Indulgences

1. Bier

   Beer

   Usage

   The claim that German beer is governed by the 1516 Reinheitsgebot is not accurate as a statement of current law. The Bavarian decree of 23 April 1516 allowed only barley, hops and water, but today the Vorläufiges Biergesetz applies, with exceptions for exports and speciality beers, and a 1987 European Court of Justice ruling means imported beer need not comply at all. "Reinheitsgebot" now functions mostly as a marketing term

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Bier), plural die Biere. Order with "Ein Bier, bitte". Sizes are usually 0.3 l (klein) and 0.5 l (groß); Bavarian beer gardens also serve the one-litre Maß

2. Weißbier

   Wheat beer

   Usage

   A Bavarian top-fermented beer, also called Weizenbier: unfiltered it is Hefeweizen, filtered Kristallweizen. It comes in a tall 0.5 l glass of its own shape, and in Bavaria it is the drink that goes with a Weißwurst breakfast. Swiss spelling writes "Weissbier", without ß

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Weißbier): "weiß" (white) + "Bier". "Weizenbier" ("Weizen" = wheat) means the same thing

3. Pils

   Pilsner lager

   Usage

   The most widely drunk beer in Germany — 75.45% of the market in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2010. A pale bottom-fermented beer with pronounced hop bitterness; in most regions it is what arrives if you order a beer without specifying. Also spelled Pilsener or Pilsner

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Pils); the plural is unchanged. Named after the Bohemian city of Plzeň, German "Pilsen"

4. Kölsch

   Cologne top-fermented beer

   Usage

   A beer of Cologne and its surroundings only: the Kölsch Convention of March 1986 fixed the area, and it has been an EU protected geographical indication since 1997. About 4.8% alcohol. There is an etiquette to it — it is served in a slim 0.2 l glass called a Stange, and the waiter (the "Köbes") keeps replacing empties without asking. To stop, put a beer mat on top of your glass; the bill is counted from the strokes pencilled on that mat

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Kölsch). The same word is also the name of the Cologne dialect

5. Altbier

   Düsseldorf dark top-fermented beer

   Usage

   The beer of Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhine: top-fermented like Cologne's Kölsch, but darker and more bitter. The two cities have a running rivalry over their beers, so ordering the other city's brew is a standing joke. Related local styles exist nearby, such as Bönnsch in Bonn and Mölmsch in Mülheim

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Altbier): "alt" (old) + "Bier", referring to the older brewing method that predates bottom fermentation

6. Berliner Weiße

   Berlin sour wheat beer

   Usage

   A top-fermented Berlin beer with a distinct lactic sourness, protected as a geographical designation. It is normally served "mit Schuss" — with syrup: woodruff makes it green ("grün" / Waldmeister), raspberry red ("rot" / Himbeer). Plain, it is markedly sour, which is why you will be asked which colour you want

   Grammar Note

   Feminine (die Berliner Weiße) — a nominalised adjective standing in for "Weißbier". "Berliner" is uninflected

7. Radler

   Beer mixed with lemonade

   Usage

   Pale lager mixed with lemonade, typically between 1:1 and 3:2. Regional names: Alsterwasser in northern Germany, Panaché in French-speaking Switzerland and France. The north tends to use Pilsner and Austria often uses orange lemonade. It is diluted, but it is still alcoholic

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Radler); the plural is unchanged. "Radler" literally means "cyclist", which is where the drink's name is said to come from. "Alsterwasser" is neuter (das Alsterwasser)

8. Glühwein

   Hot spiced wine

   Usage

   The Advent Christmas-market staple. EU rules require it to be made only from red or white wine, with no added water and at least 7% alcohol. A version "mit Schuss" — with rum or a liqueur added — legally counts as Punsch rather than Glühwein and is considerably stronger. The cup carries a deposit ("Pfand"): return it for your money back, or keep the cup and keep the deposit paid

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Glühwein), plural die Glühweine: "glühen" (to glow with heat) + "Wein" (wine)

9. Federweißer

   Partly fermented new wine

   Usage

   Grape must caught mid-fermentation, sold only in wine regions during the autumn harvest and traditionally drunk with onion tart (Zwiebelkuchen). The sweetness hides the alcohol, so it creeps up on you, and the bottle must never be sealed tight — the fermentation gas will burst it. It keeps only a few days. Regional names: Sturm in Austria, Sauser in Switzerland, Suser / Rauscher / Bremser in southern Germany and Franconia, Neuer Wein or Bitzler in the Palatinate; from red grapes it is Federroter

   Grammar Note

   Masculine (der Federweißer), a nominalised adjective from "federweiß" ("feather-white", describing the cloudiness); as an adjectival noun its ending changes with case (der Federweiße, einen Federweißen)

10. Apfelwein

    Apple wine / cider

    Usage

    Fermented from tart apples, 5-7% alcohol, and above all the drink of Hesse and Frankfurt, where the dialect calls it Ebbelwoi. It has its own service: a glass with a diamond-cut pattern (the "Geripptes", cut so greasy hands cannot drop it) filled from a stoneware jug (the "Bembel"). Cut with mineral water it is a "Sauergespritzter", with lemonade a "Süßgespritzter". Regional names: Viez on the Moselle, "sure Moscht" in Switzerland. Hesse's apple-wine culture was recognised as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2022

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun (der Apfelwein): "Apfel" (apple) + "Wein" (wine)

11. Obstler

    Fruit brandy

    Usage

    Fermented and distilled from fruit such as apples, pears or plums; also called Obstbrand or Obstwasser. The legal minimum is 37.5% alcohol, and it is drunk after a meal from a small glass in one go. Single-fruit versions have their own names: Kirschwasser (cherry), Zwetschgenwasser (plum), Williamsbirne (pear), Mirabellenwasser (mirabelle). The Black Forest and the Ortenau are the classic producing areas

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun (der Obstler); the plural is unchanged. "Obst" (fruit) + the agent suffix -ler. The broader word "Schnaps" (der Schnaps, plural die Schnäpse) covers spirits in general

12. Riesling

    Riesling white wine

    Usage

    Germany's flagship white grape: 23,885 hectares in 2025, over 23% of the country's vineyard area. The Mosel devotes 62% of its vineyards to it, the Palatinate has the largest area, and the Rheingau is another heartland. It is marked by firm acidity and ranges from bone dry to lusciously sweet, so check the sweetness on the label: trocken (dry), halbtrocken (off-dry), feinherb (an unregulated term for roughly off-dry), lieblich or süß (sweet)

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun (der Riesling), plural die Rieslinge. As a grape-variety name it is always capitalised

13. Zigaretten

    Cigarettes

    Usage

    Smoking rules in bars and restaurants are set by each federal state, not nationally, and they differ. Bavaria, after a 2010 referendum, has banned smoking in public buildings and hospitality venues without exception since 1 August 2010. Sale to minors is prohibited and you may be asked for proof of age. To check whether smoking is allowed, ask "Darf man hier rauchen?"

    Grammar Note

    The word is plural (die Zigaretten); the singular is die Zigarette (feminine). Loose or leaf tobacco is "der Tabak", and tobacconists' signs read "Tabakwaren" (tobacco goods)

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