OT: Deutsche bieren
 

Every time I come back after taking Helmut out for a run, I get an irresistable urge to speak German and reach for a St. Pauli Girl, or a Beck's. What are some other really good German beers? I used to like Dinkel Acker but I haven't seen it in about 20 years.

Spaten Optimator

Re: OT: Deutsche bieren
 

all of em! Ha Ha....as I am going through withdrawl.
SmileWavy

Yeah, my buddies and I call it the "eliminator" or "terminator" because after a couple of those you're done for the night. Definitely a beer you have to "nurse".

Both St. Pauli Girl and Becks are brewed in the north of Germany, in Hamburg and Bremen respectively. I like the beers down in Bavaria (southern Germany), maybe because I have been to Oktoberfest in Munchen a few times and stumbled from tent to tent trying them all.

BTW, Becks is mass marketed here in the U.S. as "the" german beer, however it really isn't that great IMO. Stick to other high profile beers imported like Spaten, Bitburger, Warsteiner, Erdinger, Hacker Pschorr, etc. Spaten Oktoberfest for winter nights and Erdinger hefeweizen for hot summer days are favorites that come to mind. Specialty stores and even some supermarkets carry these and others. Buy a few different types and see what you like!

Better yet, visit Germany and sample the distinctive brews from each local town/village, it is really fun to do.

Ralph

Outstanding idea. I may get an opportunity to do just that later this year, perhaps around the Oktoberfest.

Yes, a man after my own heart. I find Northern German beer quite sharp in flavour.

Erdinger also imports a Dunkel Weissbier that I find spectacular for a bottled beer. Hacker Pschorr isn't bad either. I'm not much of a fan of Paulaner though.

Prost! Tim

Any Hefe weisen from Bavaria is good, as long as you like wheat beers. I like Oberdorfer and Franzikaner the best, but I'm a "German wheat beer snob"!!

Are any of you familiar with Kostritzer black lager?

My buddy gave me one, I enjoyed it, but haven't been able to find more.

I just had a great Franziskaner weissbier (not a hefeweisse though) night before last, but I wasn't in Bavaria (I was in Frankfurt, which is barely in Hessen)! I returned home yesterday from 10 days in Europe, most of it in Germany. Lots of great beer was consumed while I was there! :D

-Paul

OK, I've spent enough time in Bavaria to have an appreciation of good beer, but can someone explain to me the difference between the terms "Hefeweizen" and a simple "Weissbier"? I've seen both used. I've found traditional Weissbier tends to be a little cloudy in appearance and has a distinctive wheat beer taste. I've also found Hefeweizen tends to be clear and have more of a lager taste. Now here is my question. Die Hefe (auf Deutsch) is simply yeast and "der Weizen" is wheat , so what is the difference between Weissbeir and Hefeweizen?

Also, if you go to the final two paragraphs here, it talks a little about Erdinger and Hefeweizen:

http://www.erdinger.de/index1.php?bereich1=gaudi&bereich2=con_spiele_verl osung_vkf.php

Confused, but in a really good way.....Tim

(the link didn't work right. Go to "Unser Beir", then "Geschichte des Weissbier")