New to Beer, & Going to Germany

[nan]

I never thought I liked beer. But it occurred to me recently that I had never really had any good beer. I think perhaps I might have had a sip or two of someone's beer in college, but that's about it.

Last weekend we had company and went out to a local microbrewery here in Omaha (Upstream, for those familiar - I'm new to the area, so I'm not). Anyway, they have a beer called Honey-Raspberry Ale and it sounded good, so I tried it and much to my surprise, I enjoyed it!). The description says they use raspberry puree when making the beer.

So now I'm on a mission. I've recently learned to appreciate and enjoy red wine. We're headed to Germany (northeastern if it makes any difference) in late August to visit the in-laws. I would really love to be able to drink some local beer and enjoy it, if only to impress my father-in-law. :)

I tend to prefer sweeter drinks - I like hard cider quite a lot as well as the Mike's brand hard lemonade, etc. But as I said, I've learned to enjoy red wine as well, so I think I can learn to enjoy a good beer as well.

Here's where the question comes in -- I've heard that German beer is quite a bit different (in what sense? I don't know). I'm looking for suggestions on beers I can easily find around here to sort of work my way down on the sweetness level. But I know nothing about picking out beers... Can anyone offer suggestions? Does this make any sense?

thanks!

nan

[TongoRad]

nan-

Welcome- I think you're taking a positive approach and I'm sure we can steer you towards something you can enjoy.

I'll offer a few suggestions, but I am not so familiar with what is available in your area. Another thing you may want to consider is to find a reputable shop with knowledgable staff and to open up a dialogue with them.

I'll keep this list to German imports but remember- there are usually American brewed counterparts to these beers that may be fresher and more desirable. At this point you may just want to start exploring beers by Style rather than by brewer (your shopkeeper should be able to help you with that aspect) :

Hefeweizen- no fruit or spices are added but they are reminiscent of bananas and cloves, and are light and refreshing. The hefe prefix means that there is yeast suspended in the beer. Look for Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten Franziskaner.

Dunkelweizen- similar the the hefeweizen but a bit more mellow with an added caramel component. If you can find the Hacker-Pschorr then that is the place for you to start.

Munich Dunkel Lager- malty and bready with a pronounced residual sugar content. It's difficult to find a quality example in the States but if you see Dinkel Acker Dark it may be worth giving it a shot.

There are also Bock beers that are pronouncedly sweet, but they are also higher in alcohol that you may be used to. It's still worth a shot, but be careful-

Traditional Bock (dark)- Einbecker

Maibock (pale)- Ayinger, Einbecker

Doppel Bock (heavier, stronger)- Spaten Optimator, Paulaner Salvator

In terms of your trip, you should just find the style that appeals to you most and then order whatever they have that is local- you may even like these beers better on their home soil. Unfortunately, it looks like you are headed into Pilsener territory. The German Pilseners are dryer and more bitter than what I have suggested and are probably what your FIL likes (just a guess), but I'm sure there will be options for you. And he may be even more impressed if you tell him what you like and ask for a little local guidance.

Best of luck and enjoy the trip!

[plattetude]

I'm guessing you won't be anywhere near Köln (Cologne), but if you do ever see kölsch on tap, it's a lighter style that's very crisp and slightly sweet without the assertive floral hop notes of pilsners. Superb stuff, and very accessible for a novice beer palate.

More local to the northeast Germany scene would be a Berliner Weisse, which is a very sour wheat beer that's traditionally served with one of two syrups -- a raspberry syrup or a woodruff-based green syrup (tastes a bit of vanilla/marshmallow to me). For some, the beer style is an acquired taste, but others love it from the get-go. You may be able to find Berliner Kindl Weiss in bottles if you have a specialty beer shop near you.

In the southeast is another rather distinctive style: Gose. It's a wheat beer, so fairly light, with the intriguing addition of salt and coriander. Not anything like a standard beer, but a very interesting one, when you're ready for some more adventurous tastes!

Christopher

[nan]

Thanks for the input! I will certainly look these up next time we go shopping.

We'll be in Rostock most of the time, which is on the northeastern coast. I'm pretty sure I've seen a local beer there called "Rostocker" but I couldn't tell you any more than that.

I'd also welcome recommendations for beer from anywhere that happens to be a bit on the sweeter side...

nan

[plattetude]

Rostocker appears to make a few varieties of bock beer. From what I can see, there's a dunkel bock and a helles bock (dark and light). The dunkel will presumably be fairly heavy, fruity, malty, and the helles lighter (in color and flavor) but still fairly alcoholic. The bock style is typically pretty chewy.

Also in their stable are a pilsener and what they call Export. The Export may be up your alley -- it's a milder style that won't have the weight of the bocks but will have a bit of malty sweetness.

As for other beers you may want to look into... I usually shy away from proposing a leap to Belgian beers for people wanting to learn about beer styles, but since you've already hit a fruited beer that caught your fancy, you may want to give lambic beer a try. There are raspberry, cherry, peach varieties (and gueze, which has no fruit and is fairly sour, not dissimilar from a Berliner Weisse) from a number of different brewers. Some use whole fruit in the brewing process while others use fruit syrups. There can be a pretty wide range of quality, but even the lower end stuff is very drinkable. The brand you're most likely to find is Lindemans.

Plenty of other Belgian styles can be a real revelation, and a lot of them tend towards more sweet than bitter. They also tend towards very strong. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Duvel, a strong blond ale, is a widely available flagship brand to try out. But heck, there are hundreds and hundreds of brewers in Belgium (and there used to be thousands), so the choices will never run dry....

A NY-based brewery that does some very creditable Belgian-style beers is also worth seeking out: Ommegang. They do a farmhouse saison called Hennepin that's absolutely fabulous. Interesting spices, sweet, crisp, dry, all at once. Great summer drinking.

Happy drinking, here and abroad!

Christopher

[sladeums]

hey nan - i'm not real familiar with a lot of the liquor stores around town, but do know you can find a selection of a lot of the imports mentioned here at the World Market store out around 78th Dodge.

prices, of course, are a bit steeper then your average bud.

i'd suggest picking up a bottle of lambic out there. i think they carry the Lindeman's brand - try the cherry (kriek). great, great stuff. i think a 25 or so ounce bottle is like 6 bucks or something - worth it, though.

[nan]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to trying these out!

sladeums, I'm out towards 168th, but there is a world market near me as well, and coincidentally, I'll be in that shopping center tomorrow, so I'll definitely go check it out and see what I can pick up.

nan

[BrentKulman]

I'd also welcome recommendations for beer from anywhere that happens to be a bit on the sweeter side...

nan

←

If you are seeking out sweeter beer styles, I would explore the German bock hierarchy (Bock, Maibock, Doppelbock and Eisbock). Its hard to find good bocks and maibocks in this country (and Shiner Bock is a bock in name only), but there are plenty of good doppelbocks (Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator, Weihenstephaner Korbinian and Tucher Bajuvator, to name a few). There are also some great eisbocks around (Kulmbacher Eisbock and Hitachino Nest Celebration, to name two). A twist on the bock theme are the Weizenbocks and Weizen Eisbocks, which are brewed with wheat. The Aventinus beers are stunningly good in these categories.

Other beers with a sweet profile include the Scottish Ales and Wee Heavies. These are often hard to find in the US, but if you can find Belhaven or Traquair beers in these categories, go for them.

Lastly, there are a number of stouts and porters that have a distinct chocolate flavor. Young's Double Chocolate Stout and St. Peters Cream Stout stand out in this category. Look for oatmeal stouts and almond stouts as well.

When I started out, I preferred these styles to the bitter, hoppy brews. Over time, I came to enjoy the bitter ones as well, particularly those ales that have a strong citrus fruit complexity.

[redglass]

**Dont' throw me out of here for posting this!! The posts thus far are by people far more erudite than I when it comes to German beer**

But...I don't know if they have these in Rostock, but when I lived near Augsburg (Bavaria), a Radler was a very refreshing summer drink- it's a mix of beer and lemonade. It might be a good comprimise for what you're looking for.

And if all else fails, don't forget that Germany has some wonderful wine! They usually keep the good stuff for themselves and export the rest.

[nan]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I've got lots of beers to try now!

Of course, despite all that, I didn't bring a copy of these ideas to the store with me last night and spur of the moment I picked up Pete's Wicked brand Strawberry Blonde. I thought to myself that this was Strawberry flavor, so I should like it. While I could definitely taste the strawberry in it, there was a pronounced bitter flavor to it. The description says it is a golden blonde lager. Was this just the brand/type I bought or the style of the beer? I'm thinking perhaps I should read up on the basic styles of beer - lager vs. ale vs. whatever.... if only so that on these spur of the moment purchases, I have a better idea of what to pick out. Anyone got a suggestion? I'll have to go look in the eGCI area - maybe there's a course in there for me? :)

Anyway, thanks again for all your suggestions - I read a few of them off to my non-beer-drinking-German husband and he was familiar with most of them, so that gives me hope that I'll be able to try them out while we're there.

nan

[TongoRad]

Thanks for all the replies so far!  I've got lots of beers to try now!

Of course, despite all that, I didn't bring a copy of these ideas to the store with me last night and spur of the moment I picked up Pete's Wicked brand Strawberry Blonde.  I thought to myself that this was Strawberry flavor, so I should like it.  While I could definitely taste the strawberry in it, there was a pronounced bitter flavor to it.  The description says it is a golden blonde lager.  Was this just the brand/type I bought or the style of the beer?  I'm thinking perhaps I should read up on the basic styles of beer - lager vs. ale vs. whatever.... if only so that on these spur of the moment purchases, I have a better idea of what to pick out.  Anyone got a suggestion? 

nan

←

beergirl posted a link for the Association of Brewers Style Guidelines in the High Alcohol Beers thread that should be helpful.

Also - check out this site: Beer 101. That should give you a really good handle on things.

And that Pete's Strawberry Blonde issue you had is most directly related to the brand rather than a style. I'm sure there are other fruit beers out there that you will enjoy better.

Happy drinking!

[BrentKulman]

I am a big proponent of supporting local brewers if there are decent choices. So I did a little Nebraska reseach which may be helpful to you.

Upstream, the brewpub where you tasted the Honey Raspberry Ale, has an interesting line-up of beers. You might want to have them pour a sampler of the various beer styles they brew so you can taste the differences in the styles. Given your preference for sweeter styles, you might enjoy their Dundee 90 Shilling Scotch Ale, their Blackstone Stout, and, possibly, their Heartland Hefeweizen.

There is also a microbrewery in Lincoln, Empyrean Ales, whose beers may be available in Omaha. Looking over their list, you might enjoy their Chaco Canyon Honey Gold, their Burning Skye Scottish Ale, and their Dark Side Vanilla Porter, all of which are available in bottles. Also, you might look for their Fallen Angel Sweet Stout, which may only be available on tap. Apparently, their beers are available on tap at Lazlo's in Lincoln as well as other places.

[eje]

To be strict about it, there are just 4 things in beer, Water, Malted Grain (Barley usually, sometimes wheat), Hops (the aromatic flower of a vine), and yeast.

The bitterness comes from the hops.

I think you'll find most American micro or craft brewmakers tend to use a lot of hops and therefore are fairly bitter. German beermakers tend to take a more balanced approach between the flavors of the malt and hops. You may well find many German beers are more to your taste than a lot of American beers.

In any case, the best beers are almost always the local beers, so don't be afraid to experiment. What you find appealing in Germany may surprise you.

One hint might be to order smaller beers when you are out. If you are unsure if you will like something, ask for a small or even a taste, before taking the plunge on a pint or half liter. As long as the barman isn't too busy, they should be happy to oblige.

[eipi10]

The best beer site on the web is www.ratebeer.com. If you're truly interested in learning more about beer, or just German beers, you can find a mountain of information there.

In my opinion, German beers are overrated. It's true that Germans love beer, but the basis for their love is suspect . Nevertheless, I am a big fan of two German beers, both of which are widely available in the US: Ayinger Celebrator and Schneider Aventinus. Unfortunately, neither of these is a starter beer if you aren't used to strong/sweet beers.

Most German beers can be divided into two very distinct categories: wheat ales (hefewiezens) and lagers. Paulaner has a tasty German hefewiezen you should seek out. Its predominant flavor is banana, very characteristic of wheat beers. Hefewiezens are always, in my experience, light and easy to drink.

In the lager category, there are bocks (more malty and less hoppy) and pilsners (more hoppy and less malty). The classic pilsners are Czechvar and Pilsner Urquell. Neither of these is German--they're both from the neighboring Czech Republic--but German pilsners aren't that great. Both are fine starter beers.

I haven't tried that many light bocks, so I can't give any suggestions. My favorite German beers, though, are in the "doppelbock" category ("double" strength bocks). These taste somewhat like stouts, even though they're totally different. Celebrator is awesome, and Maximator and Optimator aren't all that far behind.

Edited July 16, 2005 by eipi10 (log)

[nan]

Oh wow, thanks everyone for such helpful information!! I'll have to print this thread out or at least bookmark it so I can refer to it - it's a lot to absorb right now.

BrentKulman - I noticed when we were in Upstream that a table next to us had gotten a sampler of their beers - they brought them all out in small glasses. I may have to try that next time I'm in. I'm also hoping to go to Lincoln for the weekend sometime soon as we're trying to visit all of the Nebraska wineries and there are three over near Lincoln. So I'll make sure to add the microbrewery to our visit list.

Thanks again everyone!