German Beer

[OscarV]

On the topic of the local beer, in the early '90's we went to the Fredrick Brewery in Fredrick, Maryland.
After the tour they were serving their wheat beer in the tasting room.
It was late July hot and humid, the beer as fresh as you can get it, and wheat beer especially has to be fresh, and I could have sat there all day if they would have let me.
It was so good with that perfect hint of citrus you get from a fresh wheat, and that is NOT with putting a slice of lime or lemon in the glass.

[RoyalWater]

I wish to some day travel to Germany and sample the beers fresh from the brewery. My uncle served much of his first Army tour in Germany and developed a taste for Lowenbrau, in all its expressions. What is great about German beer is that there is nothing really bad exported to America. I'm sure they have something on par with Old Milwaukee or Natural Light but I've never heard of it. Even the lighter brews like St. Pauli Girl and Bitburger are good and distinctively German. The wheat beer discussion is making me crave Franziskaner.

[Gillman]

German wheats, especially the unfiltered ones, are of high quality. So are the heavy-flavoured beers such as any rauchbier (smoked beer from Bamberg), most doppelbocks (especially Celebrator), and many draught Munich darks (e.g., Warsteiner's, Ayinger's). This is provided they are consumed very fresh and in our market we get these often within a couple of months of production. A Holsten festbock made about 2 months ago pleased recently.

But I've had my share of indifferent mass market German lagers. I find Becks just okay when very fresh, ditto Holsten, Warsteiner (the blonde, or helles) and many others. Here is where a well-made craft beer smokes the competition. Sam Adams Lager is better than all these, in my opinion, by far.

Gary

[RoyalWater]

I tried a draught of Stella Artois a few nights ago. The beer is a Belgian brand, though I understand it to actually be brewed in a variety of locations. It gave strong hints of the distinctive German aftertaste without quite achieving it. Overall, I thought it was an excellent lager with the negative of being a little short on the finish. It was served in an attractive glass, essentially a pint wine glass, with the brand name decaled on one side.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Widmer Hefeweizen!

[TNbourbon]

Widmer Hefeweizen!

Gesundheit!

[BourbonJoe]

Deutsche Biere sind in der Welt das beste.
Josef

[ratcheer]

The best German beer I ever tasted was served to me at the German Bier Gaarten restaurant at Epcot in Disney World, Florida. I don't know what kind it was, but it was on tap and it was a full liter. After lunch, I wobbled out with my family.

Tim

[mier]

To me the best German beer is Einbecker Urbock followed by Nassauer Thaler,the best beers in Holland are Alfa pilsner ,Hertog Jan and Grolsch.You can make me unhappy by giving me Heineken!!

[barturtle]

I visited the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam last summer, it was so much better fresh. If only it was anywhere near as good in the states. It was tangy and floral there, compared with the slightly sour cardboard tastes we get here.