Introduction to German Beer

Wow -- tall task. But my umbrella suggestion, as it would be with wading into any new beer experience(s), start light (body, color, ABV) and work up to the bigger, bolder stuff.

See if the store has the Weihenstephaner lineup. That's a great intro series. Start with the Original and Pilsner and go from there.

I'd also suggest looking at the BA style info for further research on what to expect from each style and why they are what they are (and aren't).

 

My first suggestion is to read Ron Pattinson's blog:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2014/10/modern-german-beer-styles_24.html

Ron participates on BA as @patto1ro so if you have further questions I would recommend you tag him.

Welcome to the world of German beers!

Prost!

P.S. Start reading the Bock tasting thread that is going on this weekend to learn more about Bock type beers.

 

One more suggestion: carefully check the dates on those beers. The majority of German brewed beers at my local beer retailers are too old.

Cheers!

 

Aecht Shlenkerla Helles has a mild Smokey flavor to it. It is one of my most favorite beers ever. The rest of their stuff (marzen, bock, weizen) are awesome too, but much smokier tasting than the helles.

 

I'd think Rauchbier could be a jarring initiation into the beers of a region. Might send someone screaming back to Bud Light!

 

Ah you're from Michigan. The German imports are somewhat limited compared to some other parts of the US.

My advice is to start with styles that are readily available from Germany. Helles, Pils, Kölsch. As
@JackHorzempa says check those dates. I saw a German beer at a place by me, looked at the date and it was a year past the best by date. Ugh.

 

We would love to hear your findings on the side by side thread!
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/whats-the-difference-share-your-side-by-side.653775/

 

Those styles are not common and may not be imported from Germany at all. You are likely going to have access to a variety of lager styles as well as some wheat beers from Germany.

 

Here’s an article about the Reinheitsgebot law:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36110288

 

I suggest that you make a list/take some pics to see what you have going on there.

 

If you are looking for clean, balanced and drinkable beers then you will not be disappointed. As with everything there is a lot of variety so the more exploring you do the better.

I’m gonna steal a quote @AlcahueteJ posted once that could apply to German beers, well since by in large to me means mostly lager...

I feel like discovering the wonderful world of lagers is like the red pill and blue pill in the Matrix, with the red pill showing you lagers.

“This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up and find yourself standing back in line waiting for the latest New England IPA. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more.”

Copyright @AlcahueteJ

 

Yes, Germany is well known for their lagers. The most popular (most consumed by volume) beer in Germany are Pilsners (a lager).

But don't forget about the German beer styles that are fermented using ale yeast strains.I am personally a fan of Kolsch, Alt and Hefeweizen beers for example. And there are others.

Prost!

 

I got my start with Hefeweizen/Weißbier, a popular and common style in Germany and the US. Unlike most German beers, it’s an ale, but it manages to be both light and expressive at the same time. Many breweries like Schneider have adapted the style to use modern American hops to more closely resemble an IPA, while retaining their traditional varieties. Schneider is the gold standard for Weiß, closely followed by Weihenstephaner, Paulaner, and Franziskaner.

Personally my favorite German style is Dunkel, and a German-adjacent style, Vienna Lager. A good Dunkel is light and crisp like a lager should be, but yet has a rich backbone of dark bread and toffee, and Vienna is similar, with nice nutty qualities. Many American breweries make Vienna Lagers, so it is a familiar style to many American craft beer aficionados.

Honestly, very rarely do I go for Pilsner or Helles; they’re a great starting point for a newcomer, but I don’t think they’re as interesting as other German styles, partly because they’re so ubiquitous. All the macro beer brands have based their lagers on Helles/Pilsner.

 

Have you *had* Rauchbier? Talk to me after.

 

First off, if you've found a store with a good selection of German imports, I'm going to assume that you live in the Detroit area or Grand Rapids area. My experience has been that there aren't many places in Michigan that stock many imports, and when you do find a place there is dust on the bottles. So beware!

Secondly, if you spill the beans and tell me which store, I might go there for my shopping. Which store will also tell me the proximity where you live, and I hope it is a Grand Rapids place. That puts the store closer to me so that I can shop there, but it also lets me tell you that you have two breweries that are fairly close to you that specialize in brewing German-style beers, and going there to drink the beers fresh is your best choice.

Cedar Springs Brewing and Territorial Brewing (Battle Creek) both do a very good job brewing beers that are very representative of the various German styles. I'm partial to Territorial because it's one of my home breweries, but I've also been to Cedar Springs to enjoy that brewery too. It has better food choices, but Territorial is pretty good too. (Let me know if you come to Battle Creek and I'll meet up with you. The first one is on me.)

In the Beer Styles definitions here on BA, read the descriptions of the Bocks, Lagers and Pale Lagers categories, and click on each sub style to check out the most popular beers in each style. Your store may carry many of the imports that are on the list. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/

Also check this Google spreadsheet link below that I have been creating in a thread (https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/best-german-style-beer-food-venues-in-the-u-s.632830/) with help of BA members. It might have bars and restaurants close to you where you can have a good German experience, usually with food and beer. I'm hoping that the beer at any of these locations will be reasonably fresh, but there are no guarantees.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vvgzuuhF7JA9Q2TWIIM0WVK-pX2YG7LHR-uGu8NkA5U/edit?usp=sharing

Prost!

P.S. I agree with the comments above about being wary of Rauchbiers (Schlenkerla brewery) because the smoky character can be very divisive.

 

Once you figure out which brewery you want to explore the next thing is understanding the date codes. Realize that 4 month old beer is a dream that rarely comes true, so you’ll have to be happy with 6 month old beer if not older, sometimes much older. Also look for American brewed beers with classically trained brewers and the results can be amazing, and the beer much fresher.

 

My honey hole for German beers in Michigan is in Frankenmuth.

http://kernssausage.com/

 

I didn't know they sell beer. I'll check them out the next time when I'm in Frankenmuth.