Everything you need to know about German beer culture | DW English

There's a lot more to the German beer culture than donning a Dirndl and downing a Maß at Oktoberfest. In the first episode of the new season of Meet the Germans, presenter Rachel Stewart reveals how you can drink beer like a local - all year round.
Rachel Stewart is on a mission to investigate the quirks and idiosyncrasies of daily life in Germany. Every two weeks she explores a new topic - from beer to nudity to complicated grammar - and heads out to get some tips from the Germans themselves.
Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. You'll find more from Meet the Germans on KZbin or at dw.com/MeettheGermans.
And don’t forget to comment with your own experiences!
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[@pianofry1138]

Life hack you can open a Beer with your seatbelt while driving

[@ED-fx7sf]

We are able to open bottles with a newspaper

[@MegaHellaDope]

While driving...

[@tamparongmonjacob857]

And that folks is how you will get a dui Whoops typo

[@spiegelboss2820]

@@tamparongmonjacob857 not in germany, if u stay below 0,03% alcohol you are save, if not under 21 or having your license for less than 2 years.

[@whywhy4269]

Hack that life good.

[@fourgamestv]

Mixing beer with Sprite or Cola is pretty normal... but mixing it with water is an american thing, I dont know anyone doing this in Germany.

[@JohnnyGrains]

puh, n saures Radler. Kenn aber auch wenige, die das trinken :D

[@lillym8196]

RAAAADLER IST KEIN ALKOHOOL🎶

[@n1c3s43]

mostly older people do it when on trips so they don't get drunk that fast

[@anja6983]

BIWA ja ist leider bei älteren ein Ding... Altweiber ist uns ernsthaft deswegen das Wasser in der Kneipe ausgegangen

[@jasmin5858]

@@lillym8196 xD

[@ansems3309]

Oh yes, the Wegbier! I remember when I was in the US, visiting some friends, I bought a beer, it was cold and I wanted to drink it. But they interrupted me, because "You can't drink on the streets!! Are you crazy?". A month later, I walked to my hometown pub. Two Wegbier with me, I saw a police officer, he shouted "PROST!" at me, I've raised my bottle and gave him the other one. Then we drank together. That's like... two worlds colliding.

[@BigA1921]

In Canada we call them Road-Beers or Roadies.

[@t.o.m.6114]

Sometimes also called "Fußpils" which could translate to foot-beer. Not to cofuse with "Fußpilz" which is foot fungus :D

[@Paul-ki1dh]

In germany it is against the law to mix your beer with water.

[@simon8805]

Generell mit irgendwas mixen

[@Nikioko]

Actually, it's not. It's called Radler sauer.

[@Sucher-jn9be]

nein ist es nicht, es hat sogar einen Namen hier in Süd Niedersachsen = StudentenBier

[@anwofa]

Das macht man in Holland

[@sgtmayhem7567]

What a good law.

[@ralfprior7669]

In Germany we have a rule: 1 case of beer 🍺 (20 bottles of a half liter each) for two guys is only good, if the second guy is not a beer-drinker...

[@HerbertDuckshort]

That’s the funniest German joke I’ve ever heard 😂 Thanks.

[@ukadelic]

We mix beer with coke or sprite, but I've never seen anyone mixing it with any of the other things!

[@earthworn7487]

Bananenweizen

[@RedKiwi21]

@@earthworn7487 Wert das mal auszuprobieren? Should I give it a try?

[@earthworn7487]

@@RedKiwi21 ja lohnt sich

[@vomm]

@@earthworn7487 Weizenbier schmeckt doch eh schon bananig von natur aus

[@michaellicavoli3921]

In Kansas they serve beer mixed with tomato juice.

[@aknopf8173]

God I hate it when people open the bottle with a tooth. I always imagine the tooth popping right out!

[@android-user]

Yeah

[@pidesau]

I once tried to opend a bottle with a tooth, bottlecap pushed its way into my tooth, i know how to open a bottle with a lighter since that day.

[@andygalindo8978]

Or break a tooth. It will be very painful and expensive.

[@mariamkh441]

As a dentist, I cringed seeing this.

[@peter_meyer]

Ah, dont worry. I pull out my ivories, open a bottle with it then put them back in.

[@tjaardb.kaffee1488]

Don't order a Kölsch anywhere else than in Köln (Cologne) or you will get punched

[@messerschmittbolkow5606]

Ze Antifa boys will come and punch you.

[@Kris2510]

No, ordering a Kölsch is dangerous in Düsseldorf only, as is ordering an "Alt" in Cologne. But you shold definitely be aware of, and taste, the regional products. There are about 4000 different brands of beer in Germany, some are strictly local.

[@someguy0204]

Geiles pb

[@pfw4568]

Autistische Aktion voraus

[@savantfool7123]

this. First thing I thought when koelsch was mentioned.

[@a.m.pietroschek1972]

The bottle next to the trash can or bin allows some of our homeless to survive by gathering recycling money that way. Hence, as an ex-homeless: Thanks for the little extra hint.

[@shawn2523]

Wegbier? Fußpils! 🍻

[@janeisklar3923]

Haha so ist es!

[@matthiaskalupner6041]

Ich erhöhe um Handpilsette.

[@max-ct8cl]

Weghoibe heißt des

[@melaskan7286]

Das Verb dazu: limmern! ☝️

[@maogu1999]

Digga, das ist ecklig.

[@jacobkransteiner6519]

ich bin gegen biermischgetränke. ich finde das ist bierquälerei

[@Nikioko]

Oettinger ist Bierquälerei.

[@benbindernagel3285]

@@Nikioko Oettinger ist das einzig Wahre... trinke nur Oett, fast täglich

[@helloitsme543]

"Tolles" Profilbild! By the way, das einzige was dein supi dupi Vaterland bieten kann ist Gösser Radler und selbst mein österreichischen freunde trinken genau so viel Ötti wie schwechi. Pack die Fahne ein =*

[@helloitsme543]

@@benbindernagel3285 Tun sie in AT auch...

[@Woodception]

@@benbindernagel3285 Bierjunge!

[@Narwaro]

"Wegbier" ist aber nicht ein Bier sondern eher ein Kasten den man zu zweit trägt.

[@anja6983]

Wegbier kriegen meine Jungs wenn ich die Kneipe schließe...

[@jasonmuller1662]

Eigentlich kann ich wegbier als das Bier das man auf dem Heimweg mitnimmt

[@MultiAnonym11]

Auch bekannt als Kastenlauf oder Bierathlon. 😂🍻

[@vomm]

Also wir sagen auch Wegbier wenn wir halt unterwegs ein Bier trinken (und dabei ein Ziel haben)

[@luckyp3323]

na des is a kastenlauf, a weghoibe is a bier des man sich mitnimmt vom vorglühen zum club oder einfach beim weg von bar zu bar

[@yannick19]

The rule when mixing beer is to put the other drink in the glass first and add the beer later. This is how you upgrade the other drink with the beer instead of downgrading the beer with something else.

[@MajinOthinus]

Das beste kommt zum Schluss!

[@rocksteph84]

Funny how you explain Wegbier and think, we mean just one bottle. xD

[@BerndFunken]

Das Reinheitsgebot sollte man besser mit purity decree übersetzen, es ist nämlich kein Gesetz. Das Gesetz für Bier heißt "vorläufiges Biergesetz" (das könnte man mit "preliminary beer law" übersetzen) und das ist nur bei sogenanntem "untergärigem" Bier so streng. Bei "obergärigem" Bier ist mehr erlaubt, sogar Zucker und Farbstoffe sind da zulässig (das macht nur keiner, vermutlich weil die dann nicht sonderlich viel davon verkaufen würden xD). It would be better to translate the "Reinheitsgebot" with "Purity decree", because it is no law. There is a law about beer which is called "vorläufiges Biergesetz" (you could translate that to "preliminary beer law") and this law is only as strict about the ingredients of beer as the purity decree for a type of beer which is called "unterhäriges Bier" (google says that would be translated to "bottom-fermented beer", not sure about that). The law says that it is legal to add sugar and even food coloring to the other type of beer which is called "obergäriges Bier" ("top-fermented beer" according to google translate).

[@Nikioko]

It was a law but it was dismissed by the EU. That's why you can buy beer mix drinks nowadays.

[@literallyadorito8197]

Wut

[@davidschlageter5962]

This was my favorite DW segment in a while, something nice about German culture that makes me want to travel there again.

[@Worldofourown2024]

Ancient motherland! Deutschland is so awesome.

[@knightonwarbeck1969]

And people ask me why I love German beer and German beer culture so much.

[@joachim673]

My dad usually opens his beer with his wedding ring

[@barfuss2007]

if you are married you need some beers more, lol

[@anja6983]

There is also a difference, between drinking in public and drinking beer in public ... Exept for the first day in May, drink what you can, but keep walking

[@vomm]

? People in Parks drink every day beer in public. And besides may 1st there's also new years eve where everyone is drinking in public.

[@anja6983]

@@vomm yeah but the first may you get much alkohol and walk around with it, the whole day with friends ... it’s for drinking here (this area in Germany )

[@anja6983]

@C D Bier trinken viele einfach so in der Öffentlichkeit dass stimmt und auch auf Silvester trinkt man ganz gut , aber eher abends... Da ist es nicht mehr ganz so öffentlich ( Kinder und ältere sind im Bett) Der Unterschied ist einfach: Am 1.Mai, Karneval und Schützenfest liegen überall Schnapsleichen rum und keinen interessiertes.

[@lmyrski8385]

I love this series!

[@LordReptile0]

I only prefer dark beers like "Guiness", "Köstritzer" or "Neuzeller Klosterbräu" (Schwarzbier), my kids love the german dark ale (Malzbier) and my father mixed his "Pils" with red raspberry-limo.

[@oLii96x]

dark beer best beer

[@paulallen04105]

1:22 "Streng genommen, ja" - actually only if you take it easy. If you're strict, the breweries are allowed to put in a lot of chemical ingredients without being required to label them.

[@asatrv]

That being?

[@WhiteSheepwillbeBlac]

I can really recommend a shower beer! But make sure you place it on the highest shelf, to prevent it from watering down

[@stuborn-complaining-german]

2:00 don't try any of the later four mixes in bavaria. People have been killed for smaller desecrations of beer here... ;)

[@suryakiransuravarapu]

Love you Rachel ! I love the way you tell , simple,straight ,funny, happy ! Hehe

[@KrautsalatAnAmericaninGermany]

at 2:40 the guys walking by in the background are drinking a beer!!!! Awesome!!!

[@Worldofourown2024]

I was having a beer in public with a man in Munich watching the accordion player Ivan Hajek in the main cobbled street center back in 2011 and got staunchly told in German, 'Das ist criminal offenze!' by a lady. However everyone in Berlin drank while walking around in public. I understand the South is a bit more conservative than Frankfurt and other points north particularly Berlin. I love their beer!

[@leDespicable]

I have never encountered such behaviour, and I live in the south...that was a strange lady you came across :P

[@Claude_van]

Maybe you didn’t have a Bavarian beer.

[@Kris2510]

That lady was definitely wrong!

[@timpauwels3734]

Maybe her idea of the law was stuck in the 70s and you were committing the terrible crime of sitting on something other than a bench/chair while outside! I went to get chips with my mum and when I suggested we sit on the steps of a fountain to eat them she was afraid the police would fine us (we are Belgian - such was the law some time ago).

[@pickleadaykeepsthedoctoraway]

Don't open bottles with your teeth, ever.

[@squattingheads]

„Country of the walking bottles“ is what a Exchange Student once told me. As I wanted to take her empty bottle away she stopped me and said „it’s empty, but it’s trendy“

[@kazakhdoge1822]

Love these series!!!

[@Betterhose]

Thank god she mentioned Altbier ! 🍺😍

[@ajrwilde14]

Mixing beer with lemonade is what we do with for children in Britain, it's just a flavouring, we call it shandy.

[@sgtmayhem7567]

That’s why Europeans generally have fewer alcohol problems, drinking is social and it’s introduced in drinks like the shandy and often under family supervision, not just to get drunk. In the US as a teen it’s hidden and the only intention is to get drunk.

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

I love shandy (my parents are Jamaican) I still drink it when I'm matching drinks with people who have a higher tolerance than me. It should be more popular in the States.

[@michaelmoreton5042]

@@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920 using real jamaican ginger beer to make your shandy

[@cooky51966]

And for some mixed beer we have special names f.E. Radler/Alsterwasser - beer with Sprite. beer with Cola - Morle/Diesel...and sometimes it's a quetion whre you are, how it's named.

[@tobx3344]

The "Wegbier" is also called "Fußpils" at my place. It translates to "foot pilsner", but it sounds very much like "Fußpilz" which translates to "foot fungus", which is wanted.

[@easyforme9342]

it's 2.30 am and I'm watching this lol I think it's time to get off the internet

[@oLii96x]

time to get a beer?

[@f.bledls.4830]

Ich mag dunkel Weissbier! 👍

[@shaunwayne8610]

When she talked about Beer-mix drinks I was interested if you would tell the specific names of them. There are some kind of risky names in some places of germany.

[@barfuss2007]

In bavarian Oberfranken there are over 200 different breweries for about one million people. This is beer CULTURE.

[@andreaseufinger4422]

Once I was in Argentina. On the local beer, you could read in spanish: brewed respecting the german (!) law of beer purity.

[@michaelmoreton5042]

many craft brewers in many countries follow this law

[@monikakohler4438]

The purity decree was actually invented because women tried to spice up the beer while brewing it with herbs and stuff, sometimes they accidentally poisoned their husbands. That’s why a) the purity decree was established and b) women were not allowed to brew beer for a certain amount of time

[@ReasonableFather]

As an American, I've never heard of anyone cutting the beer with water. Where does this happen?

[@DarkLordGanondorf190]

Please, do not open your beer bottle with your teeth! Oh my God!

[@adrianreimer1419]

dont blaspheme

[@mattashman4040]

Place your beer mat on top of your glass to keep your spot and your beer at a busy beer garden when you nip to the loo!

[@captain_sokuza]

I love your style of presentation Rachael 🔥🔥🔥 Fanboy❤️

[@snofrid8662]

You forgot the Odelmaß, a beer mixed with an egg and red Presssack (blood sausage)

[@tobiass2622]

All the Meet the Germans videos are just soooo ACCURATE!! 😄

[@chumanho]

2:22 Ah, Reissdorf Koelsch, good stuff!!

[@dinolino3313]

Be ashamed to sell beer in single gulps!

[@Nikioko]

If you like headaches...

[@brauliobrunaud53]

Chile: mix beer with Fanta (called fanshop), or mix with Lemon soda (called Clara)

[@johnrutledge3892]

Tak sean

[@goodguy954]

Cool, I love my beer after work...

[@hansgetzeflammenwerfer9241]

I can tell you I've seen someone open a beer with a shoe

[@Lucky-km1nt]

Try it with a newspaper

[@RusselsYTAcc]

@@Lucky-km1nt i opend a a beer with a tissue before. Just fold it enough

[@omermowaffaquejaigirder8889]

@@RusselsYTAcc 😮

[@vomm]

I open it with matchsticks

[@michaellicavoli3921]

I drank German beer for five years...didn’t think they could be surpassed until I tried Sam Abrams IPA!

[@EumlOriginal]

then you probably only know the bulk beer of the big manufacturers ... But there are more boron varieties in Germany than on the entire North American continent ... well over 20,000 varieties

[@kon6708]

I think this is the first time I've seen someone acknowledge Alt online

[@cheesy-p1j]

Hier in Bavaria we have a Presshalbe. That means if you dont have much time to drink.

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

Actually the origin "Reinheitsgebot" consist only of water, hops and malts, because when it was written no one knew about yeast, yeast was in the beer by accident. Today's "Reinheitsgebot" is also not what it seems to be. Most people think while brewing only this 4 ingredients are allowed, but the law only says that in the final product nothing else should be detectable. So a lot of other stuff is nowadays used and in the beer while brewing and later physically or chemically extruded.

[@shcuf95]

Beer Sauna? She must have been in Erding.

[@kaukase539]

Beer + Water = Budweiser 🙄

[@benjones7431]

Busch light even more so...

[@prager5046]

With all her semi critisism--she enjoys living in Germany, and i don't blame her...for a country of its size, it's the best courtry to live in ...

[@joeyebner6895]

She's the best 💖

[@holpergeist]

"Wegbier" is also called "Fußpils" (which is my personal favourite)

[@gerryarnold9388]

Hi in Germany/Berlin is since 1979 but not properly inforced and still accepted from the police at public spaces. 1999 they started more or rather tried to inforce it but still it will be accepted if the people behave otherwise police can give you a warning or a fine from 10€. Since 2008 many other German cities following these example. However these law clashes with a other law which alcohol as medium realising of freedom.

[@beageler]

I think it'll never stop amusing me that opening a bottle is seen as special :-) Thank god it's after 18:00. I'm gonna drink a Helle now :-)

[@Thomscher]

A friend of mine can open a Beer with a pack of tissues, a pack of cigarettes or a sheet of paper...

[@misterugly4984]

Pro level

[@DEVINdevdev]

Can't remember was it in Hamburg or Berlin but I remember they had special bottle holders attached to the outside of bin. I don't live in Germany but i usually leave bottles outside of the bin too, some people don't have money so they recycle those and why humiliate them by making them search bottles from garbage.

[@beriorroch2617]

somebody recommend me which brand of beer I should take back to my home country before I turn into alcoholic

[@boahkeinbockmehr]

How do you open beers elsewhere?? Do you have to thirst to death if you don't have a bottle opener at hand? Let's say you just decide to sit down in the sun and grab a beer at the corner store, what do you do elsewhere? Or do you have it usually in cans? (Used to be popular here until they introduced a mandatory deposit on them)

[@Iunanec]

Here in Ecuador? Bottle opener key rings are popular here. Also, beer stores and cheap eats have bottle openers affixed on the wall on a spot accessible to the client. And then there's always that one guy who uses his teeth, ouch!

[@hannesmonsees9101]

1:54 really made me shiver. What a disgraceful thing to do

[@kevlon_]

Wow. So edgy.

[@mercutio781]

When the germans drink 100 liter beer I would like to know who's drinking my part of this?

[@xPyramus]

and i would like to know what y'all do in the other half of the year... Well i´m joking about that but things like "Feierabendbier" (after work beer) are quite common ... and 100L isn´t even every day a smal beer... And nobody is on a night out getting wasted with friends... So it should be accurate

[@oLii96x]

me

[@shaunwayne8610]

Thats what bavaria is for.

[@manuelcosta6331]

Bitter, fuer mich Krombacher. Danke schoen.

[@esseker1981]

Very cool tips :) But isn't it common everywhere, here in Europe atleast, to look in the eyes when cheering with any drink?

[@gmp2474]

Nice extension to the "Meet the Medic" trailer.

[@Kusntestos1]

Excellent video! :D

[@jamess5415]

1.5 years to go till my curse is over 😔

[@h.g.wellington2500]

In the US we call a "Wegbier" a "road soda"

[@waitandbleed2870]

A Wegbier is sometimes called Fußpils (athletes foot) which is just hilarious af

[@Watchman47]

We call the "wegbier", "Fußpils".

[@rosebudtv4660]

German beer is superior both in taste and culture. It must be allowed enough territory to survive and thrive. Lest less civilized beers which are more energetic take their place. A day will come when the fridge is dominated by the laws of nature, and nature favors those beers, which are of a more brutal field. It is only right that as strong and as pure kind of a beer should dominate. And not every beer has a right to exist.

[@swgalaxies3995]

Häää ? Aber stimmt Heineken ist kein Bier !

[@nornje]

Nice!

[@jannix7262]

ganz wichtig: radler ist kein alkohol

[@brendahrealtor2.0]

Hello, what do germans call those who overindulge on beer?

[@hkkhgffh3613]

The Germans love beer and I love ...

[@Русэ]

Fußball!

[@maximiliankieser4686]

You forgot the Radler or Alster. Beer with Fanta

[@flatoutt1]

what a beautiful sensuous accent. ,to the ear

[@marcusmlinsky546]

Ihr habt Meterstab und Gabelschlüssel vergessen und dann die Maßeinheiten : Maß - Halbe , in Norddeutschland eher 0,3 ;-)

[@theman8447]

In malaysia we mix barrel beers with water to make more profits $$

[@shachingmongmarma828]

Its pitbugha....you like it

[@Fl33xx]

Das gute Wegbier oder auch bekannt als Fußpils

[@Imcrazyaboutsleeping]

I heard that you shouldn't dip ice cubes in to the German beers

[@anja6983]

You'll get a "Wegbier" from me, when i want you to leave the bar

[@LGppr]

Morgen Englisch-Abi, bisschen guter englischer Content, jetzte erstmal ein Bier lol

[@Bageera63]

I like beer with tomato juice, spicy V8, or Clamato.

[@mats7492]

you monster!

[@nushinmalek634]

Alt is the best damn beer in the whole NRW .

[@dinolino3313]

Unter den Blinden ist der Einäuguge König...

[@bsivbv1268]

Jetzt ein schönes Kölsch!

[@wandilismus8726]

In der verbotenen Stadt? 😂

[@Nikioko]

@@wandilismus8726 Bonn?

[@cleoclementine5933]

You can call " Wegbier" also " Fußpils ", "athlete's foot"

[@tobifritz1989]

i`m from a little bavarian village, called Waldaschaff. And we've to interesting eat and drinking here. BECAUSE Ich lass mal ein ABO da. ;)

[@bentekk3876]

Reissdorf 👍

[@mkling7321]

Beer with Coke - okay. Beer with Sprite - basst scho. BUT BANANA JUICE?!

[@mustofalionpiranhanilecroc4105]

Video on bier 🍺 at oktoberfest münchen Deutschland 🇩🇪 Prost 🍻

[@nomenestomen8952]

i dont think that wegbier is that what she showed

[@prula]

YES!! :D

[@TorturedUnicorn]

You absolutely can walk into a Bierhaus an be like "Ein Bier, bitte."