Pilsener (Eastern and Northern Germany):
Originating from Bohemia, Pilsener is popular in eastern and northern Germany. Since the peak popularity of Pilsener coincided with Germany’s new imperialist ventures in the Far East, many beers familiar in East Asia fall under the Pilsener category. It is a bottom-fermented beer, with a bright golden color, high transparency, dense white foam, mild aroma with a hint of malt, and a bitter taste of hops, with an alcohol content of 4%–5%.
Bock (Bavaria):
Bock beer, originating from Einbeck in Lower Saxony, later flourished in Bavaria. This beer is a bottom-fermented pale beer, with a dark copper or brown color, very mild hop flavor, intense malt aroma, less pronounced bitterness, with an alcohol content of 6%–8%.
Rauchbier (Bamberg):
Bamberg’s unique smoked beer, Rauchbier, is a special blend of fermentation. It has a bright chestnut to black color, with a sweet taste of roasted malt and a smoky aroma, with an alcohol content of 4.6%–5%.
Gose (Leipzig):
Gose beer, a top-fermented beer, is only available in traditional taverns in Leipzig. Exempt from the Beer Purity Law, it contains ingredients such as coriander and salt during brewing, resulting in a salty taste. Many people ask for a splash of whiskey when ordering Gose beer or add flavors like strawberry, lemon, or mint essence, creating a unique taste.
Beer Glasses:
Because each type of beer has its own unique characteristics—some are particularly sensitive to temperature, some emphasize the diffusion of aroma—foam, taste, and even drinking methods may vary depending on the shape of the glass. Therefore, each type of beer has its own special glass. For example, dark beers use large beer steins with handles, wheat beers use streamlined glasses that are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, Pilsener glasses are flute-shaped, and Kölsch beer glasses are long and slender. In this way, the sensory characteristics of each beer can be fully realized.
Every city in Germany has its own beer festival, with the most famous being the Oktoberfest in Munich. The last day of the festival is the first Sunday in October, with festivities beginning two weeks earlier on Saturday. The event is held at Theresienwiese in the southwest of the city center. The tents typically open at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends, closing at 11:30 p.m.
