word for wheat and most often applied to the Bavarian wheat beer style. This style of beer is a top-fermented beer, brewed with a large proportion of wheat relative to the amount of malted barley. Traditionally this beer contains spiced and sweet aromas (from the yeast) such as clove, nutmeg, banana and vanilla, which can also be detected in the taste of the beer itself.

Kölsch:

Originating in Cologne, known for its crisp, delicate style, Kolsch is a hybrid of lager beers and ale. Fermented with ale yeast, but then finished in cold temperatures as per lager production, the result is a style that exhibits some of the best characteristics of both styles.

Helles:

Traditionally considered to be a working class beer with roots in Munich and Dortmund, this bottom-fermented beer has more pronounced fruit notes compared to lighter lager style beers, due to its hop profile.

Holzar:

Holzar is an original old Allgäu  speciality beer from the mountainous region of Bavaria, southern Germany. Traditionally brewed in winter for the local lumberjacks (and darker than many of today’s beers) the Holzar beers of today are mainly amber coloured and can be described as full bodied with a light malt aroma.

Our full range of German beer, available both in-store & online can be found here: http://bit.ly/OurGermanBeerRange