Germany has a long history of producing and enjoying high-quality beer and wine.
See also: Breweries in Franconia
The Germans are world-famous for their beer, and have exported its production and consumption around the world.
For centuries, beer-making in Bavaria has been governed by the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) that was made national policy with the unification of Germany in 1871, which states that German beer may be made only from hops, malt and water (yeast was still not known back then). The Reinheitsgebot has been watered down with imports due to European integration, but German breweries still have to stick to it since for them, national law applies. The national law has however also been watered down and now states that a variety of additives and auxiliary substances may be used during the production process, as long as they aren't found in the end product.
The domestic beer market is not dominated by one or only a few big breweries. Even though there are some big players, the regional diversity is enormous, and there are over 1,200 breweries with most of them serving only local markets. Usually bars and restaurants serve the local varieties that differ from town to town. However the North has less variety than the South, and especially in localities that aren't specialised in beer, you are more likely to get mass-produced watered down Pils from the big breweries than not. If you truly want to experience German beer, try sticking with smaller brands, as they don't have to appeal to a mass market and are thus more "individual" in taste. When sitting in a German Kneipe, a local beer is always an option, and often the only option.
For Germans, a lot of foam is both a sign of freshness and quality; thus, beer is always served with a lot of head. (All glasses have volume marks for the critical souls.)
Pubs are open in Germany until 02:00 or later. Food is generally available until midnight. Germans typically go out after 20:00 (popular places are already full by 18:00).
Specialties include Weizenbier (or Weißbier in Bavaria), a refreshing top-fermented beer which is popular in the south, Alt, a kind of dark ale that is especially popular in and around Düsseldorf, and Kölsch, a special beer brewed in Cologne. "Pils", the German name for pilsner, is a light-gold beer that is extremely popular in Germany. There are also seasonal beers, which are made only at particular times of the year (such as Bockbier in winter and Maibock in May, both containing a greater quantity of alcohol, sometimes double that of a normal Vollbier).
Germans are not afraid to mix beer with other drinks (though the older generation may disagree). Beer is commonly mixed with carbonated lemonade (usually at 1:1 ratio) and called a "Radler" (or cyclist, so named because it is commonly associated with a refreshing drink a cyclist might enjoy in spring or summer during a cycling excursion) (or "Alsterwasser"/"Alster" (after the river in Hamburg) in the north); "Cocktails" of Pilsener/Altbier and soft drinks like Fanta, a "Krefelder"/"Colaweizen" cola and dark wheat beer is another combination that can be found. Pils mixed with cola is very popular, especially among younger Germans, and goes by different names depending on your area, such as "Diesel", "Schmutziges" (dirty) or "Schweinebier" (pigs beer). Another famous local delicacy is "Berliner Weiße", a cloudy, sour wheat beer of around 3% abv. that is mixed with syrups (traditionally raspberry) and is very refreshing in summer. These beer-based mixed drinks are widespread and popular and can be bought as pre-mixed bottles (typically in six packs) wherever regular beer is sold.
The famous Maß is one litre of beer served in a stoneware (Steingut) or glass stein (Krug). They are a common view at Oktoberfest and similar festivals in the south where big crowds consume huge amounts of beer. In most other places and situations, people prefer a steady flow of fresh beer in smaller vessels.
The default size of beer in the south is half a litre, both for bottles and beer from the tap. However, some restaurants have switched to 0.4-L beers as their default to offer prices that appear lower as most patrons won't get out their calculator to figure out how much half a litre would cost at that price.
In the Rhineland around Cologne (the beer of choice being Kölsch) and Düsseldorf (the typical beer being Altbier) the beer glasses are smaller, normally 0.2 L, and empty glasses will automatically be replaced without further asking, until the guest covers the glass with a beer mat. You can also order a Kranz (wreath) which will be about 10-18 0.2-L glasses.
In other places, you may be asked whether you want a "large" or a "small" beer. Large means 0.4 L or 0.5 L, small between 0.2 and 0.3 L. Due to the special kind of glass it requires, wheat beer will almost always be 0.5 L anywhere in the country.
In most pubs and restaurants, you will find one or two types of beer on tap, accompanied with a few more choices of bottled brews. There are three main reasons for beer to be on tap. One is that the owner or operator likes this beer best, in which case you should at least sample one to judge whether they're right. Another is that it is a small brewpub and it is "their own" beer. In that case, the beer on tap is obviously the best (and often the only) choice. This is still very common in Franconia, but otherwise rather rare to find. The third and most common reason is that the proprietor has an exclusive deal with some brewery made largely for economic and not necessarily taste reasons. In those cases, the "good stuff" might be hidden in the bottled section.
Beer on tap is usually cheaper in the South than bottled beer, but north of the Main river this rule is not as easily applicable. Beer on tap loses quality if it sits in the tubing for too long, so you should be wary of places that have dozens of barrels on tap at the same time.
Munich's Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival, lasting for 16 to 17 days and usually ending on the first Sunday in October. Large tents accommodating about 10,000 people are hosted by the major breweries. Each tent serves its brewery's own beer, with incredibly strong barmaids hoisting ten or more huge Maß ('Mass') one-litre glasses of beer - those glasses are heavy even when empty! Musicians lead the crowd in popular drinking songs, and there's food. There's at least one wine tent, carnival games, amusement rides, and other entertainment.
Other festivals include:
![German wine regions:
According to the German wine law there are four quality classes (sorted according to increasing quality):
The following information must appear on the must wine label: quality grade, geographical origin, bottler, alcoholic strength, nominal volume, type of wine, contains sulphites. The following information may be indicated: Vintage, grape variety, taste, place and location of the wine and additional information such as drinking temperatures and recommended food.
During the fall you can buy "Federweisser" in south-western Germany. This is a partially fermented white wine and contains some alcohol (depending on age), but tastes very sweet. It is also available from red grapes, being called "Roter Sauser" or "Roter Rauscher".