Germany is one of those countries (yes there are several) claiming status as the “birthplace” of beer and brewing. Indeed, there are many breweries in the country founded before the discovery of America. Further, while there are a few beers you can easily find throughout the nation, most often you’ll find each region, city, or even small town has its own “home” brewer in operation.
During our tour of Germany, we got the opportunity to take a very large sample of the local beers. We were traveling and visiting with family the whole time, so the beers were always flowing.
While there are several popular varieties of beer available (pilsner, lager, weizen, marzen, dunkel, radler, cider, and more) I wouldn’t go so far to say there is a vibrant “craft brewing” scene. Its more the case that several standalone breweries in each area brew their own type of exclusive beer – so instead of sampling at a brewery, you need to travel through the whole city!
I’ll also highlight one very unique type of beer we tried on our visit – a Rauchbier, a.k.a. “smoked” beer. Our friend Vicky took us to the “Spezial” brewery in Bamburg (nearby to Nürnburg) to try the recipe which hasn’t changed since the 16th century. You even order from the same tiny window as you did in the Middle Ages.
Beer culture in Germany – while definitely distinct from that in the US – is certainly very strong. I’d highly recommend as a destination for any beer-loving reader. Prost!
