What Americans Will Immediately Notice Drinking A German Beer For The First Time In Europe

Germany's beer and celebrations involving the beverage, like Oktoberfest, have reached well outside of Germany. There are plenty of US cities to travel to for Oktoberfest, and there are millions of Americans with German ancestry. However, not all of Germany's beer-crafting practices are reflected in American-made beer. While we can categorize most beers from both cultures as lagers, pilsners, or ales, there are differences that Americans will quickly notice when drinking an authentic German beer for the first time.

One of the common ways to describe a beer is full, medium, or light-bodied. This refers to the strength of the beer's flavor, with full-bodied being strong and light-bodied being weak. This affects how it feels in the mouth too. German beers are often full-bodied and will feel closer to cream or syrup than water when you drink it. This means German brewers use more malt, bitter hops, or wheat. Some have higher ABV (alcohol by volume) percentages than those in the US, with the exception of German pilsners. For safety, ABV is especially something to think about when making your initial forays into German beer.

Flavor in beers from popular American brands are generally less intense than German beers. This naturally means American beers lean toward the light-bodied end of the flavor spectrum, making them less bitter and less malty. Some harsher critics might even call American beers watered down. This watered down descriptor applies to the aforementioned difference in ABV too. Of course there are exceptions, but as far as popular nationwide names like Coors and Budweiser go, these are common overall distinctions.

Americans are also more willing to experiment with brewing methods and ingredients than German brewers, with unique craft breweries making multiple US cities great for beer lovers. German beer is steeped in malt, hops, and wheat, but is also steeped in tradition. There was actually a law requiring German beers to only feature water, barley, hops, and eventually yeast in the 1800s. The law — called Reinheitsgebot — lasted from 1516 to 1987. While you can't go wrong in countless German establishments, Hofbrauhaus in Munich is also steeped in tradition dating back to the 1500s, and is among the best places to put these German and American contrasts to the test.