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Written by: Christopher Osburn | UPROXX

January 3, 2022

Sometimes we get a little too caught up in the American craft beer world and have to take a step back and pay a little respect to those who not only came before but are still doing it today. We’re talking about the European breweries that created and perfected styles that American brewers do their best to imitate. Today, we’re specifically talking about German beers. There are myriad German brands and styles just waiting to be discovered (or re-discovered) as long as you’re willing to put down your New England-style IPA or fruited sour long enough to try them.

Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami likes Oktoberfest beer, regardless of the season.

“I really do appreciate a lot of different German styles and brands,” he says, “including a lot of the traditional styles from the Hefeweizens to the different lagers they offer. If I had to pick one, I may pick the Oktoberfest style. I enjoy the malt complexity in them. I look forward to them coming out every year and sharing with family and friends.

Eric Warner, brewmaster at Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston is more of a fan of the country’s take on the wheat beer.

“I’m a huge fan of the German-Style Hefeweizens (or Weissbier), which is ironic because the first time I tried this style 35 years ago I thought it was one of the grossest beers I’d ever tried,” he tells us. “They are definitely an acquired taste, but once the style did connect with me, I was hooked for life. The aroma of hefeweizens is complex and beguiling: notes of clove, nutmeg, banana, and bubblegum.”

Whether you enjoy weissbiers, doppelbocks, or helles lagers, Germany has something for your palate. To find the best options, we went to the professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known craft brewers and craft beer experts to tell us their favorite German beers for now and any time of year. Keep reading to see their selections.

Tom Fiorenzi, director of brewery operations at Shiner Beer in Shiner, Texas

German Beers have a distinctive aroma and taste. The malt, yeast, and hops are all unique and vary in intensity for each beer style. The beer style is very personal to me since I grew up in a German community that celebrated in a traditional fashion. I have two favorite German Beers and they are dependent on the time of year. Specifically, I enjoy the Weihenstephaner Original Helles and Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen. Traditionally, the brewmaster would adjust the recipes to make a lighter gravity beer in the summer (known as light beer today) and a higher gravity beer in the winter months.

Ayinger Celebrator

Ayinger Celebrator
Ayinger

Jeremy Cowan, owner and founder of Shmaltz Brewing Company in Clifton Park, New York

ABV: 6.7%
Average Price: $12.99 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Ayinger Celebrator is still a delicious classic and of course who doesn’t love two goats sharing a giant stein of overflowing doppelbock. We made a monster lager called Bock Bock influenced by the style and with typical American craft slight regard and slight disregard for tradition, we cranked up the ABV, threw in a slew of additional malt varieties — and then barrel-aged the whole batch in bourbon barrels.

Is bigger better? All good both ways.

Ayinger Urweisse

Ayinger Urweisse
Ayinger

Jeremy Anderson, brewer at New Holland Brewing Co. in Holland, Michigan

ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: $3.99 for a 16.9-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

My favorite German beer is Ayinger Urweisse. It is an amber weissbier that perfectly balances banana and clove yeast-derived flavors with bready and caramel malt-derived flavors. It is the quintessential biergarten weissbier.

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