Is German beer really THAT good?

I like the idea of German beer culture more than I like actual German beer. As a proud German-American with origins in Lower Saxony, I far prefer the British take on beer.

But yes, German beer in my experience is very technically proficient. Very, very clean and expertly done.

 

Not to take away from English beer, because I like it too, but have you made a pilgrimage to Germany? Specifically Bavaria? Basing your opinion on imports is one thing, basing it on drinking in situ is very enlightening.

 

Nope, never been. My honeymoon was three weeks in the UK, specifically the Highlands, but I have never been drawn to visiting Germany.

My DNA is all northwestern Germany and Denmark, but I wish it was from somewhere else.

All my experience with German beer is in import form.

 

That explains a lot. I was having difficulty with the idea of German breweries modeling themselves after ours. Crew Republic's beers may be good by our standards, but it's not even remotely a German brewery except for it's location. They can't be used to try to claim Germany is embracing our beer styles.

edit: This comment is on hold until Domingo's assertion that they're Americans is verified.

 

"I was having difficulty with the idea of German breweries modeling themselves after ours."

Maybe Tony (@boddhitree ) can provide some more examples of German brewers who are making beers similar to American craft beer?

Cheers!

 

No

 

DNA is no culprit, if something is good your tastebuds don't care where your grandfather came from.

I greatly enjoy Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Thai, and Hunan food and I have none of those heritages! Very little English blood in me, but I appreciate a good hand-pulled Fuller's ESB.

 

I am finding that I generally like German beers. A lot. Franziskaner Weissbier is one of my go-tos, especially if it's on tap. I'll keep trying them as I go along, and maybe my opinion will change, but as it stands now, I think there's a reason that beer and Germany just seem to go together so naturally.

 

I recalled this vblog (video blog) I shot just shy of two years ago, and so we finally posted it. Then I recalled this thread, and thought it might be relevant to the conversation.

Cheers! -Greg.

 

There is nothing I would pick consistently over a Weihenstephaner. Shcneider weisse is also very good, however I cannot ignore the great beer coming out of Belgium or our own beloved US of A. Quality is out there if you want to find it. No one country has a corner on good beer, but you have to look for it.

 

I'm not at all surprised by what I see in the video. I genuinely think there is a divide between modern (or 2nd wave) "craft" beer fans and "traditional" beer drinkers regardless of nationality -- and, if anything, this gap is widening and not closing. If you want some perspective on the latter group -- which comprises the overwhelming majority of Munich's citizens -- you might consider shooting a vblog in one of the city's dozens of traditional beer gardens.

 

To answer the OP, YES!

 

Greg,

Thanks for posting that video. I greatly enjoyed the intriguing conversations you had.

I think that the Germany beer scene going forward will have a life of its own but there is no doubt that craft brewing will play a role here.

Cheers!

P.S. Mario as a sales guy has a tough job!!

 

A simple German lager is a transcendent beer drinking experience. There aren't many examples of perfection in the beer world, but an awful lot of the ones that do exist come from Germany.

 

Well said!