Work is taking me overseas for 16 weeks, mainly the UK, but also venturing onto mainland Europe for at least 6 weeks, France and Germany, and as yet unknown eastern europe / baltic states.
Would be interested and most grateful to receive the learned opinion on the best beers to sample. My happiness is in your hands, as it were... :chug:
There are plenty of good places in Germany that I have been to and I haven't had a bad beer while I was over there. It really depends on where you will stay and how far you intend on travelling.
A lot of the large breweries distribute their beers throughout the country, however like the craft brewers in Australia, the beer is often more interesting if it is not designed by marketing departments so there is definately value in visiting some local places.
In Bavaria, where I lived for almost 15 years just about every Gasthof / Wirtshaus / Braustube (Think of a pub but very cosy) will have some good local beer. I am sure the same applies in other states.
Weizen / Wheat beer is one of the local specialties in Bavaria and I would recommend trying some of them. Further North you get some good Pilsner's but they will be the german rather than bohemian pilsners.
A quick trip to Plzen where the Pilsner Urquell originates from is worth a trip as they serve a much nicer brew than the stuff you can get here (or even in the Getraenkemarkt / Bottleshops) in Germany.
The best places I found in terms of atmosphere and food / drink are the very old traditional places that are hundreds of years old. I remember a place near Gmund am Tegernsee ( a few KM's out of Munich if you head towards Salzburg A8) which had a Witshaus where the walls were almost a meter thick. They served up a brilliant bock beer along with some pork knuckles (Schweinshaxn). Another one is Kloster Andechs which is a very well known brewery run by monks. Great beer and excellent atmostphere.
As was mentioned, you can't help but trip over great beer in Europe. In Germany you have the advantage that the Purity Law is still going strong.
Enjoy your trip. If I am lucky, I might get a leave pass for this years Oktoberfest.
Roller