Information on beer

No matter whether Helles or Pils – as long as it’s from Freising!

There are many different kinds of beer. The most important varieties and their characteristics are available here at a glance.

Weissbier

Weissbier (“white beer”), also known as wheat beer, is made from wheat and barley. Weissbier has an original gravity of between 11 and 14 percent and an alcohol content of 5 to 6 percent. In former times, there was only Weissbier, because top-fermented yeasts could also be used for brewing beer in summer. Top-fermented yeasts, which work at a temperature of around 20 degrees, are pushed up to the surface due to the carbon dioxide produced, hence the name top-fermented. Weissbier is probably the most Bavarian of all beers.

Helles

Light beers are brewed using the bottom-fermentation technique and their original gravity is between 11 and 14 percent. Lager beers have an alcohol content of around 5 percent. These beers are less hopped and taste slightly sweet. They are blank filtered and usually of light yellow colour – hence the name Helles, i.e. “light”. For Helles, bottom-fermented yeasts are used. Bottom-fermented means that the yeast sinks to the bottom of the fermentation vat.

Dunkles

Just like its light-coloured “brother” Helles, the dark export beer Dunkles is a bottom-fermented beer with an original gravity of between 11 and 14 percent. That results in an alcohol content of between 4.6 and 5.6 volume percent. Dunkles is made using at least 30 percent dark malt. It has a malty aroma and a round, slightly sweet taste. It tastes best at a temperature of around eight degrees Celsius.

Pilsner

Pilsner is by far the most popular beer in Germany, but not in Bavaria. The main difference to Helles is that it is more hopped and therefore more bitter. Although Pilsner is named after the Czech city of Pilsen, it was actually invented by a Bavarian brewing master, who was summoned to Pilsen due to the poor quality of the former Pilsner beer.

Export

These beers, which were formerly primarily intended for export, were brewed to be stronger so they could then be diluted to drinking strength at their destination. This saved transport expenses. Export has a gravity of between 12 and 14 percent. Its stronger flavour and higher alcohol content also made this beer popular on domestic markets. Export can be either light or dark beer.

Non-alcoholic beer

Like any other beer, non-alcoholic beer is brewed strictly according to the German Purity Law. To reduce the alcohol content as much as possible, either the formation of alcohol during the fermentation process is contained, or the alcohol is removed from the beer after the brewing process has ended. A tiny remnant of alcohol is also contained in non-alcoholic beer to round off the flavour. A beverage may be called “non-alcoholic” if the alcohol content is not more than 0.5% vol.

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