Prost Your Way Around Germany With This Essential Beer Guide

It’s almost the middle of September and you know what that means… it’s Oktoberfest season, my dudes! A time for entertainment, eating, and, above all, sipping a cold glass of beer. A good ol’ bratwurst + a pint of beer? Count me in. Prost!

Oktoberfest is a yearly festival that lasts 17 to 18 days and is typically held from the middle or end of September to the first Sunday in October. The fact that this celebration has been observed since 1810 makes this folk festival a significant component of Bavarian culture. However, Oktoberfest isn’t only celebrated in Munich because many cities from around the world also take part in this thirst-quenching event.

Before I ramble endlessly about the history of Oktoberfest and other stuff, let me introduce you to a list of essential German beer styles. Breathe in. Breathe out. Remember it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, so prepare to pour yourself something strong and tall. But, please DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

Pils or Pilsner or Pilsener

A very popular German beer style that is extremely light and refreshing. Pils is known for having a clean and flowery aroma which makes it the ideal summertime brew. Its color ranges from pale to golden yellow. Around the 1840s, the Bavarian-born brewmaster Josef Groll developed the well-known Pilsner.

Alcohol by volume: 4.4% to 5.2%

Maibock

Maibock, which translates to May bock, is the perfect springtime brew that has a malty finish and a strong hoppy taste. This category of warm beer ranges in color from amber to brown and deserves to be enjoyed slowly. German legend claims that a brewery by the name of Hofbräu created this special beer.

Alcohol by volume: 5% to 8%

Altbier

Produced in Düsseldorf, Germany, Altbier is dark and copper in color with a fruity flavor and a slightly dry finish. It is an ale-lager hybrid fermented at cooler temperatures. The Schumacher brewery in Düsseldorf was the first to make it.

Alcohol by volume: 4% to 7%

Eisbock

Flickr: USOX

A surprisingly rich and malty beer, Eisbock has notes of toast, chocolate, and caramel. It undergoes a special freezing process called “freeze distilling” that separates the water from the alcohol and sugars, creating a heavily concentrated batch.

Alcohol by volume: 9% to 15%

Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen is the German term for "yeast white.” Classic Hefeweizens are noted for being sweet and fruity, with overtones of banana and clove. This popular wheat beer originated around the 1520s in the state of Bavaria.

Alcohol by volume: 4% to 7%