# Describe real German beer to an American **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [March 8, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778 "2010-03-08T22:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/61 "2010-03-11T22:26:56Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > For what it’s worth I love a lot of German lagers, particularly the ones called “Helles” over there, which taste smooth & malty, yet are not heavy. I believe this is a Munich style, or Bavarian more generally. Hofbrau Original is a fine example (I think called Hofbrau Helles in Germany). It’s funny how this style is not pushed much as imports here, while wheat beers and heavy “Dunkel Lagers” are. Don’t get me wrong–I don’t _dislike_ most German lagers. I just have a particular admiration for Sam Adams. The HBs are the lagers I usually drank when I lived abroad, but I prefered hefeweizens and bocks (which, technically, is also another type of lager.) I’m not usually all rah-rah America about anything, but if you like beer, there’s probably no better place to be right now than in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/62 "2010-03-12T07:40:20Z")
It is a good era for American beer right now, but I still think Americans need to learn how to use malts as well as they use hops. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/63 "2010-03-12T16:34:37Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > It is a good era for American beer right now, but I still think Americans need to learn how to use malts as well as they use hops. I wouldn’t say that. Good malt usage is quite evident – look at the myriad of great porters and stouts that are out there. The West Coast beers tend to emphasize the hoppy styles (for good reason, being in hops country), but once you get east, you’ll see a better balance of hoppy and malty styles of beer (with perhaps the exception of Three Floyds Brewery which, as great as it is, is pretty much hops overload in all their beers.) Look at what Bell’s, Goose Island, Great Lakes, Lakefront, Founders, Two Brothers, etc. (all Midwestern breweries), are putting out, and you’ll see as many or probably more good malty beers on their list than hoppy ales. What I think American breweries do need to do a little bit better – and I definitely see it happening – is producing more middle-of-the-road session beers that are not malt or hops dominated. You know, beers that are a bit more delicate and subtle than the usual HERE’S THE MALT or HERE’S THE HOPS. Like I said, there’s plenty of examples of these styles out there, but I’d like to see a swing to producing more quality lagers and bitters, for instance. We have Victory Prima Pils (quite good, maybe slightly hoppier than I like my Pilsners) and Sam Adams Noble Pils (lots of flavor, but maybe a little more bitter and fragrant than I like this style.) It would be nice to have more lager choices on the market. Although I prefer ales, lagers seem to be underrepresented by microbreweries. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/64 "2010-03-12T17:53:37Z")
I think the “American beer” thing is a bit like the “British food” thing - both are based on increasingly outdated stereotypes. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/65 "2010-03-12T18:19:03Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I think the “American beer” thing is a bit like the “British food” thing - both are based on increasingly outdated stereotypes. Very true. We (the USA) have come a long, long way in the last 30 years or so, beer wise. 35 years ago Molson Golden was the most exotic beer available in the gourmet wine and beer shops I could find. The flavor was distinct enough from all other options as to be, to me, a new adventure. It is going to take another 30 years - a whole nother genreation - before the average Joe feels comfortable drinking anything other than a light pilsner, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/66 "2010-03-12T19:35:22Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > English, Irish, what’s the difference :D? Not going to hijack this thread or be a twat about it, so I won’t bother going further back than 1969; but [here](http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/troubles/troubles_stats.html) are 3466 reasons why you’re not funny. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778/67 "2010-03-16T01:39:59Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > Those of you Americans who believe in warm beer - was it by any chance served to you (or the person who told you) in some twee olde worlde hostelrie in some tourist area, or perhaps in a chain pub in London? Well, the two places I recall having warm, not cellar temp. beer (it was July 2003, and 92 fucking degrees F in the UK!) were the Old Green Tree in Bath and the Turf Tavern in Oxford. In their defense, it was really hot, and they happened to be my two favorite pubs of that entire summer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-real-german-beer-to-an-american/531778.md?page=3)