Here, in Düsseldorf’s historic Altstadt district, known as the “longest bar in the world” (due to several hundred bars crammed so close together that there is barely any space between them), the streets are packed with English football fans, drinking large quantities of Altbier, the local beer.
England fans celebrate narrow victory over Serbia on Sunday; Scotland fans are drowning their sorrows following Friday’s defeat at the hands of Germany, which hosts this summer’s UEFA European Football Championship, namely Euro 2024. England fans are optimistic, Scotland fans are pessimistic, but there is one thing these former rivals agree on: the unrivaled excellence of football. German beer.
Germany probably won’t triumph at the Euros (France are firm favourites), but if there was an equivalent competition for beer production they would certainly win. OK, the Czechs and Belgians can follow them pretty closely, but no one can match the Germans in terms of depth. Never mind the mass produced brands you see in British supermarkets. You should travel here to taste the best German beers. Almost every town in the Bundesrepublik has its own brewery, and Germans are fiercely loyal to their local beer.
This boozy insularity is one reason why so many microbreweries survive here, but the real reason is quality. What makes German beer taste so good? It all dates back to 1516 and is a tongue-twisting regulation Reinheitsgebot (The Purity Act) stated that only four ingredients were allowed to be used in beer making: water, barley, hops and yeast. More than 500 years later, this medieval edict remains valid.
Another thing that makes German beer so special is the places where Germans drink it. From giant bierkellers and lush beer gardens to laid-back vibes kneel down And Stuben (pubs and bars), you’re sure to find a pleasant place to drink anywhere in Germany.
People of all ages come to these enjoyable places. The service is gruff but courteous and the home style is refreshingly informal. Sharing a coffee table with strangers is a great way to make new friends. Germans definitely love getting drunk, but you don’t often see them drunk, that’s because most bars serve decent food. The food is hearty – sausages, sauerkraut, herring, dumplings, all the usual Teutonic fare – and the portions are huge.
But German beer is all exactly the same: beer, beer and even more beer? Not at all. Most of these materials are made for export. If you want a change from pilsner, order one Weizen (fruity wheat beer) or dunkel (a dark, aromatic beer). If you like Guinness, order a Schwarzbier; It looks and tastes very similar to fat.
Each region has its own specialties, and if you’re here for the Euros like me, you’ll find loads you’ve never tried before. To warm you up, here are a few of my old favorites and some of the best places to sample them. Cheers! Or as the Germans say prost!
Altbier, Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf’s signature beer is top fermented rather than bottom fermented like most modern industrial beers. This gives it a fresher, more complex taste. It has a rich, malty flavour, somewhat similar to Newcastle Brown Ale; Watch out for Sticke, a stronger variety produced only once or twice a year. There were dozens of Altbier breweries in Düsseldorf’s lively Altstadt (Old Town). Only a handful have survived but they are all still very popular. My favorites are Zum Schlüssel and Uerige from the classic British-German comedy. Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Both locations are just a stone’s throw from Düsseldorf’s beautiful Rhine promenade.
Kölsch, Cologne
Just 40 kilometers apart, both on the Rhine, Cologne and Düsseldorf are fierce but friendly foes, a local rivalry epitomized in their distinctive local beers. Unlike Düsseldorf’s favorite beer, Altbier, Kölsch is light and clear, but the way it is served is quite similar, although locals like to highlight the differences. Altbier is served in small 0.25 liter glasses, while Kölsch is served in smaller 0.2 liter glasses. This means the beer stays cool and crisp rather than becoming hot and flat. The waiters keep bringing more until you place a beer coaster on your glass, and they keep ticking your beer coaster and counting – a clever system, no queues at the bar. Gaffel and Früh are my favorite breweries; both are right next to Cologne’s magnificent Gothic cathedral.
Weissbier, Munich
weissbier It means “white beer” but that’s a bit of a misnomer. Most weissbier has a pale orange hue and dunkelweizenIt is almost black, like the stout, which is a darker variation. In fact, its name comes from “wheat beer” because it contains more wheat than barley. This gives it a sticky texture and syrupy taste – not to everyone’s taste (I can’t get enough of it, but I know plenty of people who can’t). It is available throughout Germany, but its natural home is Bavaria. If you’re in Munich, you’ll see it served in tall half-litre glasses everywhere. The big brands – Erdinger, Paulaner and Franziskaner – are all perfectly good, but it’s fun to look for something more unusual. From Munich, take the S-Bahn to Herrsching on the banks of the Ammersee, one of Bavaria’s most beautiful lakes, and hike uphill to Andechs Kloster, a picturesque medieval monastery where the monks brewed their own Andechser beer.
Gose, Leipzig
This full-bodied, salty beer originated in Goslar in the Harz Mountains (it takes its name from the Gose River that flows through this ancient mining town). Its popularity spread in a short time and the place where it took root was Leipzig. There were numerous Gose breweries in the city before the war, but later Leipzig fell behind the Iron Curtain and most closed. Fortunately, after German reunification, the oldest brand, Ritterguts, was revived, and this year this unpasteurized, open-fermented beer celebrates its 200th birthday. There are several Leipzig bars where you can enjoy Ritterguts Gose on draft, such as Zill’s Tunnel.
Störtebeker, Hamburg and Stralsund
Northern Germany is famous for its refreshing pale pilsners and lagers, and one of the best breweries is Störtebeker in the beautiful Hanseatic port of Stralsund. Founded in 1827, the company has survived the changes of the last century (including 45 years behind the Iron Curtain) and is now one of the leading brands in Northern Germany. You can visit the brewery in Stralsund or, if you’re in Hamburg for football, dine at the Störtebeker restaurant in Hamburg’s magnificent concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (the brains behind Tate Modern), this building quickly became an icon and meeting point with its magnificent views of the Elbe, one of Germany’s great waterways.
