Is German beer really THAT good?

Does American beer have more variety? Probably. Can American brewers regularly match (let alone exceed) the quality of German brewers when making traditional Germanic beer? No.

So if you like a German style or three, German beer really is that good.

 

I, like you, was quite ignorant of the facts until I moved to Germany last Apr - 3 styles?

lulz

 

Ask the debaters. They're the ones who are looking for a 15% Stout with only hops, water, yeast and barley.

 

To answer the OPs question, it is important to put in mind, that even in Germany there is a movement towards handcrafted beer. Therefore one might say, german beer can't be THAT good - because otherwise no one would care to find alternatives, somehow similar to the reason why craft beer has been established in the u.s..

 

Just don't listen to the German's that put coke or lemonade in their beer

 

Thanks for the reply... if not the answer.

I asked where you were because I was going to suggest a few places to find some of the best beer in Germany, but I guess you've been everywhere and tried it all, so there's no use me attempting to help you out.

I could (almost) say the same about IPA brewers in the U.S., but there are the ones that stand out, aren't there?

 

All the same? Right. Try a Jever vs a Paulaner Pils?

Schwartzbeir similar to Bock? Right. Koesritzer vs a traditional Bock or Maibock?



Try some Rauchbier. Try some other bier like Altbier and Koelsch.

 

In Bamberg you can start in a 12th century tavern where the beers on offer include the world's best Rauchbier Maerzen (which is among the very rare beers that gets immensely better the more of it you consume); a smoked Weizen; a golden, hazy Krausenbier, a Bock; a Doppelbock; an unfiltered Fastenbier; and a wonderful slightly smoked Helles. Approximately 200 yards down cobblestone streets is a brewery originally operated by monks and founded in 1333: they produce a Braunbier that is as unique as any U.S. "craft" offering you'll find; a world-class Maibock; a Schwaerzla, which is somewhere between a Czech Cerne Pivo and a Schwarzbier; a pils (gasp!); a Helles; and a Weizen. Walk half a mile across the river into the "new" part of town and you will find a brewery from the 1600s that serves one of the world's great Ungespundete Kellerbiere -- a Franconian specialty that is fermented in unbunged tanks to give it a low carbonation (and high hoppiness); a Helles; a Pils; a very unique Weisse reminiscent of banana cream pie (ht to @Domingo for the description); as well as a Weizenbock and a pale bock. Cross the street and you will find one of the world's best Pilsners; if you're not in the mood for "yet another pils," you can have a completely different take on the Kellerbier "style" (of which there are literally hundreds of different interpretations within an hour's radius). You have now tried 4 of Bamberg's 10 breweries (which now include an experimental pilot brewery at one of the world's best maltings, Weyermann). The other 6 brewers serve similarly divergent and individualistic specialties. And if you travel just a few miles out of town, you will find 100s of other unique offerings. My (unsolicited) advice: leave the nest; explore; and keep an open mind. There are worlds of beer you are missing...but the good news is that it's all right there for you if you just make an effort to find it. (Plus the average price is about a quarter of what you'd pay for the types of beer you listed in your OP). So, Prost! and happy beer hunting.

 

Sounds like Portland!

 

Except I doubt you'll find 250+ breweries within an hour's radius of Portland....

 

My god thank you! Someone has finally cracked the code as to how to definitively calculate the winningest beer country!

 

Ouch. You deserve some sympathy and understanding.

That said, get on a regional train and get to Quedlinburg and Brauerei Lüdde ASAP. Thank me later.

 

I'm not sure why it's always German beer that's the counterpoint to American, but is it "that" good? Well, most German people (like most Americans) probably aren't drinking particularly interesting beer, but in my experience the German macro brands tend to taste more like beer than their American equivalents.

In both Germany and America there are many smaller breweries making better beers. Which is better? I'm generally more into the German styles, but it's pretty subjective.

I think Britain's as good as either though.

 

Yeah I agree... It is all a matter of personal taste.
German beer is clearly amazing even if it is a bit different to my own personal taste I respect their purity and straight forwardness in brewing. They achieve amazing things with just four ingredients.

US craft brewing is just in a different direction but it is also very good. Here in the UK and Ireland we are getting access to more and more high quality American beers and that is excellent for beer drinkers. Rumor even has it that Stone are setting up here, which I personally am well stoked about.

But I think it is hard to compare US and German beers in general because different countries do different styles better..

 

Just don't try to ride the trains this weekend - there is a massive rail strike going on... Which has spawned a Stau-fest of Biblical proportions on die Autobahn.

 

Amen...