Here's another beer I brought home from Germany – Berliner Pilsner. It is "Made in Berlin" which is printed prominently at the top of the label above a Berliner bear holding a tray of glasses in front of what I think is the Reichstag dome in the background (looks like it to me - German friends, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) This is one I would try just for the label.

It's a really nice looking pale gold beer that pours with a billowing white head like a good German beer. As a pilsner its a pretty average European example, good, but not as impressive as some. It has a typical hop flavors for the style, a little harsh maybe, but I enjoy it, especially because it reminds me of Berlin.

The malt flavors are solid and strong enough to balance the hops with hints of some grassy or grainy flavors.

Berliner Pilsner is brewed in Berlin by Berliner-Kindl-Schultheiss-Brauerei, a part of beer giant Radeberger Gruppe. I brought this bottle from Germany, I haven't seen it in the States.

Berliner Pilsner website (German): http://www.berliner-pilsner.de/

Radeberger Gruppe website (English): http://www.radebergergruppe.com/index-en.php

Erdinger Weissbräu brews one of Germany's most popular wheat beers. This traditonal unfiltered Bavarian Hefe-Weizen is sold around the world. I photographed two bottles: the half liter German bottle which says simply "Weissbier" on the label and the 350ml American bottle which reads "Hefe-Weizen". The German bottle has an extra label which reads "Mit feiner Hefe in der Flasche gereift." - Aged with fine yeast in the bottle.

This bottle conditioned wheat beer pours a deep hazy gold color with a bright white head that reduces to a thin covering rather quickly. It is full bodied and features sweet, spicy, and citrus flavors with a hint of banana.

Try it if you like Franziskaner, Hoegaarden, Blue Moon, or other unfiltered wheat beers. It's a respectable and refreshing offering in the wheat beer category.

Erdinger's English site: http://www.erdinger.de/en.html

I decided to write a Featured Brew post on DAB Original because I had a few bottles around. It's a classic example of a Dortmunder export lager brewed by Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei, Dortmund. DAB pours a deep gold color with quite a bit of carbonation. It's a mild, malty brew with some sweetness which is almost honey-like. It's a solid and relatively inexpensive export lager, if a bit forgettable. DAB's traditional rival is DUB, one of the other major brewers of export lager in Dortmund.

DAB's English website: http://www.dab-beer.com/

Bischoff Premium Pilsner is the traditional pilsner offering from Privatbrauerei Bischoff, a family owned German brewery producing a full range of lagers. It is extra pale gold in color and produces a tall pure white head when poured.  It has a distinct hoppy scent; very herbal with hints of pine. The taste is dry and hoppy with a bitter, spicy finish appropriate to the style. This is definitely a hop accented beer. Try Bischoff Premium Pilsner if you like Pilsner Urquell or Jever.

Bischoff Premium Pilsner is available at Shangy's in Emmaus, PA.

Website (German only): http://www.bischoff-bier.de/

I'd like to start off our Featured Brew segment with a nod to Sticke Uerige Altbier. Uerige brews a few styles in old city Düsseldorf including their classic alt. Sticke Uerige is a slighly stronger version of the standard alt. For those unfamiliar with the style, altbier is a German Ale traditionally found in and around Düsseldorf; it is generally amber in color; think the German version of a pale ale. This is one of my favorite examples of a somewhat uncommon and under-appreciated style. It's a full bodied amber colored ale with noticeable caramel malt and just enough hops to balance the flavors.

If you like altbier or ales this is good one. It comes in a great bottle too - an interesting tall shape with a swing top closure - always fun. I've found Sticke Uerige at the Six Pack Shop in Fountain Hill and also seen it at Shangy's in Emmaus.

Uerige has an English version of their website at: http://www.uerige.de/en/start/

Note: Uerige also makes a Doppelsticke version of the ale which is even stronger. Will it appear on BYOB in the future?

Beer is everywhere in Germany, even at street vendors and on the train. Here's a brief overview of some of the beers I met during a few off our stops in the land of hops and barley. Be sure to click on the photos to see their captions.

Berlin. While we were in Berlin staying with our friend Jens, he introduced me to a some local brews I hadn't tried before. Lagers dominate the beer scene and are served usually in half liter glasses. Local beer tasted: Berliner Pilsner, Berliner Bürgerbräu Rotkelchen.

Görlitz. Landskron is the major local beer the light and relatively bland pilsner is the most common but the brewery makes a range of styles. I enjoyed the kellerbier (basically an unfiltered pilsner). Görlitz is on the German/Polish border so Polish beer is available too (it is generally lighter and drier than German beer). Local beer tasted: Landskron.

Dresden. In Dresden we stopped at Brewery Watzke a brewery and café and I had a liter of their specialty, an unfiltered amber lager that paired nicely with the currywurst. Radeberger is widely available and brewed in Saxony, it's a well balanced pilsner that is a nice German interpretation of the style (slightly sweeter than the Czech versions). Local beer tasted: Watzke, Radeberger.

Many of the more nationally distributed beers in Germany are available in the states including quite a few from Bavaria.