German beer styles

A virtual tour through (some) German beer regions

Every morning when I enter the brewery, I think about all the different German beer styles that I like to brew. My thoughts then drift to the lovely regions where the beers originate from. Over the past three years at The Krafty Braumeister, we have managed to replicate some amazing German beers and brew them to high traditional standards. There are so many delicious German beers out there but currently I am concentrating on the styles that have proved to be highly enjoyed by our growing community of beer-loving customers. There are hopefully many others to come in the future, but for now, let’s talk a bit about your favourite Krafty beers and their background.

There is tough competition amongst German beer strongholds to attract beer aficionados from all over the world to visit them. It is not about visiting a big city or a small town, it is about travelling to the most exciting beer places in Germany. At The Krafty Braumeister, we want to introduce the German beer culture to the UK and brew the most authentic, artisanal German beers here. German design, brewed in Suffolk. Our recipes come from towns with the richest beer culture and brewing history. Covid has grounded so we have to enjoy original German beers here in the UK. So, let’s go on a virtual trip to our beers’ homeland.

Kölsch

It is only a few steps to the old town of Köln (Cologne) from the main train station. At the bottom of the grand Cathedral and to the right of the river Rhine you will find a lot of Cologne’s traditional pubs. As soon as you are seated the ‘Köbes’ (waiter) will put a ‘Kölsch’ (the local beer) in front of you. He won’t ask and you don’t have a chance to ask for any other beer. Like in many other German regions, the beer available is the local one. Full stop!

You won’t be alone for long in Cologne’s pubs. People are very social and like company. You are likely to have an unforgettable evening.

The beer’s name, Kölsch, is a modern invention of Cologne’s brewer’s guilt. It was founded to advertise the beer from Cologne, which is what ‘Kölsch’ means, about a 100 years ago. Before that, the locals called their beer ‘Wiess’, meaning ‘White’. Germans like to name beers by their colour and the traditional brew was very pale. Like British ales, Kölsch is a top-fermented beer but it is colder fermented (not as cold as a lager though). When lager was gaining popularity towards the end of the 19th century, councilmen made sure to protect their local beers and by law it was forbidden to brew bottom-fermented beer in Cologne.

Kölsch is a very drinkable light beer. It is comparable to a pale ale, but probably dryer and bubblier. And it is really refreshing, either at banks of the river Rhine or in modern Britain.

Try: Krafty’s Kölsch - Rut&Wiess

Altbier

Some 25 miles north of Cologne, lies Düsseldorf, also divided by the river Rhine. It is a modern administrative town and the capital of the Federal State of North-Rhine-Westphalia, the most populated of the German states. There is a long tradition of rivalry between the two cities, ranging some 600 years back. Düsseldorf resisted the lager revolution as well, but their Altbier is different to Kölsch in many ways. Altbier has a lovely, copper colour and tastes freshly tart. It is top-fermented and has the same cooler fermentation temperature as Kölsch. This temperature means that technically Kölsch and Altbier are hybrids between ale and lager.

Düsseldorf’s ‘Altstadt’ (old town) is famous for its extraordinary number of pubs. As the pubs are such close neighbours, the Germans call this special micro-cosmos “the longest bar in the world”. There are more than 200 pubs here to choose from. Never ask for a Kölsch in Düsseldorf or an Alt in Cologne. Unless you like to be the fool of the night!

Try: Krafty’s Altbier - Hoppediz

Helles and Weissbier

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, a southern German Federal State. It attracts millions of tourists every year. Many of them come to celebrate at world famous beer ‘fests’, such as the famous ‘Oktoberfest’. The locals like their beer ‘fests’, but during the rest of the year the city’s beer culture is much quieter. Visits to beer gardens around the city are a part of everyday life. It is a joy to sit under trees in a green oasis unharmed by the vibrating noise of the city. You will see people wearing traditional ‘Lederhosen’ and ‘Dirndl’ and laughing merrily. Helles and Weissbier are lagers. They are brewed at low temperatures and bottom-fermented. People in Düsseldorf and Köln enjoy their beers from small 200ml glasses, but the Bavarians like to drink from “Maß”, a giant mug that contains 1 litre of beer. A snack to accompany the beer is a must, which is usually cheese, radishes and pretzels.

Try: Krafty’s Weissbier – Schwarz&Weiss

Try: Krafty’s Weissbier – Blau&Weiss

Try: Krafty’s Helles – Blondie

Nearly every German beer region tries to claim the title “Capital of Beer”. It is near impossible to find measurable proof. However, there is undoubtedly one region where people love beer most: Chemnitz, located in the eastern German Federal state of Saxony, where people drink an average of 132 litres of beer per year!

Cheers&Prost,

Uli

Photo © Sven Mieke