Help! I'm going to Germany and know nothing about beer

Until somebody more knowledgeable answers...

I'm of Austrian/German heritage and have traveled there a number of times. Not really a beer drinker but it always tastes good with the food there. Most restaurants won't have an extensive beer list, they will have the local beer, fresh and on tap. I usually order a kleine (small) bier and i'm good.

Traditionally, the German beer scene centered on lagers. Back in the day before electricity and the Google machine, brewers stored nearly all the beer in cool caves until there was demand for it. This is the origin of the word "lager," which comes from the "lagerung”. Today, pretty much any style of beer is available throughout Germany. The more common varieties today include lagers, specifically Märzen lagers (think Octoberfest Beers). They are usually amber in color and exhibit little or no hop aroma or flavor, instead showcasing malt flavors of toast or bread crust. German Pils are also common. The German interpretation of pilsners often emphasizes hop character and are clean, crisp with refreshing bitterness. As you mentioned Corona, assuming you drink it with a lime, your best bet will likely be a “hefeweizen," "weisse," or "weizen”. This beer style is usually hazy with a fruity (sometime spice) taste. If you are going to be in the cologne area, they are known for kolsch style beer. I personally haven’t found a Kolsch I have loved, but it is a low key, not overly bitter beer with interesting, yet subtle flavors. Or, have a Corona, as it will likely be available in some beer bars and restaurants. Prost.

Little update about Germany:
Most drunken drink in Germany is coffee, followed by water.

Not all regions see beer as preferred drink, especially not wine regions. Frankfurt people like Ebbelwoi (wine from apples). I would consider to exclude Frankfurt as German foodie region - very personal opinion. And especially Sauerkraut is not liked by a lot of people.

Around 6,000 types of beer are brewed in Germany from the four raw materials hops, malt, yeast and water. This is made possible by different hop varieties, types of malt, yeasts and brewing styles.

Little overview of beer sorts by German brewery association you will find here: https://brauer-bund.de/biervielfalt/bierstile-in-deutschland/

Recommended translation: https://www.deepl.com/translator

Corona uses ingredients which are not allowed by German beer purity law - still valid from year 1516. Corona is available in some shops and also TexMex restaurants.

Taste wise closest you may find any kind of "Pils" but it tastes more bitter and fresh. You may like a mix of beer and lemonade which is called "Radler" in the south and "Alsterwasser" in the north.

German beer is relatively easy. Restrictive traditions means that most all breweries brew high quality, but basically the same, beers. You can expect to see a Helles, similar to a Pilsner (you may also see pilsners) which is a "typical" beer, one that inspired Corona, but with a nice malty taste and hoppy (by German standards) smell. You will also see wheat beers, the Hefeweizen is good for people who may not drink much beer, it is light and has a spicy, yeasty, slightly banana taste. You also see some beers described as "Dunkel" which will be darker beers, with roasted malts, and in September/October they will have the Fest beers, a Marzen, with caramel malts, so a rich, slightly sweet taste. If the regular beers prove too heavy, very common is a Radler, especially on a hot day, it is a beer (either a wheat or Helles) mixed half and half with a lemon drink. Half litre beers are common, so don't think you need to order a full liter or Maas.

While you may not go to Oktoberfest, do hit up a beer garden, great fun on a nice day, usually with some snacks and light meals available.

Here is a link with a bit more information, it includes some other styles of beer, but most of those are only available in specific regions. https://germanfoods.org/german-food-facts/german-beer-guide/ You do not mention where all you will be, but if in Cologne for example, then you want to try the Kolsch beer, very light, served in small glasses. Dusseldorf? the Alt beers. Berlin: Then the Berliner Weisse's, maybe with a flavoring.

You say you are wine drinkers. If you like white wine, there are some very good whites in Germany. I particularly like the Frankenwein, from the zone around Frankfurt.

I know Germany also produces some reds, but I do not know any of them. Getting older, I have almost completely given up drinking reds and mainly drink dry whites.

You may like a mix of beer and lemonade which is called "Radler" in the south and "Alsterwasser" in the north.

In Australia, beer and lemonade is known as a "shandy" and is usually drunk only by really old women - like Great Aunt Mabel at your cousin's wedding.

Thanks for the advice about pils being similar to corona. My local bottle shop in Australia is very beer oriented (including foreign beer) so I might give a few different types a try before I get to Germany.

We will be visiting quite a few parts of Germany - starting in Hamburg and exiting to Salzburg. We are aiming to make the best use of a Deutschland ticket that we can and are still finalising exactly where we're going. Cologne is definitely in the mix.

Most drunken drink in Germany is coffee, followed by water.

Ah, but will we be able to find a flat white coffee? As Australians, we need to start our day with strong espresso and silken milk foam.

Don't ignore the German wines.

It would help to know which cities you are visiting. As mentioned above there are most often good local breweries. When I was still a beer drinker (prefer wine now) I would always try a local version of Helles (light in color not in calories) that was on tap. From there I could move something lighter (Pils or Weiss), or darker and heavier (Dunkles). Experiment.

"Ah, but will we be able to find a flat white coffee? As Australians, we need to start our day with strong espresso and silken milk foam." I drink coffee black but my Sisters in Law liked the flat white at the chain "Coffee Fellows".

is usually drunk only by really old women - like Great Aunt Mabel at your cousin's wedding.

Thanks for making me laugh. In Germany we label beers which are not tasting good as "Spülwasser" (water from dish washing).

Pils is very often served in the North (e. g. Hamburg): Jever is really fresh with mild bitterness. Becks and Flensburger are more tasty.

Hamburg is known for their quality roasteries - worth searching and trying.

At Espresso House branches and at Einstein coffee branches (Berlin and one in Frankfurt) you will definitely get a Flat White.

Be careful when drinking Kölsch in a beer bar. After one Kölsch ordered and getting the glas the waiter will serve automatically the next one as long as you do not put the beer cap onto the glas. Personally Kölsch is not my taste.

A lot of people like dark and black beer sorts, e. g. Köstritzer.

Beer event tip in Berlin: https://beerweek.de/

I hope for a short report after your trip.

you will definitely get a Flat White.

Yeah, Flat Whites seem to be listed on every coffee house menu now. However, whether they meet up to your expectations, coming from the land of flat whites, that may be a different story.

In some places the differences between a Cappuccino, Cafe Latte, Milch Cafe, and Flat White are barely noticeable unfortunately.

I don't know where you are going in Germany, but some cities offer a food/beer tour.

No offense but you don't need to drink beer in Germany. If you are unsure of what to drink you can always ask your waiter. Nowadays there are even non-alcoholic German beers that taste like the real thing.

And yes there are some wonderful German/Austrian wines. I usually just went to the local supermarket. Most of their wines labels aren't available in the US so be adventurous. I found some wonderful white wines.

Some great replies. I travel to Germany once or twice each year with a emphasis on beer. On my most recent trip I drank 45 different beers (some more than once!). I also take advantage of the D-Ticket.

We will be visiting quite a few parts of Germany - starting in Hamburg
and exiting to Salzburg. We are aiming to make the best use of a
Deutschland ticket that we can and are still finalising exactly where
we're going. Cologne is definitely in the mix.

First, when planning you train travel, use the local travel option on the DB site. These are the trains that use the D-Ticket. If you have a longer trip, say Berlin to Cologne, you may want to spend the extra money for an ICE train rathern than spending all day riding two or three connecting trains.

As for beer, I suggest you drink local as much as possible. Most German cities have one or more local breweries. Their beers will be available in their beer gardens and many restaurants. The lighter beers will be the pilsners or helles, wheat beers (many brewed only in the summer), and the radlers (shandy) that have been mentioned.

Marzen and Festbeer, which are common at Oktoberfest are a little bit darker (more amber or orange than brown or black) and have a sweeter, maltier flavor. Many breweries now serve them year-round. You can also try some of the darker beers or even a sour or two, but they far different from Corona. If you get to Dusseldorf, have an alt beer. In Cologne, a kolsch.

If you want to try some beers before leaving home, I suggest finding a craft brewery that offers German-style beers. Have a great trip!

First thing you need to know is that Corona is not considered beer in Germany. If your idea of beer is Corona you will be in for a surprise. Corona is sold in clear glass bottles, which means it is already spoiled the moment it leaves the factory.

Just abandon any preconceived ideas, and just give all the different beers a try. Do ask for a small glass, if the default half litre is going to be a bit too much. Remember that the water content of European beers is lower than that of Corona.

Wine is really popular in the whole Rheingau region as well as around Würzburg, Heidelberg and Stuttgart. Red wines are made in Assmanshausen and Stuttgart. If you are here late Sept. the Federweiser will be sold at wine festivals and markets. If you are at a Farmers market in Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden or any of the surrounding towns, you will see people drinking dry Reisling rather than beer. Yes, Applewine is big in Hessen, and you may be surprised to like it. Just don't expect it to be sweet.

There are a lot of wine festivals happening all over this area, which might be fun for you.

So many delicious things to eat in Germany besides sauerkraut and sausages. If you get a bratwurst from a stand, it won't come with kraut, nor a bun. It comes in a hard roll and usually with mustard. Sauerkraut may come in a restaurant with your bratwursts, but not ever at sausage stands.
In the fall, chanterelle mushrooms will be on every menu, and they are called Pfifferlinge. If you are in the Frankfurt area, try the Grüne Soße on boiled potatoes or a piece of Frankfurter Kranz cake for dessert. Potato pancakes are fabulous, especially served with garlic sour cream.

LOT of great advice in this thread!

Regarding alcohol-free beers, some are better than others IMHO. I've tried a lot of them and I really like Erdinger alcohol-free. Probably won't see it in Germany, but Guinness alcohol-free is my other favorite.

In Bavaria, I love any Hefeweizen, or Dunkelweizen.

I hope you enjoy trying lots of beers!
("Feel like a Toohey's, feel like a Tooheys, feel like a Toohey's or two") -blast from my past

Is there anything better than German beer? (Aside from Czech beer? Or a Guinness? And do so like a British ale but that's not beer or is it... but I digress. German beer is ausgezeichnet!)

You are in for a real treat. The key to enjoying German beer is to follow these time tested steps: 1) order a beer-- the bigger the better; 2) drink the beer; 3) and finally, order another one!

You'll love it! It's like a corona except better!

Happy travels!

Since I’m not a big fan of non IPA beers, my method in Germany is to order a small bier like a pils and drink it along with any delicious meal you are having. They have some great cocktails and wines in restaurants too where I skip the bier.

Thanks everyone.

It's good to know that if we choose to not drink beer we won't be considered odd. We both prefer wine and will be doing some serious research into whether "German wine is as good as Australian wine" noting that we recognise it was German immigrants who first made wine commercially in Australia.

As we are hoping to travel using Deutschland tickets our precise itinerary is still fluid. I spent a couple of hours yesterday trying to work out a route that balances using the D-ticket without spending our entire trip on trains and in train stations. We both like travelling by train and are used to slow trains, and with taking multiple trains in one day (although the 8 trains it took to get from Haarlem to Lübeck on a previous trip was a little outside our comfort zone).

So far, it looks like we will be:

• In and around Hamburg for four days (this is the starting point of our German trip - we will be arriving on an EC train from Copenhagen)
• In Hanover or somewhere? as a transit point on our way to Cologne
• In and around Cologne for six days - we plan to spend some time on the local trains that go along the Rhine and to visit Aachen and Düsseldorf (we have been to Cologne before but only as a day stop on a Rhine river cruise)
• In Koblenz overnight to visit the fortress and as a transit point on our way to Wurzburg
• In Wurzburg for a couple of days
• In Regensburg for a couple of days before heading to Salzburg

Berlin looks like it will be saved for a future trip as our travel dates unfortunately coincide with the Berlin marathon and accommodation prices are extremely high with very limited choice.

Lots of great advice already posted.
I lived in Augsburg for four years and loved the German beer.

1) It is stronger than American beer.
2) greater varieties, check out weizen beer (wheat). Also, dunked is dark beer and wonderful. Bavaria has the best beer in Germany.

sorry for apple correct, Dunkel is dark beer and great.

You may also want to try a "schorle" which is wine mixed with sparkling water, and drunk in half liter glasses. Very popular on the wine regions of the upper Rhine (which means south) and the Mosel valleys. Think 1980's wine cooler.

And please, don't worry about missing Octoberfest in Munich; there will be dozens of smaller fests going on at the same time.

Let's ,make this simple.
Learn to say Eine beer bitte. That is all you need to do to order a beer. If you want two, say Zwei beer bitte. Since a pour takes along time, this is a way to avoid a long wait for the second one.
Wherever you are, there will be a local beer. Every bar or restaurant has a brand that is what they serve. Don't sweat the details. just order "eine beer bitte". You can decide on the size of the beer. Kleine, grosse, eine maß if you can handle a liter.
Consider that almost every German you will encounter can speak more English than you do German. Don't overthink this.
I am a beer lover and I could go on for an hour on the styles, where to get them, which ones are swill and which ones to go out of your way for....just go with the flow. Don't sweat the details. Enjoy.
Prost.

"Ein Bier, bitte."

Sometimes followed by the question "Gross oder klein?" (large or small). The answer is up to you.

Body language works also in every beer location.

Hint: In Germany glasses are not filled up to the rim, only to the mark on the glas. The white foam above is called "Blume" which is also the German word for flower.

One thing I don’t see mentioned yet in this great discussion of German beverages is “rauchbier” (smoked beer). If you want to try (or avoid) something that’s as different from Corona as beer possibly can be, this is it. The taste I can best describe as like smoked sausage in liquid form. Or like tasting a super peaty single malt Scotch whisky if you’re used to mild blended liquor. It’s a specialty of the city of Bamberg but you can find it other places too.

In Bavaria if you ask for a Bier it is usually a Helles. Helles is a mild Bier around 5% alcohol. I like to find and drink the local brew. You might consider a Pilsner too. Its more hoppy and usually has a little less alcohol. Fest Bier like those at the Oktoberfest are usually brewed to be "süffig" (smooth easy to drink) and have 6+% alcohol. Take a look into the Reinheitsgebot. "Hopfen und Malz, Gott erhalt's." You might not care for a wheat Bier or Hefeweizen. Honestly when I first tasted it in the 1980s I thought something was wrong with it. Almost impossible to find an IPA, but some Brauerei brew small batches.

My corner of the Oberpfalz is famous for Zoigl Bier. You can still bring your own jug and buy Bier Straßenverkauf to take home. Communebrauerei and tradition that goes back 600-700 years.

Just back from the Franken Wein region (Main River). We buy Wein there every Spring. I can recommend it. Most of the Wien produced in this area is consumed in Germany. The warm weather this April then the cold snap unfortunately really hurt the grape crop this year. You might want to look into this area... Iphofen, Prichsenstadt, Volkach etc. No Chardonnay there.

Brauereigaststätte Kneitinger in Regensburg. Prösslbräu Adlersberg if you have transportation to get there.

in and around Cologne for six days

If you find you enjoy the Roman history aspect of Cologne, drop a day out of your Cologne area itinerary and visit Trier after Koblenz.

We just returned from 20 days in Germany. In the US, I usually drink wine, but there is nothing better than German beer from the tap, especially if you are sitting outside on a sunny day and relaxing are sightseeing. If you visit Berlin, be sure to try a Berliner Weiss, with a shot of green (herbal) or red (raspberry) flavor. Unique to Berlin and tastes more like a cocktail than beer. In most of the towns we visited I ordered a small local weiss beer. The large size is really large.

That said, Germany has super local wines, especially in the south.

Zum Wohl!

That Berliner Weisse is certainly one to try. It is often a German child's second public beer.
Generally, the children are started out on Maltz Beer and then on a special occasion (such as a visit to the zoo) children might be allowed to order a Weisse. I think I was 6 or 7 when I had mine.
If you are a beer drinker, think of it as a novelty. It's not a session drink. Since it's served in a large "open" glass you will notice that it gets warm quickly.
In Berlin, I recommend you try a Schultheiss. The brewery was once one of the largest in Germany. Long after motorized transport, their Belgians horses delivered kegs throughout the city.

I don't generally drink beer, and I am German. I do occasionally--very rarely--drink an Alsterwasser. This will probably be the thing that most aligns with your tastes. Greman wine is a thing, but in the north, be sure to try a Rotspon. This is a red wine that was transported across the north sea in wooden barrels. The sea air and movement changed the taste of the wine so much that it was unrecognisable to the French vintners. Generally you will see the name of the Hanseatic city (Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck) attached to the Rotspon (occasionally Rotsporn).

And up here in Hamburg, don't pair your beer with sausage. Eat a Krabbenbrot or a Backfisch instead.

Given your history of beer drinking, Corona and/or no beer since the 70s, you will have no comparison. You should stick to wine. Germany has a lot of wine. Perhaps skip research into difference in German vs Australian wine. Why bother, order the German wine and make your own comparison, untainted by other's opinions. Do your own wine adventure.

Greman wine is a thing, but in the north, be sure to try a Rotspon. This is a red wine that was transported across the north sea in wooden barrels.

Thanks. In Australia I can't drink red wine because sulfur is used as a preservative and I am allergic to sulfur. So I mostly drink white or rose. My partner drinks both red wine and has an interest in Hanseatic history so I will suggest he sample some Rotspon.

Sulfites are also used as a preservative in white and rose wines. You won't know unless you ask.

Sulfites are also used as a preservative in white and rose wines. You won't know unless you ask.

My sulfur allergy can cope with small amounts, so I am usually fine with white and rose as the amount of sulfur used is less because there's no lengthy cellaring. My allergy is not life-threatening, just misery producing as I start wheezing, get mild hives and a terrible headache (feels like hangover x 10).

Well, the last thing you want to do is feel miserable. German beer has no preservatives.

Lots of posts here belittle Corona beer. Keep in mind that brewing of beer in Mexico was begun by German immigrants, and style of the brews is not that dissimilar to German pilseners. Mild sourness and bitterness, accompanied by abundant fine carbonation bubbles, are common to both.

I'm not personally a big fan of Mexican beers, but it's a valid beer style. On a hot summer day after mowing the lawn, Corona is a much better choice than a doppelbock. And Corona has much more in common with, say, Beck's than it does with a heavy American pale ale.

You might want to think outside the box and go with a radler. I believe it’s a light beer with cola. Had several when I was stationed at Ramstein. Can’t think of anything closest to a Corona that is German. Coronas have a unique aftertaste to me. But the safe route is trying a bottle of Bitteburg and Franziskaner or Hofbrau Original before you go. Hope Australia carries them there so you can try them out and gauge which ones suits your palate. My personal recommendation is Hoegaarden. Slightly herbal if your into that.
Honestly you’ll find the German choices are pretty varied and no one there will care what your drinking as long as it tastes good to you with the German sausage or schnitzel.

We just returned from southern Germany 5/30, and can say enjoy the local beers with the local foods. As a very moderate beer drinker spending time with many locals (family and other) I would look for the "helles" biers (often "hell" on the bottles, or for a lighter choice the "weisse" biers.

This last post is a classic. Comparing a Corona to a good German Pils literally had me laughing out loud.
But, as with the Asians, Germany did teach the Mexicans how to brew.
Corona lacks gravitas that any respectable pils will always deliver. There should be a bitterness and crispness to a pils.
A Corona needs a wedge of lime jammed into the bottle to make it consumable.

Will you have a car and want to visit Neuschwanstein Castle?

Then there is something Beer concerned

Brewery Koessel in the little village Eisenberg-Speiden 15km/20 minutes northwest of Neuschwanstein Castle

There is also a Hotel next door

and a wood carving shop for souvenirs

Btw do you know what a Russ is? :o) Wheat Beer with Lemonade

Thanks. I don't know what a Russ is but it sounds like what in Australia is called a shandy - beer with lemonade.

We will not have a car but also have no plans to visit Neuschwanstein castle.

Better dont call Russ shandy over here :o)

Whatever you call it, the idea of mixing beer and lemonade or coke is unsettling.
It's as disturbing as the blending of water into the wine in a Viennese heurigen.
Having said that, as a child, my first "public" beer was a Berliner Weisse, a concoction of wheat beer and syrup. I find it comical that the "purity" laws permit blending conforming beers with sugary drinks including coke, lemonade, raspberry or gooseberry syrup.
Best also to learn the term Radler as that is a more common (local dependent) than Russ or Diesel.
Best to avoid all of the nonsense and simply bestel eine mass or ein pils.

Info: a Radler is called Alsterwasser in Northern Germany.

What a fun post, thanks AussieNomad! I lived in Germany while at university for 1.5 years and really enjoyed the variety of ideas on this thread. About that Radler, Germans think nothing of drinking it mainly in summer as a mild alcoholic beverage that's refreshing, so don't worry it's about your great auntie. Whether German wines are a 'good' as Australian wine - They're very different and it really depends upon the region. Try some and see what you think! What is missing will be that strong, oak barrel flavor of some Australian wines.

OK, a slight digression but I really liked German beer & wine glasses and steins. Have brought back numerous over the decades, a kind Zurich server gave me a bier stein I liked it so much... PS, someone else mentioned it, but why not take a food tour with some dedicated wine & beer pairings? It could be fun....

"Info: a Radler is called Alsterwasser in Northern Germany."

Yes, good point to add. We often overlook the tremendous variability in regional language. Formal (Hoch Deutch) German, the language that most of us learn, is hardly definitive.

It occurred to me after my earlier post how comical it is that the German beer culture is such that a beer drink that is suitable for cyclists is an established precedent.
Even growing up with beer and schnapps as a child, I remember my surprise as an adult when I went to the break room at a Blaupunkt factory I was working in and found the technicians I had been working with drinking a beer and that there were beer machines dispensing it. That was scratching the surface. On the 3rd shift the foreman came around with a bottle of schnaps and poured shots. I was on my way back to the hotel not long after. I could not begin to match that consumption or stamina.

Some numbers about German beer consumption from a news two days ago:

"The trend towards non-alcoholic beer is continuing for German breweries. Last year, the larger companies with more than 20 employees produced 556 million liters worth 548 million euros, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. This was 17 percent more than in the previous year (474.1 million liters) and more than double the amount produced in 2013.

In the same period, the volume of alcoholic beer decreased by 14 percent. However, the volume of 7.2 billion liters in 2023 was still more than twelve times the volume of non-alcoholic beers. Mixed beer drinks have increased by 11% to around 363 million liters since 2013. Compared to 2022, however, the volume of Radler, Alsterwasser and co. has fallen again by almost 10%." (source)