German beer
German beer is built on a brewing tradition that goes back centuries: lager, pilsner, weizen and bock from Bavaria, joined by a new wave of craft brewers. At Hoptimaal you'll find classic houses like Augustiner-Bräu München and Schneider Weisse, alongside Sudden Death Brewing Co. and FUERST WIACEK Berlin. So you can choose from Lager & Pilsner, Weizen and IPA.
- In stock now37 beers
- Breweries17
Breweries from Germany 17
Sudden Death Brewing Co.Lübeck · 7 in stock
FrauGruber BrewingGundelfingen a.d.Donau · 6 in stock
Brauerei KundmüllerViereth-Trunstadt · 4 in stock
FUERST WIACEK BerlinBerlin · 3 in stock
Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & SohnKelheim · 2 in stock
Schlenkerla ("Heller-Bräu" Trum)Bamberg · 2 in stock
Brauerei Rittmayer HallerndorfHallerndorf · 2 in stock
Badische Staatsbrauerei RothausGrafenhausen · 2 in stock
Augustiner-Bräu MünchenMunich · 2 in stock
Keesmann BräuBamberg · 1 in stock
Herzoglich Bayerisches Brauhaus TegernseeTegernsee · 1 in stock
Hausbrauerei zur Sonne BischbergBischberg · 1 in stock
GraserBamberg · 1 in stock
Friesisches Brauhaus zu JeverJever · 1 in stock
Brauerei SpezialBamberg · 1 in stock
Brauerei Gebr. MaiselBayreuth · 1 in stock
Bayerische Staatsbrauerei WeihenstephanFreising · 1 in stock
All beers in stock 37
Brewing in Germany began long before the Middle Ages
Germany possibly has the oldest unbroken brewing culture in the world. The oldest evidence is a clay amphora from around 800 BC, found near Kasendorf in northern Bavaria. It held a dark wheat beer with oak leaf. Later the Romans also brewed there themselves: a complete Roman brewery was excavated near Regensburg in 1978.
After that, the monasteries took over. Monks kept notes, experimented with hops and new techniques, and brewing became a profession. Weihenstephan near Freising received a brewing licence in 1040 and is considered the oldest working brewery in the world. Augustiner-Bräu in Munich is almost 700 years old and started in the 14th century with Augustinian monks.
Bavaria is all about lager and weizen
Bavaria is best known for lager beer. Märzen, Helles, Rauchbier, Kellerbier, Dunkel, Schwarzbier and bock can all be traced back to this region. Brewers brewed mainly in the cold winter months and stored the beer in mountain caves or in cellars full of ice. Without knowing it, they selected yeast that works at low temperatures and ferments more slowly: lagering.
Weizen has its own story. In 1520 the noble Degenberg family received the exclusive right to brew wheat beer, and later the Wittelsbachs took it over. Around 1798 that monopoly disappeared and the dukes sold brewing rights. Georg Schneider and his successors kept Schneider Weisse alive when interest faded, and from the 1960s demand rose again. Today weizen is the most popular style in Bavaria, with a third of the market. Outside Bavaria there is, for example, Kölsch: brewed with top-fermenting yeast, but lagered cold like a lager.
German beer at Hoptimaal
With us you'll find the classics from the old houses: Augustiner-Bräu München, Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & Sohn, Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan and Schlenkerla ("Heller-Bräu" Trum). On top of that, you get newer brewers, such as Sudden Death Brewing Co. and FUERST WIACEK Berlin. Those last two are the reason you also find IPA, stout and sour beer from Germany here.
So you can choose from Lager & Pilsner, Weizen, Blond and Bock, but also from IPA, Stout and Sour beer. Every brewery has its own page, where you can see all its available beers in one list.
Frequently asked questions
What is typical German beer?
Typical German beer is lager from Bavaria, such as Helles, Märzen, Dunkel and bock, with weizen as the most popular style in that region. Kölsch is a variant of its own: top-fermenting, but lagered cold.
Which German breweries are well known?
Weihenstephan is considered the oldest working brewery in the world. Augustiner-Bräu in Munich has existed for almost 700 years and Schneider Weisse is a well-known name for weizen.
What is the oldest brewery in Germany?
Weihenstephan near Freising received a brewing licence in 1040 and is regarded as the oldest working brewery in the world. The abbey itself is older, from 724.
Beer from other countries
- Dutch beer 175
- American beer 71
- Belgian beer 68
- Canadian beer 54
- English beer 37
- Spanish beer 21
- Romanian beer 17
- French beer 16
- Swedish beer 15
- Norwegian beer 14
- Estonian beer 17
- Polish beer 11
- Irish beer 8
- Finnish beer 9
- Hungarian beer 8
- Latvian beer 8
- Croatian beer 8
- Danish beer 8
- Portuguese beer 4
- Welsh beer 5
- Scottish beer 4
- Brazilian beer 4
- Ukrainian beer 2
- Greek beer 3
- Slovenian beer 3
- Czech beer 3
