The Best German Beers

In this complete German beer guide, we explore the top German beer styles, iconic breweries, seasonal traditions and, of course, the best German beers to try.

If you’ve ever wondered what is German beer really all about — this is your starting point.

German beer in the UK

The good news? You don’t need a flight to Munich to enjoy world-class traditional German lagers. Many German beers are widely available in the UK. Whether you’re after a crisp Pilsner, a cloudy Hefeweizen or a malty Dunkel, German brewing excellence is only a click away. Germany also has a growing craft beer movement, blending tradition with innovation, meaning there’s always something new to explore.

Best German beers to try

The majority of German breweries can be found in Bavaria, although not exclusively. We will take you on a journey through the German landscape, exploring some of the most famous German beers, well known German beer brands and a list of some of the must-tries. We will discuss some of the classic German styles and the most iconic examples from their category.

Now we appreciate that not all German styles are to everyone’s liking, and that’s absolutely fine. However, we urge you try at least try some of the following. Some of them are available at Beerwulf, we have a range of German beers, but others you’ll have to find elsewhere. So here goes:

1. Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier
2. Augustiner Lagerbier Hell
3. Ayinger Marzen
4. Paulaner Salvator
5. Erdinger Kristall
6. Schlösser Alt Altbier
7. Jever Pilsener
8. Gaffel Kölsch
9. Fruh Kölsch
10. Hoppebräu Helles

Top German beer styles

Germany’s beer identity is built on regional specialities. Let’s explore the top German beer styles you should know.

Helles, Dunkel and Hefeweizen

Now onto the styles. Let’s start in Bavaria, where the three most-famous beer types are ubiquitous. First you have the soft golden hues of Helles, this has a pleasing malt sweetness and a gentle bitterness. Helles is a light companion to the dark dunkel lagers, a toasty brew known for its dark appearance but light taste. Dunkels maintain the refreshing essence of lager with a little extra depth and complexity.

Bavaria is also home to Hefeweizen or Weizen or Weissbier. Wheat beer, as it's also known, is fermented with a classic, top-fermenting yeast. Wheat beers are considered to have smooth and satisfying banana-like aromas (Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weissbier is the classic but unfortunately not available in UK.) Erdinger and Paulaner are also great alternatives.

German wheat beer

Wheat beers range from creamy and light to roasty Dunkelweizen (like Paulaner's), through Weizenbock (Weihenstephaner Vitus), which is a stronger wheat beer, to Hopfenweisse with lots of hops added at the end (Schneider Weisse Tap 5). In addition, a wheat beer, must be brewed with at least 50% wheat malt. This differeniates them from the white beers, where brewers use un-malted wheat..and much less of it. The top fermenting yeast typically brings a clear colour to the glass. However, this is rather a modern story, a classic Bavarian wheat beer is cloudy. Completely opaque.

German beer festivals and Munich beer seasons

Now we go to Munich, the Bavarian capital. Known for beer halls and steins, it is also famed for its annual beer festival, Oktoberfest. Alongside this, Munich celebrates several ‘beer seasons,’ beyond the familiar four of spring-summer-autumn-winter that we all know. Each alternative season is determined by the weather it brings and consequently the beers that are brewed. Additionally, each season also gives further reason and excuse to go out drinking.

The Bock story goes way back. It has changed in recent years but historically, Doppelbock was drunk in March, distinguished by strong and malty lagers. These rich, weighty beers see away the cold months and are the ideal beer to drink as we move towards the warmer months of spring.

Succeeding this comes Bock, although not officially born in, Bock was raised in, Munich. Another malt-forward (but less-strong) beer with a rounded, toasty depth. May brings paler maibocks. Succeeding this comes beer garden weather and its kellerbiers, the unfiltered lagers perfect for long afternoons in pub gardens. In September you drink Oktoberfest beer, deep gold and delicious lagers which were once known as the amber, malty märzens but are now more like a bulky helles. Towards the end of the year, there is a shift to stronger lagers; festbiers, these need no excuse to drink. A meet-up with friends is enough!

Nowadays, in the spring you drink helles bock, a classic spring beer that's lighter in color but still strong and malty. In Fall it is common to drink dunkel bock and September is Oktoberfestbier and märzen. Keller is drank all year round! It's a lot simpler, but a less interesting story.

Berliner Weisse and Gose

Berliner Weisse and Gose almost died out in Germany, but these historic sour wheat ales have been revived by craft brewers around the world, despite this, you still won’t find that many in their homeland. Berliner Weisse is soured by lactic bacteria and is typically light and tart, while Gose shares similar characteristics but is spiced with floral coriander seed and seasoned with salt (check out Wild’s Sleeping Lime) for a Gose inspired beer).

Rauchbier, Schwarzbier and Pilsner

Travel north of Munich, past the rolling hop fields of Hallertauer, past Bavarian barley fields, you'll find yourself in Franconia. Famed for its rounder and richer Lagers, with a more traditional - albeit less refined- taste than a Munich Helles. And if you stop in Bamberg, you’ll also find Rauchbier, or smoked Lager, varying in colour from yellow to deep brown. Ranging from smokey bonfire tones to full-on smoked sausage. Unlike lower Bavaria, pale lagers appear amber in colour and unfiltered beer is more common.

Just north of Franconia, into Thuringia, and you’ll find the home of Schwarzbier, or black Lager. It might look very dark but close your eyes and you could easily mistake it for a pale beer. Light refreshing qualities complimented by the subtle savoury notes gained from the dark grain. Read more about dark beer.

Pilsner is another of the ubiquitous German beer styles. It’s bright, light, bitter and refreshing. A beer style that has been replicated and copied all around the world, Pilsner is the world’s best-selling beer type. Incidentally it’s also Germany’s best-selling style (though in Bavaria Helles is probably holding on to the top spot). Bitterness varies in all Pilsners, with some being quite subtle and others much more intense and distinctive (London’s Fourpure make a good German-style Pils).

Traditional brews such as pils, helles or weissbier are not just popular in recent years. But since many specialty breweries have popped up in this country, the conventional styles have been revived with creativity, blowing a new wind through the German beer landscape.

The best German craft breweries

As mentioned above, for a long time German’s have been considered as beer artisans; the beer masters. They brew with traditional methods and use long-established techniques. However, in recent years there has been a succession of new small-scale, independent breweries specialising in experimental handcrafted beers. Here, we explore some of the best small breweries, often combining time tested processes with the innovation of modern-day brewing.

1. Hoppebrau, a family run brewery at the foothills of the alps, have brought craft beer to the people in the Bavarian countryside. They enrich the German beer scene with traditional and creative beers. Hoppebräu Helles is a refreshing clean lager with slightly malty and tart notes.
   
   
2. Crew Republic is an iconic brewery on the German beer scene. Mario Hanel and Timm Schnigula quit their jobs to brew beer in Munich. Carving out a niche in a city so acutely entwined with Oktoberfest scene is hard but the beers of Crew Republic are award winners! They are committed to ethical brewing and high-quality brews. Have you tried Crew Republic Dry Hopped Lager? It's a must!
   
   
3. BRLO is one of the most popular craft breweries in Germany. At the Gleisdreieck Berlin they have built a huge BRLO BRWHOUSE in 38 overseas containers. Their classic, BRLO Helles is one of the best of its kind. It's created with love and only the finest German hops, this handcrafted lager tickles the taste buds with a nice peppy aroma. A perfect sidekick for every occasion.
   
   
4. And Union, brew modernist Bavarian craft beer, by their own admission. They follow basic principles of purity, rationality, simplicity and quality. They promote the use of small batches and shy away from the quantities of mega production. Their motto is “Analog Bier for a Digital World". Try the AND UNION Saturday Lager their Wednesday Wheat, a characteristically tasty German weizen.
   
   
5. Schoppe Brau brewery is characterised by “hops, malt and elbow grease”. They brew in small batches with the highest quality ingredients. They believe in proper beer, that is technically pure but is also exciting. That’s why they use both off the beaten track brewing methods alongside more traditional ones. Try Hoppy Schoppy Pilsner, for a tasty and refreshing pilsner.

These German beer brands are blending classic styles with contemporary hops, new techniques and bold branding, proving that what is German beer today includes both Reinheitsgebot tradition and modern craft creativity.

Why German beer is so highly respected

German brewing is known for:

• Precision

• Technical excellence

• Ingredient quality

• Balance over gimmicks

While many global trends focus on extremes, Germany continues to perfect classic styles.

And that’s exactly why it remains a benchmark for the brewing world.

Exploring German beer

From smoky Rauchbier to crisp Pilsner, from wheat beer to Doppelbock, Germany offers one of the richest brewing landscapes on Earth. This German beer guide only scratches the surface — but it gives you a strong foundation to explore the top German beer styles and discover your own favourites. If you want to truly understand what is German beer, the best way is simple: taste it 🍻