GERMAN BEER

The beer in the German gastronomy is a natural accompany in some typical food in there. There are many kinds of German beer (around 5000 types of beer) and every place have its own style and is not strange finding in some places a artisanal beer, or even clubs with long tradition in making beer with its own style.

The German beer is classified into two big groups: Langer and Ale. This classification is due to the type of fermentation.

There are two kinds of fermentation:

The low fermentation: This concern to the kind of yeast that is in the bottom of the tank during the Saccharomyces carlsbergensis fermentation and is used to make the “Lager” beer. Langer beer uses to have flavor less complex, where the hop and malt are present in a clear way. The term lager came from the German word “Lagern” that means “storing”, since this kind of beer require more time of maturation.

The high fermentation: This fermentation corresponds to floating yeast, which yields the “Ale” beer. This yeast ferments to higher temperatures and begins to act in the top of the liquid and later goes down to the bottom of the tank.  This type of beer uses to be fruitier than others and is more complete and complex than Lager beer.

Some German Lagers:

• Pilsen, Pilsner or Pils: Golden and transparent beer, it is made using the low fermentation. These beers are dry and have good aroma of malt and hop.
• Export or Dortmunder: This beer is pale, semi-dry and less bitter that the Pilsen.
• Helles, München Hell or Blondes: It’s a pale Lager beer, with an alcohol grade between 4.5 and 5, pretending to be a beer to be drunk with more frequency. It’s more delicate and with less hop than Pilsen beer.
• Dunkel or München Dunkel: This is the dark version of the German Lager beers. This kind of beer is yield toasting the malt. By this reason is dark color and the malt has more presence.
• Märzen - Oktoberfest: This beer gets its name because is manufactured in March and after is consumed in October, in the Oktoberfest in Munich. It differs from other beers by its bronze or copper color and by sweetness its malt.
• Bock, Bockbier or Starkbier: Within of the Lager, the terms “Bock” or “Stark” (“strong”, “intense”) are used to refer to beers with higher alcohol content and with more body. These beers can have a golden color to a dark brown color and its flavor is more intense.
• Schwarzbier or Schwarz Pils: “Schwarz” = Black. It is an opaque beer, completely black and with an aroma to chocolate and coffee. It is refreshing as a Pils.
• Other Langer beers: Doppelbock, Eisbock, Maibock, Kellerbier, Rauchbier and Steinbier. 

German Ale:

• Altbier, Alt or Düsseldorfer Alt: Literally means “old beer” referring to the old style of brewing, with high fermenting yeast and malt dark. These are characterized by their dark amber color and by their clean finish.
• Kölsch: For his high fermented, these beers are smooth, very fruity, pale, delicate and with an appearance similar to the Pilsen beer.
• Weizenbier, Hefeweizen o Weissbier: Wheat beer or White beer. Its main feature is that it has been made not only with barley but also with wheat. The presence of wheat in the beer gives more body, a whitish color (by its aspect cloudy and its fog-like appearance) and a flavor dense, slightly fruity.