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From helles to doppelbock, we give you step-by-step recipes for brewing delicious German beers.
Optimator is brewed and then lagered in the brewery’s deep cellars. This smooth beer is a beautiful ruby brown color with a whipped-cream head. The aroma is one of smooth, sweet malt and warming alcohol. It sits rich and malty on the palate, with alcohol a defining presence.
All the Munich breweries prepare an Oktoberfest for the celebration. The Hofbräuhaus, which means “Royal Court Brewery,” is probably the most famous of the city’s breweries. In fact, the Hofbräuhaus may be the most famous brewery, beer garden and beer hall in the world.
Hofbräuhaus Oktoberfest has a creamy, tight, off-white head and a luscious amber color. The nose is aromatic malt the palate is smooth, with intense malt and nutty, bread-like nuances. The finish is one of semi-sweet malt.
The Ayinger brewery was established in 1878 and has been named one of the “Top Ten Breweries in the World” for four consecutive years at the World Beer Championships. The brewery lies some 15 miles outside of Munich, in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Alps, in the 1200-year-old village of Aying.
The trademark of the Aying beers is their incredible maltiness. This dunkel is a classic example of its style. It has a rich, chestnut-brown color with a creamy beige head. The aroma of warm, sweet malt has nuances of toffee. There is a big, round malt palate that ends with a hint of coffee and hops.
Hacker-Pschorr brewery was established in 1417 in Munich and is now owned by Paulaner. The brewery uses only the finest Bavarian barley and wheat malts, noble hops from Germany and Bohemia, and spring water from the Alps to brew its beers.
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse is brewed with 60 percent wheat and 40 percent barley malt. After it’s finished fermenting at warm temperatures, it is aged for a short time at cold temperatures. It is unfiltered, which provides a hazy yellow color with an off-white, feathery head. This is a classic example of a wheat beer with a wheat and estery aroma. The flavor is crisp, clean and well-balanced.
Spaten’s roots can be traced back to the 1300s. The name of the brewery is derived from the Spaeth family, who purchased the 225-year-old brewery in 1622. Spaten’s modern tradition began in Munich in 1807 when Gabriel Sedlmayr I, brewmaster for the Royal Court of Bavaria, took over the brewery. His son, the legendary innovator Gabriel Sedlmayr II, later became brewmaster and created Munich helles as an alternative to pilsner.
Spaten’s Munich Helles is smooth, delicate, simple and subtle. It has an enticing balance between hop bitterness and malt. Spaten is a beautiful yellow-gold color and has a creamy head. This is a delicious, easy-drinking lager.
A Munich Dunkel produced by the Munich-based Löwenbräu brewery. The brewery claims to have been founded back in 1383, although proof of that history has been disputed.
First wort hopping: Add bittering hops to the brew kettle before the boil begins.
Use specialty grains to improve your malt extract brew.
How to make great-looking beer labels at home: Advice from a professional graphic designer (and avid homebrewer).
To make a traditional German stein bier, use superheated granite to get your wort boiling.
Tips, techniques and detailed instructions for doing a classic German double-decoction mash.
From helles to doppelbock, step-by-step recipes for brewing five delicious German beers.
