Prague, Berlin, and Dresden TRIP

I don't know anything about the trading scene, but you might want to contact @LBerges , who is on here from time-to-time and runs a beer shop in Berlin called Hopfen und Malz. He might be tuned into where to go and what to be on the look out for. Grocery stores and "regular" beer stores in Germany will likely focus on local beers and national brands, and most of what you will see will likely be pilsners. Last I was there, specialty beer stores such as Hopfen und Malz were not easy to find in Berlin.

Regarding Dresden, I was only there for a day but I loved it. I don't know much about the beer scene there but it didn't seem like there was much craft. I had a local seasonal beer, Meissner Schwerter's Bennator Bockbier (Dopplebock?), and I enjoyed it. There is a brewpub across the Elbe, just across the bridge from the Altstadt, I'll look it up and add it back in as an edit. I went for their Rauchbier, but since I had literally just arrived from Bamberg I found it lacking. YMMV.

Dresden is beautiful, enjoy.




EDIT: Watzke's was the place I had the Rauchbier.

 

Uh, also Dresden is bit by the craft bug.See for instance https://craftbeerstore.de/craftbeer-store-dresden .
My favorite place in Dresden to have a beer is Bautzner Tor http://www.bautznertor.de/ in Neustadt. It is a really odd place, somehow oldschool-Kneipe with a near museal character, but with mixed, sometimes younger crowd, veggie and vegan meals and also a kinda alternative vibe. They serve good local beers (from here http://www.obergaerig.de/) and seasonally have all kinds of stuff like Rauchbier and an IPA.
But yeah, beer wise,prague and berlin are far superior off course.

 

If you bring some gems from the US you are always welcome in Berlin at Hopfen & Malz. I will not be in Berlin every day in September, but I like to trade beer. Let me know at what time you are here and what styles or brands you are looking for.