German beer

In Germany for the first time in 736 in Bavarian Geisenfeld they talked about a special “barley juice”.

In 766 , an agreement was signed in the world's first beer letter on the delivery of beer from the city of Geisingen to the monastery of St. Gallen . Monasteries played a large role in the production of beer in the Middle Ages. Many of today's famous beer brands are named after religious orders, such as Paulaner ( Paulans ) or Franziskaner ( Franciscans ). At first, beer was brewed only in southern Germany , later it became so popular that it began to be produced all over the country.

On April 23, 1516, the Bavarian Duke William IV issued a decree on the purity of beer , which since 1919 has been valid throughout Germany. The decree says that only malt , hops , yeast and water are allowed to make beer. The world's first food composition law was born. In 1906, the law extended to the entire German Empire and retained legal force until 1987. Since then, it has been allowed to import beer that does not comply with the standards proclaimed in the Quality Law if its ingredients are indicated.

In 1888 , riots and riots occurred in Munich due to slight increases in beer prices. At the same time, in the taverns, the guests behaved in such a way that neither tables nor chairs remained intact. These events went down in history under the name Salvatorschlacht (battle at the Salvator Brewery).

Also, the events of 1923 in Bavaria, known as the “ Beer putsch ”.

• Pilsner ( German: Pils or Pilsener ) - bottom-fermented beer. It is more or less bitter and contains from 4 to 4.8% alcohol . It is sold throughout Germany, but especially in Northern Germany. For the first time this beer was brewed in Bohemia in the city of Pilsen on October 5, 1842 .
• Wheat beer (Weizen, Weissbier) ( German: Weizen, Weissbier ) - fermented top -fermented wheat beer with an alcohol content of 5 to 5.4%. It is brewed from a mixture of wheat and barley malt, has a fruity spicy flavor and is especially prevalent in southern Germany. This is usually a muddy (unfiltered) beer. Varieties: dark wheat beer (Dunkelweizen, German Dunkelweizen ), filtered wheat beer (Kristallweizen, German Kristallweizen ).
• Altbier ( German: Altbier or Alt for short) got its name from the Latin word altus (above). During fermentation, the yeast remains at the top. So - top fermented beer. It has a taste of hops. Like Pilsner, Alt contains about 4.8% alcohol. Its “homeland” is Düsseldorf and the lower reaches of the Rhine .
• Kölsch ( German: Kölsch ) is the name of a special beer brewed in the city of Cologne . This top-fermented beer has a slightly bitter taste, hop is felt. The alcohol content is 4.8%.
• Black beer (Schwarzbier) ( German: Schwarzbier ) is named by color. Bottom-fermented beer has 4.8 to 5% alcohol. Originally produced in East Germany. But if we talk about the historical origin of this variety, it is nothing like Steiger beer - a drink of mountain craftsmen (steygers) in silver mines in the mountainous regions of Thuringia, Saxony and Franconia, where legends about treasures of the gnomes and mysterious mountain caves on forest slopes were born . This beer possessed, according to the masters, magical properties. After the unification of Germany, the Schwarzbier variety survived the real Renaissance, and now it is brewed far beyond the borders of Thuringia and other mountainous regions. For example, the new Berlin brand is called "peasant" beer, that is, a drink that gives strength to hard-working people.
• Berliner Weiss ( German: Berliner Weiße ) has a slightly sour taste. The alcohol content is 2.8%, which is very low for beer. Top-fermented beer is produced in Berlin .
• Export ( German Export )
• Light beer (Helles) ( German: Helles )
• Bock-bir , Bok ( German: Bock, Bockbier ) - strong beer with an alcohol content of about 6-10%. Varieties: doppel side ( German Doppelbock ), May side ( German Maibock ), Weizen side ( German Weizenbock ), ice side ( German Eisbock )
• Zwickelbier or Kellerbier ( German: Zwickelbier or Zwickl, Kellerbier ) is a muddy unfiltered and unpasteurized natural beer, usually of the Lager type. Due to the lack of filtration and purification, it contains more yeast and has a higher nutritional value than other types of beer. Such beer is often not bottled, but served fresh in the "beer garden ".
• Rauchbier ( German Rauchbier ) - dark beer with a “smoked” taste
• Rye beer (Roggenbier) ( German: Roggenbier )
• March beer (Merzen) ( German: Märzen, Märzenbier )
• Festbier ( German: Festbier ) - beer brewed in the fall especially for folk festivals such as Oktoberfest
• Christmas beer (Vainakhtsbir) ( German: Weihnachtsbier ) - beer brewed specifically for festivities such as Christmas . As a rule, it is stronger than the March beer ( German Märzenbier ), and is closer to the Bok-bir ( German Bock, Bockbier ) in the fortress. The alcohol content in beer varies from 6 to 7.5%. As a rule, Vainakhtsbir has a dark red color. This beer can be attributed to the festbir, which is traditionally brewed in Bavaria from November to March.

• Oktoberfest
• Czech beer
• Belgian beer

• All about German beer website (German)
• The site "German beer - history, articles, grades, brands, photographs" (German)