Though the Oktoberfest has just drawn to a close, knowing how to order beer in German will come in handy for learners of the language at some point. It is a great preparation for the next trip or for role-playing in class.
Some German Beer Types
There are two main types of German beer: top-fermenting ales and bottom-fermenting lagers. Ales are called dunkles Bier (dark beer) and lagers helles Bier (light beer) or, most common, Pilsner or Pils. In addition, there’s Weizenbier, a top-fermented beer made from malted wheat. It has a yeasty aftertaste and can be dark or light. Rauchbier is a southern specialty with a characteristic smoky flavor, caused by the smoking of the malt.
The listing below is a selection of the most common German beer types including their popular names with pronunciation guide. Local ale and especially lager varieties are vast as lagers are the most popular, so it’s probably best to acquaint oneself with some local varieties before ordering.
- Ale – dunkles Bier, ein Dunkles (eyn Doonkluhz)
- Draught beer – vom Faß (fom Fahss)
- Lager – helles Bier, ein Helles (eyn Helluhz), Pilsner, Pils
- Malt beer – Malzbier, Dunkelbier (Doonkalbeer)
- Shanty – Alster (Ahlstah, in the north) or Radler (Rahdlah, in the south)
- Smoked beer – Rauchbier (Roukhbeer, „au“ as in house and „ch“ as in Loch Ness)
- Wheat beer – Weizenbier (Vytsenbeer), Hefeweizen (Hefavytsen), Weißbier (Vysbeer) or simply Hefe
What to Say When Ordering Beer in Germany
In the following dialogue, Pils can be substituted with Dunkles, Malzbier, Alster etc. For all types of German beer mentioned here, the indefinite article ein does not change.
Visitor: “Ein Pils bitte!” (Eyn Pils beettuh! A lager please!)
Wait staff: “Welches?” (Velhiez? Which one? The “ch” is a more forceful version of the “h” in huge) or
“Welches möchten Sie?” (Velhiez meshten Zee? Which one would you like? Pronounce the umlaut ö like a fully rounded “ea” in early.)
Visitor: “Ein [name local brand] bitte!” or “Welches können Sie empfehlen?” (Velhiez kehnan Zee ehmfehluhn? Which one can you recommend?)
or
Visitor: “Ein Pils bitte!”
Wait staff: “Ein großes oder kleines?” (Eyn grossuhz odah klynuhz? A big one or small one?)
Visitor: “Ein großes bitte!”
and finally
Visitor: “Noch eins bitte!” (Nokh eynz beettuh! Another one please!)
In many beer gardens and pubs in Germany, just keeping an empty beer stein on its side indicates another order for the same drink. However, it is best to look around and see what other guests are doing and then proceed accordingly.
German Non-alcoholic Beers and Soda Mixes
Non-alcoholic beers are popular in Germany, where drunk driving laws are strict, as they taste almost the same as their alcoholic counterparts. Therefore, all big German breweries and some of the smaller ones have come out with non-alcoholic or alcohol-reduced versions of their beers.
Dunkles Bier should not be confused with Dunkelbier, which is a non-alcoholic, dark malt beer that is given to children and therefore also called Kinderbier (Keendabeer). The most popular beer-and-soda mix is the one with lemon soda, called Radler in the south or Alster (in and north of Hamburg).
German Beer Sizes
Last but not least – sizes! Germany is famous for its 1-liter beer glasses called Maß (pronounced as in “midnight mass”). For those intimidated by this size, there is also ein Halbes (eyn Hahlbuhz), a half-liter glass or stein, or ein Kleines (eyn Klynuhz), a small glass of 0.2 – 0.3 liters.
And what does one say when drinking beer? Prost, prosit or zum Wohl (to well-being)!
Ordering beer in German is a fun exercise and there are literally hundreds of different regional beers. Beer guides like Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion provide more detailed information.
Don't miss learning about German sausages and German bread types as well!
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