German Beers N°1: The South

Learning about German beers is the key to understanding ale in general.

What’s better than enjoying a beer with some good company? Learning about beer at the same time! We will have to do it by video, of course. Think of it as a Zoombeer class..

I have chosen four brews that are widely available in German supermarkets. Next month we will sample 4 more from the Northern half of the country.

We will taste them together, learning about the grain, yeast, hops and techniques that create the flavours. There are also some great stories to be told – concerning purity laws, bakers, monks, coffee-bans, unification and (of course) Oktoberfest.

You’ll finally fully understand IBU, ale, bottom fermentation, vegan brews, Lovibond/EBC, Gerstenmalz and the whole Weiß/Weizen/Wiesn/Weisse mess!

So please get a bottle of each of these beers below and prepare something to eat (I’ll be getting Allgäuer Käse) and sign up to this unique evening.

They usually cost around 1€ for 500ml – sometimes 330ml bottles are also available.
1) A Pils or Pilsner – for the sake of geography, you could get the Tannenzäpfle Rothaus example (but many others are available).
2) A Weißbier, Hefeweizen or Weizen – you can choose Kristal or Naturtrüb versions from breweries such as Erdinger, Franziskaner, Paulaner etc etc.
3) A Kellerbier, Zwick’l or Zoigl – brands such as Aktien, Mönchshof and Krombach are in most large shops.
4) A Münchener Helles – for example Augustiner, Spaten or the wonderfully-named Hacker-Pschorr.
*Most of these beers are also available in alcohol-free versions.

Cheers! Sean[masked]

If you are more about wine than beer sign up to our next event where you will learn all about the Languedoc area. We will be talking about the exquisite light and climate in this region which makes it special for both art and wine.