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.
German brewers often stick to traditional ingredients
