Love German beers- distinctive taste-especially dark beers BUT my favorite is still GUINESS especially draft in Ireland.<BR>andy

I love the Kolsch beer in Cologne that they serve in the tall skinny glasses which the waiters bring out to your table about every 5 minutes. In my mind it is every bit the equal of the great beers of Munich (I like both Spaten and Paulaner).

<BR>Love Bitburger from Germany<BR><BR>But lets face it, the best beers are Czech:<BR>PILS URQUELL and BUDWEISER

There are, by the way, hundreds of fantastic American beers brewed in this country. None of them are advertised on TV with hot looking babes with very little clothing. Most are micro brews. <BR><BR>I don't know if it travels, but the Great American Beer Festival that shows in Denver, usually around the first week of October is a great display for those beers. <BR><BR>Check a few out.<BR><BR>Bill

Who ever said that St. Pauli Girl is not German needs to stand in the corner.

I had a really good Erdlinger weissbier last week.

Hellens (blond) - Augustiner<BR>Dark - Augustiner<BR>Weizen (wheat beer) - Paulaner

My wife and I lived in the Munich area for 4 years. Our favorite beer was made in a neighboring town called Erding. The beer is called Erdinger Weissbier. Das ist sehr gut!!

There are six major beers in Munich:<BR><BR>Paulaner, Spaten, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Augustiner and Hacker Pschorr.<BR><BR>My favorite is Augustiner although outside of Munich I also like Warsteiner, Dortmunder Union and Bittberger Pils.<BR>And the Paulaner Octoberfest Marzen is a great beer!<BR><BR><BR><BR>US

Beerman - too bad you weren't in Germany at the end of the year when the cost of beer dropped to 20 to 40 cents per can as the new recycling laws came into effect. Now Germany expects a shortage of beer early this year. Also, apparently, cans need to be returned to the site of purchase so you can get a refund - so much for buying a beer before you hop on the train! DUMB!

I tried a lot of brews in Bavaria last June. Each one I tasted was the best ever==they all have their own character, and I couldn't recommend one over the other. Just drink what's local and enjoy.

Why would the people of Germany of all places EVER drink beeer out of a can!<BR><BR>That is almost sacreligious!<BR><BR><BR>US

US - I admit I prefer my beer draft - but that comes from a can also, though much bigger. The probable reason is because of the strict recycling laws in Germany. Where we rented a cottage on the Mosel we had to take our glass refuse to a pickup center where green glass had to go in one bin, clear glass into another and brown glass into yet another, whereas cans and other refuse were picked up curbside. Purely a matter of convenience I suppose.

I hear you but it still seems sacreligious to take that great beer that ought to be served on draught or from a bottle and taint it with an aluminum can!<BR><BR>Ouch!<BR><BR>US

Spaten Optimator

Dinkelacker........... without a doubt. Take it from a native Stuttgarter.<BR>Smiles, <BR>Kirsten

You get strong opinions on German beer from Germans, depending on where we live. My German colleagues tell me the best beer actually comes from Franconia, because Franconia is known for having the best water in Germany. The favorite Franconian beer is Wolfhoher (&quot;immer ein hochgenuss&quot;--always a treat). We're in central Germany and the preferred beer is Schlosser (from the Schlosser microbrewery in Dusseldorf--they have a great little restaurant in Dusseldorf's old town). <BR>Belgian beer note: Chimay is one of the most revered Belgian beers. I was surprised to read last week that the hops for Chimay come from Germany and Washington State!

Andechs beer is superb but the workers in the brewhouse would be shocked to know they are &quot;monks.&quot; It originated as a monastary beer, to be sure.