Did you know that there are close to 1,300 breweries in Germany? That’s more than in any other country except the United States which has 1,500. Keep in mind that there’s only 80 million people in Germany, as opposed to the 300 million in the US! To say Beer is popular in Germany would be an understatement. It’s no secret that most Americans aren’t really beerducated to the extent of the average German, so here’s a short list of the styles of beers you can expect to run into on your next vacation in Germany.

Altbier- Meaning old style beer, breweries in Cologne and Dusseldorf have a rivalry on who brews the better version of this dark amber, hoppy beer.

Kölsch- Less bitter than Pils, this local beer can only legally be brewed in the Cologne region.

Weizen/Weißbier- When beer is brewed with a large portion of wheat, it produces a cloudy delight known as wheat beer. This style is replicated in the US frequently. The term Hefeweizen refers to wheat beer in an unfiltered form.

Pilsener- This pale lager with a light body is extremely popular, and makes up of 75% of all beer brewed in Germany. If you like Beck’s or Warsteiner, this is for you.

Bock- This heavy amber lager generally has more alcohol than other lager, with 6.5-7% ABV.

Märzen- During Oktoberfest, this beer is the one most served. It comes in a variety of light, medium and heavy lagers.

Bookmark to