40 Comments

  1. 1000 German Words
    September 12, 2014 @ 11:56 pm

    […] vocab words that you want to know deal with beer! The Grounded Traveler travel blog has a great post on all the German vocab words you need to know related to beer. The official Munich Oktoberfest […]

  2. Jimmy MHE
    December 13, 2013 @ 12:07 am

    A very useful and helpful introduction, made me more confident ordering in a beer in a German

    • Andrew
      January 19, 2014 @ 7:27 am

      Glad it could help you.

  3. What can't you get in Germany, than you can in the US? - Grounded Traveler
    August 6, 2013 @ 9:03 pm

    […] at best. On the flip side, salami is plentiful. In-season produce and bread is also easily found. Beer and wine, of course, is no problem. English books take a bit to find, but with online ordering from […]

  4. Cantillon Brewery in Brussels - Ctrl Alt Travel
    July 2, 2013 @ 9:31 am

    […] end up toward the bitter side of things. Lambic is also based on a mix of wheat and barley so in German Beer Language, a form of […]

  5. Researching Longterm Settlement Visas in Germany - Grounded Traveler
    April 14, 2013 @ 6:55 pm

    […] is not as simple as it sounds. This is Germany, the land of beer and forms. Given some recent stories of friends having issues, I made sure I had done my research. […]

  6. A Germany travel guide for budget travelers : Budget Travel Adventures
    March 8, 2013 @ 8:28 pm

    […] beer as well. For Cologne, Kölsch is the beer to hunt down. Also check out this article on German words surrounding beer to prepare […]

  7. Vaptisi
    January 1, 2013 @ 4:05 pm

    Very useful guide, thank you. I have to agree with Nico thoug, that after a few beers you don’t need any particular guide to enjoy a beer (or order one…)!

  8. Nico
    November 20, 2012 @ 11:25 am

    I think after one too many beers I’d end up regressing to sign language. Still it’s good to know a bit of German for your first few pints.

    • Andrew
      November 24, 2012 @ 3:20 pm

      Signlanguage is good too. Most often just pointing at the empty glass is enough to get another what you were drinking. Hope this gets you on the right track to starting the night well.

  9. Agness
    November 19, 2012 @ 5:21 pm

    I agree, Germany is the land of beer and… sausages 😉 My favourite German beer is Hacker-Pschorr Märzen 😉 I used to learn German so I know the vocabulary 🙂

  10. Margyle
    November 10, 2012 @ 1:08 am

    The one beer that always comes back to mind is Erdinger Weisbier… I had it years ago in a local pub in university and I thought I was tasting the nectar of the gods. I had it again years later after having other brews and while it was still great… I had moved on. Oh how I love beer.

    • Andrew
      November 10, 2012 @ 10:08 am

      Weizen has a very different taste than ‘normal’ beer. Softer and smoother somehow. It is however thicker and almost drinks like a meal.

      We definitely get the Erdinger here, but I tend to go for the local brand when I buy. There is a place in town though that does Munich Breakfast, which is white sausage, pretzel, mustard and an Erdinger. I haven’t tried that yet. Somehow drinking in the morning isn’t so fun sounding.

  11. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
    November 8, 2012 @ 12:05 am

    I may not know how to say anything else but I always know how to order a beer or wine! Absolutely love the quantity control lines on glasses. Wish they had that here in the states. Thanks for this, now I know how to ask for the bill 🙂

    • Andrew
      November 10, 2012 @ 10:05 am

      Glad you learned something. I always try to learn at least the word for beer along with thank you in every new language we encounter while traveling.

  12. Ali
    October 30, 2012 @ 4:55 pm

    Sorry, yes I do think all Pilsners taste like Miller Lite or whatever from the US. But at least I’m better able to drink better than I used to be!

  13. Julika
    October 28, 2012 @ 8:26 pm

    I loved this post! I am German and didn’t even know what a “Trübes” is 🙂 Some expressions are restricted to certain regions, tough. And, sorry to disappoint you, I never heard about a light beer in Germany – the closest I found so far is “Becks Gold”, which is rather watery and considered a girly beer 🙂

    • Andrew
      October 29, 2012 @ 7:26 pm

      I don’t actually go looking for lite beer. I tend to like darker versus lighter anyway.
      We have a few places here that do the unfiltered Truebes stuff. It is nice tasting, but can be a brutal hangover.

  14. Julien
    October 28, 2012 @ 11:01 am

    North of France and Begium are also lands o f beer. You could easily find brown beer, cherry beer, white beer. Some of them are made in old catholic buildings from a very long time…You would enjoy it !

    • Andrew
      October 28, 2012 @ 3:42 pm

      Oh I love Belgian beer. Here is my post of it. Definitely happy to go back.

      • Julien
        October 28, 2012 @ 4:43 pm

        Thanks Andrew ! and I’m sorry, I saw your Belgian beer post after your German beer post 🙂

  15. Audrey
    October 28, 2012 @ 10:34 am

    This is great! I’ll be sending this in advance to everyone who visits us in Berlin to study up before their visit. As mentioned below, there’s quite a bit of bad beer in Berlin. But, we have found a few microbrews that have been rather tasty. But, it’s still hard to beat beer from the south.

    You should visit Berlin next year for the Beer Festival (usually early August) – over 2,000 beers from around the world spread over 2 km. Lots of fun 🙂

    • Andrew
      October 28, 2012 @ 3:39 pm

      Glad you liked the post and I hope it helps your guests. I somehow can fathom the idea of bad beer in Germany. I guess the most classic beers are indeed from the south aren’t they?

      Early August beer fest in Berlin sounds awesome. Definitely have to remember that.

  16. Arndt
    October 25, 2012 @ 8:58 pm

    Very interesting , but very important is the Rhine area , so especially the difference between the city of cologne and duesseldorf . They don’t like each other very well..:) based on their tradionell beer culture Koelsch and “Old Beer” ..some hard people drink at breakfast time 🙂 0.2

    • Andrew
      October 28, 2012 @ 3:37 pm

      I liked both of those beers actually, though we see more Koelsch than Altbier here. The Bavarians drink beer with their sausage for breakfast too, don’t they?

  17. Natalie @Turkey Travel blog
    October 23, 2012 @ 9:28 am

    Is it a strange coincidence that I woke up this morning with a raging headache and this was the last thing I wanted to see! 🙂

    • Andrew
      October 28, 2012 @ 3:36 pm

      Aww hope you still enjoyed the post. Was the headache beer related?

  18. Vera
    October 22, 2012 @ 11:03 pm

    Andrew, cool post:)! I also respect your silence about the cola-beer-mix and the banana-Weizen, as we shall not bring Germany’s reputuation into disrepute! …Or maybe it would impress foreigners even more, so they’d come to enjoy what Loz refers to as a ‘beer-milk-shake’? I can’t decide…

    • Andrew
      October 22, 2012 @ 11:18 pm

      Thanks, Vera. I have mentioned cola bier in another post. The banana beer may very well need its own post. Or at least all of the beer mixes that occur. I wonder if they are regional as well. I quite expect so, if I know Germany.

  19. Adam
    October 22, 2012 @ 11:46 am

    The very first German words I learned were most of these that related to buying beer in a bar 🙂

    Great and useful resource you’ve put together!

    • Andrew
      October 22, 2012 @ 11:16 pm

      It is really useful to know how to buy beer. That and find a toilet. These two, added to please and thank you are my critical words in any language.

  20. Laurence
    October 22, 2012 @ 10:31 am

    That’s one seriously handy post! Should be printed off and mandatory travelling material 😉 Also, I’ve seen a copy of the Reinheitsgebot on pub walls.. for something that sounds so simple it sure goes on a bit!

    • Andrew
      October 22, 2012 @ 11:15 pm

      Thanks about the post. Yeah, it is a Germanic law, which means it has tons of sub clauses and explanations.

  21. Daniel McBane - Funny Travel Stories
    October 22, 2012 @ 10:06 am

    One thing I’ve learned since coming to Berlin: while Germany as a whole is known for having excellent beer, Berlin seems to be trying its hardest to dispel that stereotype. This city’s lack of good beer is pretty shocking. You’re lucky to be in the south, I think.

    • Andrew
      October 22, 2012 @ 11:15 pm

      Really? What kind of beer is known in Berlin?

  22. Mandi
    October 22, 2012 @ 9:31 am

    But if you’re traveling up north — Hamburg, Bremen, etc. — we say Alster instead of Radler!

    • Andrew
      October 22, 2012 @ 11:14 pm

      Good tip. Do you get Sauer-Alster’s then?

      • Mandi
        October 23, 2012 @ 9:02 am

        I’ve never heard of Sauer-Alster, so I guess not!

        • Andrew
          October 28, 2012 @ 3:35 pm

          Try making one yourself. Like an Apfel Schorle, but with beer.