German Beers
As soon as you think of German beer, you swiftly conjure images at Oktoberfest, tents filled with beer-lovers, neatly lined tables, a happy rowdy crowd and of course, the ever so important frothy oversized glasses (Mass or Steins) of amber nectar. Beer is as integral to German culture as it is to Britain’s although the signature styles are a total contrast. Germans are masters of light, refreshing, low abv brews like Pilsener, Kellerbier, Kolsch, and Weissebier, boasting brands such as Erdinger, Schneider-Weisse, Veltins and Augustiner.
The corner stone of German brewing tradition is the Reinheitsgebot the world’s first purity law which dates back over 500 years. The decree banned anything other than water, barley and hops to be used in beer production although yeast was later added when it was discovered. This was repealed in 1987 but remains a huge part of the brewing ethos across all the main brewing regions. The obvious exception to these standards are wheat beers which clearly breach the original Reinheitsgebot document however laws develop and many of the Wheat beer brewers claim to be permissible under these exacting standards.
Enjoy exploring our German Beers.