| A beer style is basicly a type or variety of beer, and the range of beer varieties in Germany is huge: Alt, Bock, Dunkel, Export, Hell, Kölsch, Lager, Malzbier, Märzen, Pils, and Weizenbier, to name just a few. These brews differ in the ratio of ingredients, brewing temperature and technique, alcoholic content, aging time, color, and taste. |
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| Important German Beer Terms |
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| On the beer label, German brewers often use add an adjective to the beer name to highlight a unique characteristic of their beer. Here, we list some of those beer terms to help you choose the perfect beer. |
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| Spezial |
Refers to a "special" beer. This could be a special seasonal beer or just simply one that the brewery considers particularly good. |
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| Edel |
Refers to beer that has been made with a superior variety of hops. The best varieties of hops are called "Edelhopfen," meaning superior or noble hops. |
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| Ur / Urtyp |
Refers to a beer made according to an original recipe. |
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| Hell / Helles |
"Hell" means light. This does not, however, refer to a low calorie beer, but rather a beer that is light in color. A lite beer, one that is lower in alcohol or calories, is labeled "Leicht." An alcohol free beer is labeled "Alcohol Frei." |
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| Dunkel |
Refers to a dark beer. |
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| Leicht |
Refers to a lite beer, one that is lower in alcohol or calories. |
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| Alcohol Frei |
Refers to an alcohol free beer. |
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