Beer in Germany

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
German wheat beer in a typical wheat beer glass
Pilsner brewed beer , often also called "Pils" for short - the most popular type of beer in Germany
An Altbier in a Düsseldorf Altbier glass

In Germany there are a large number of types of beer , some of which are only regional, but some of which are also spread throughout Germany.

Types of beer and distribution in Germany

Pilsner
The beer, also called Pilsener or Pilsner, is a bottom-fermented beer brewed in the Pilsner style . It has a characteristically bitter note and has an alcohol content of 4.0% to 5.2%. Light malt, soft water, bottom-fermented yeast and very aromatic hops are the ingredients. It is served nationwide. In Germany, Pilsner or Pilsner is the most widely brewed and drunk beer and it is a brand name and not a designation of origin. Beer from Pilsen is offered as " Pilsner Urquell ".
Wheat beer
A top-fermented beer with an alcohol content of 5.0% to 5.6%. The use of wheat and barley malt is characteristic. It usually has a fruity, spicy taste and is mainly common in southern Germany . It is filtered (Kristallweizen) or unfiltered (Hefeweizen), mostly light, less often dark in stores.
Light
This bottom-fermented beer is usually a less strong Munich brewed beer, more malty and less hopped, or Dortmund brewed beer. In Bavaria , following the taste of the times, the milder dark has become the light.
Strong beer
This means that beers with a higher original wort content are also richer in alcohol. These include the Bock beers , in the Bock, Doppelbock or Weizenbock varieties, and Porter , which is rarer in Germany . Historically, such beers were brewed and offered over the winter from November, because they are more nutritious, until the 1970s the bock beer season only began on November 15th.
export
In German-speaking countries, it is a bottom-fermented full beer with an original gravity of 12% to 14% and an alcohol content of mostly just over 5%. It can be light or dark, there are exports in the traditional Dortmund, Munich and Viennese brews.
Kölsch
A beer can only be called this if it is brewed in Cologne (except for breweries outside the urban area of ​​Cologne that had already acquired a valuable asset with the name "Kölsch" before the Koelsch Convention came into force . Example: Kölsch guild from Wiehl ) and is top-fermented. It contains 4.8% alcohol and is served in Cologne and the surrounding area.
Altbier
is also brewed top-fermented. It has an alcohol content of around 4.8% and is mainly native to the Lower Rhine . The origin of the name probably goes back to "according to the old brewing method", it is a dark, bitter beer that is popular in Düsseldorf , among other places .
Black beer
By choosing the malt you get a deep color, after which the beer got its name. Nowadays it can also be made in a light version. It is brewed with bottom fermentation, has a full-bodied taste and an alcohol content of 4.8 to 5%. It is mainly produced in central Germany .
Dark beer
This is an old type of beer, the color of which is somewhere between light and black beer, usually the malt content is higher and it tastes full-bodied. The low-alcohol malt beer or caramel beer is particularly dark.
Berliner Weisse
Draft beer , which makes the beer slightly sour due to its special fermentation. It is brewed top-fermented and has its origins in Berlin and its surroundings. With Strippe means that a caraway schnapps is added to increase the alcohol content.
March
It has more original gravity and a higher alcohol content. It used to be brewed only in spring (therefore Märzen) and served at festivals in summer (especially at church fairs).
Gose
is a top-fermented, light wheat beer / traditional beer from Saxony and Thuringia and is brewed again in Leipzig today. You drink it like the Berliner Weisse with caraway liqueur or currant juice. Pure it tastes sour and refreshing.
Special beers
These are often only spread regionally or are produced using special brewing processes. Such beers are also produced in small quantities by the brewery restaurants. These include, for example, Weizenbock, Eisbock, Rauchbier , Roggenbier or various festival beers for local occasions, the Oktoberfest beer for the Munich Oktoberfest and the Oktoberfest beers that are brewed for further distribution are of greater importance . Special festival beer is also brewed at other festivals: ( Annafest , Bergkirchweih ).
Zwickelbier
This group includes cellar beer, Zoigl , Hausbräu and the type of beer produced in the communal brewery or the type of beer that is branched off when drafting beer. It is an unfiltered and naturally cloudy beer that is particularly common in Franconia .

Ten beer brands with the highest sales in Germany (2009-2017)

The list lists the best-selling beer brands in Germany from 2009 to 2017. With the exception of the 2006 soccer World Cup in Germany, beer sales have been falling continuously since 1999. This applies to all types of beer with the exception of non-alcoholic beer and Berliner Weisse , which are the only ones to record an increase.

Beer sales by brand
(in million hectoliters)
brand 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Krombacher 5.38 5.41 5.39 5.46 5.55 5.47 5.49 5.66 5.77
Oettinger 6.59 6.34 6.21 5.89 5.78 5.62 5.39 5.25 4.94
Bitburger 3.85 3.92 4.03 4.07 4.03 3.94 3.84 3.81 3.80
Veltins 2.47 2.58 2.69 2.72 2.70 2.77 2.79 2.85 2.87
Beck's 2.83 2.57 2.75 2.78 2.50 2.53 2.56 2.65 2.51
Paulaner 2.16 2.23 2.23 2.30 2.34 2.45 2.42 2.32 2.39
Warsteiner 2.84 2.80 2.72 2.77 2.76 2.53 2.34 2.25 2.15
Hate bait 2.74 2.45 2.71 2.75 2.42 2.25 2.25 1.9 1.89
Radeberger 1.81 1.84 1.96 1.91 1.96 1.87 1.90 1.85 1.84
Erdinger 1.59 1.65 1.72 1.72 1.76 1.82 1.80 1.78 1.76

German Beer Day

Logo of the German Beer Day

Since 1994, the German Brewers' Association has been celebrating the decree of the Bavarian state order in 1516 on the Day of German Beer . German Beer Day takes place annually on April 23, the anniversary of the decree.

Some medium-sized family breweries in southern Germany, which have come together in the traditional beer quality association , have been brewing limited special beers under the name of Vintage Beer 23.04 since 2003 on the German Beer Day . one that goes on sale after approx. 120 days (i.e. the end of August). The brew is limited to about 6000 liters per brewery, each bottle has a serial number. The quality association has meanwhile changed its name to the cooperation Die Brauer with body and soul .

The International Day of the beer is celebrated annually on the first Friday in August.

See also

Web links

Commons : Beer culture in Germany  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2009 ( Memento of the original from August 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.inside-getraenke.de
  2. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2010
  3. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2011
  4. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2012
  5. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2013 ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.inside-getraenke.de
  6. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2014 ( Memento of the original from February 8, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.inside-getraenke.de
  7. ↑ Top 10 beer brands 2015 ( Memento of the original from November 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.inside-getraenke.de
  8. ↑ Top beer brands 2017 according to INSIDE drinks
  9. ↑ Statista - Beer sales in Germany by type
  10. ↑ Statista - Development of the output of non-alcoholic beer
  11. ↑ Brewers' Association (PDF; 39 kB)
  12. ↑ Survey on statista.com
  13. ↑ Cooperation to promote and maintain the cultivated beer culture and craft beer specialties