Germany’s Regional Beer Styles, Mapped

Terroir isn’t a term widely used for beer, but much like wine, beer styles differ drastically from region to region, even within the same country. For Germany, a nation steeped in beer tradition, different areas and cities take great pride in their local brews. While most of the German beers that have influenced brewing culture in the U.S. have been light-style lagers, the country offers much more: Some areas specialize in bright, crisp sippers, and others offer bold, robust flavors.

Unlike wine — where most of what shows up in the glass happens in the vineyard — the variations in German beer types come from decisions made in the brewhouses. Here, you’ll see how differences in ale versus lager yeasts, roast level, and other choices yield a diversity of quaffs. (Despite its popularity in and influence on the German beer scene, we’ve excluded pilsner for the sake of this map because it originated in what is now the Czech Republic.) Below is our roundup of the most common regional beer styles in Germany and their corresponding glassware.

Helles, Munich
Glass: Steinkrug (Stein)

Helles is a type of lager that originated in Munich, where the style is traditionally served in a steinkrug — in English, a stoneware mug or stein. (Nowadays, a Willi Becher, the all-purpose, semi-cylindrical beer glass, is most common for drinking a Helles). Soft, sweet, and bready notes of malt are at its forefront. Depending on the malt’s roast level, its hue can range from light to dark, but a typical Helles is golden in color (“helles” translates to “pale” or “light-colored” in English). This style, which comes in at around 4.5 percent ABV, is best known for its refreshing, crisp, and quaffable characteristics.

Märzen, Munich
Glass: Masskrug (Mass) or Das Boot (Beer Boot)

Märzen is probably best known to most as “Oktoberfest” or “Oktoberfestbier” as it is the go-to brew for Germany’s autumnal fair. This lager, which is usually amber-brown in color, offers nutty, bready, and toasted flavors that come from the use of both Munich and Vienna malts. Märzen translates to March and, as such, is traditionally brewed during that month. In the 19th century, Germany outlawed the production of beer in the summer months, as balmy weather increased the chances of bacterial growth. In response, brewers would churn out large quantities of Märzen before summer, and, as the freshest beer by the time Oktoberfest celebrations came around, it became the festival’s official style. A Märzen is typically malt-heavy in flavor with bready, biscuity notes, yet still crisp and clean. At Oktoberfest, Märzen is commonly served in a masskrug (mass), a one-liter dimpled glass mug, or a das boot, a literal glass boot.

Weissbier, Bavaria
Glass: Weizen Glass (Wheat Beer Glass)

Weissbier translates to “wheat beer,” and it is the most popular style in the Bavaria region. A special strain of yeast makes wheat beer a highly drinkable ale with sweet and inviting aromas of fruit and baking spices on the nose that lead into a refreshing, light palate. The two main types of Weissbier are Hefeweizen and Kristalweizen: “Hefe” translates to yeast and refers to a cloudy style, whereas “Kristal” signals a brew that was filtered before bottling. All Weissbiers are generally recognizable by the foamy white head that tops each pour. They are commonly served in a weizen glass — or,wheat beer glass — that is thin at the base, widens toward the top, and narrows back inward toward the rim. Its shape is designed to preserve the beer’s foamy head.

Bock, Einbeck
Glass: Pokal (Pilsner Glass) or Pilstulpe (Pilsner Tulip)

The Bock style originated in Einbeck, a town in Northern Germany, and has since been split into a number of offshoots, such as Doppelbock and Maibock. In its original form, a Bock is an amber-colored lager with pronounced, bready, and sweet notes of malt — largely the result of toasting both Munich and Vienna malts during the brewing process. The strength in its flavor is reflected in its alcohol content: An average Bock comes in at around 6 to 7 percent ABV. The brew style often arrives in a pokal (a tall, V-shaped vessel known as a pilsner glass) or a pistulpe (a bulb atop a tall stem, often called a pilsner tulip.) The tulip-shaped glass is best for retaining a Bock’s foam, whereas the strikingly tall pilsner glass shows off its color.

Export Lager, Dortmund
Glass: Pokal (Pilsner Glass)

The Export Lager was popularized in the 19th century as a style fit for overseas shipping — hence its name. While it originated in Dortmund, this style is now popular around Germany and Europe as a whole. Its toasted malt qualities are most prevalent in its flavor, but an Export Lager is known to blend the sweetness with acidity that come from the use of both Munich and Pilsner malts. The use of German Noble hops also imbues a medium spice. Like a Bock, these are most commonly served in a pilsner glass to display their pale, straw-yellow hue.

Kölsch, Cologne
Glass: Kölschstange (Stange)

Kölsch is the regional style of Köln, otherwise known as Cologne in English. The style acquired the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning for a beer to be labeled a Kölsch, it must be brewed within the Cologne region. A Kölsch is a pale-colored ale that is light and refreshing in flavor and typically features subdued notes of fruit and piquant hops. The Kölsch style utilizes a hybridized brewing process: It relies on top-fermenting ale yeast but under the cooler conditions typical of a lager. This quaffable beer style is usually served in a kölschstange — or, more broadly, a stange — which is a thin, cylindrical glass that originated in Cologne. Stanges are manufactured to be slender so they can preserve the liquid’s effervescence.

Altbier, Düsseldorf
Glass: Altbierbecher/Willi Becher (Becher)

The Altbier style, which hails from Düsseldorf, is a hybrid of an ale and a lager, as it undergoes a similar fermentation process to a Kölsch. (“Alt” means “old” in German, which is a nod to the old style of brewing ales before lagers came about). The result is a dark, often bitter brew with a nutty, bready character. Similar to Kölsch, Altbier has PDO status and must be brewed in Düsseldorf. Its most typical vessel is an altbierbecher, also known as a Willi Becher. The glassware type is similar to a stange, but it is more stout and features a bowl near the top that tapers in toward the rim.

Berliner Weisse, Berlin
Glass: Die Berliner-Weisse-Schale (Goblet)

As the name suggests, Berliner Weisse comes from Berlin, where it was introduced around 300 years ago. This sour, fruity ale is most common at beer gardens in its namesake city, particularly in summer, for its tart flavor and low alcohol content. The ale is sweetened with a raspberry or woodruff syrup, though other flavorings may be added. It is fermented with a mixture of yeast and lactic acid, which helps to develop its sour profile. It’s typical for a Berliner Weisse to come in a wide-mouthed goblet and for drinkers to sip it out of a straw.

Schwarzbier, Thuringia and Saxony
Glass: Pokal (Pilsner Glass) or Pilstulpe (Pilsner Tulip)

Schwarzbier translates to “black beer” in English, but its easy-drinking character does not match its dark and robust look. In color, it is the darkest of all German lagers, but on the palate, it balances light sweetness with a malt-forward flavor. Brewers are able to achieve the dark color without the bitter bite that’s typical in a Stout by dehusking the malt before roasting it. A Schwarzbier averages around 4 to 6 percent ABV and is often served in a tall pilsner glass or tulip.

Gose, Goslar
Glass: Stange

While Gose does not follow the regulations enumerated in Germany’s 500-year-old beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot, it was offered an exemption as a specialty in the 2000s after the style experienced a revival in Germany. Salt and coriander seeds are added to the brewing process, producing a lightly spiced flavor profile. Similar to a Berliner Weisse, it is fermented with both yeast and lactic acid, which imparts a sour characteristic. It clocks in at around 4 to 5 percent ABV and is often consumed from a stange.

Rauchbier, Bamberg
Glass: Seidel/Bierkrug (Dimpled Mug)

Rauchbier from Bamberg is most known for its hallmark smoke flavor. After the malting process, the barley is dried by smoke from beechwood logs, and the result is a dark-colored, savory-tasting brew. Beyond the smoke treatment, the rest of the brewing process for this style of lager is similar to a Märzen. As for glassware, a Rauchbier is typically served in a seidel or bierkrug — both names for a dimpled mug. (These vessels differ from a mass, as they are not strictly one-liter in volume).

*Image retrieved from Pixel-Shot – stock.adobe.com

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