Germany has a reputation for loving beer and the statistics prove this to be true. It has the third highest per-capita consumption and on average each German drinks about 138 liters per year. The beer industry employs more than 65,000 workers in 1,200 breweries and German beer accounts for more than 10% of the global market.

Not only is beer a prized industry, but it is also a prized piece of heritage, protected by law. The Reinheitsgebot is the purity law that protects German beer from outside influence. It prevents the dominance of beers brewed with preservatives, stabilizers, rice maize and other flavouring.

Each beer tends to have a proper serving glass designated to it. For example Hefeweizen, Kristallweizen, and Dunkles Hefeweizen are served in tall glasses with a narrow base that widens toward the top before narrowing again slightly. On the other hand, Kölsch is served in a simple, tall, straight, cylindrical 200ml glass. Altbier is also served in a straight cylindrical 200ml glass, but it's broader and shorter than the Kölsch glass.

Berliner Weisse tends to come in a rounded goblet or a stout, straight edged tumbler. Finally, Pilsner is served in a Pokal, which is similar o an elegant elongated champagne flute. The most familiar of the beer glasses is the Krug, or in the liter case, the Mass Krug. It is traditionally an earthenware mug with a handle but the glass version, properly called a Seidel, is the more familiar one.

Although lagers are the most recognized of the German beers, there are many other varieties to choose from. There are top conditioned warm-fermented ales, wheat beers, smoked beers, and spontaneously fermented beers. Here are a few examples of styles of German beer . . .