Below you will find listings of the very best beers and pubs in this guide.
These are the ones definitely worth making a detour for.

The numbering does not indicate any order of merit.

Helles and Pils

1. Gasthof Schöre (Dietmannsweiler). Helles
Overpowering full hoppy aroma and taste, very moorish and unique.
2. Hausbrauerei Feierling (Freiburg). Pils
Called "Inselhopf". Pale, unfiltered, very hoppy, refreshing and slightly bitter with a stammwürze of 13°.
3. Calwer Eck (Stuttgart). Helles
A fine refreshing slightly fruity unfiltered Naturtrub.
4. Zum Stiefel (Saarbrücken). Helles
12% Stammwürze, 4.5% Alc. A smooth refreshing Pils type Helles.
5. Zwolf Apostel (Frankfurt). Pils
Unfiltered with a very hoppy aroma and quite bitter.
6. Michaeli Bräu (Bretten). Pils
12.4% Stammwürze, very well hopped (Hallertau) ranks amongst the very best Pils.
7. Alter Bahnhof (Malsch). Helles
An unfiltered, well balanced brew with excellent tettnanger hop character, highly drinkable.

Dunkel

1. Körpricher Landbräu (Nalbach-Körprich). Dunkel
Smooth and creamy with a good full flavour and a lovely roast malt aftertaste. Best in Saarland.
2. Hausbrauerei Grünstadt (Grünstadt). Dunkel
Chestnut brown colour, very smooth, strong roast malt aftertaste. Best dark beer in Rheinland Pfalz.
3. Zum Stiefel (Saarbrücken). Dunkel
Very smooth dark beer.
4. Ratskeller Brauhaus (Darmstadt). Dunkel
Called "Spezial" smooth, malty and slightly sweet.
5. Domhof (Speyer). Dunkel
A very tasty dark beer, soft on the palate.
6. Gasthof Schöre (Dietmannsweiler). Dunkel
Dark chocolate colour same heavy hoppiness as the breweries Hell, smooth malty flavour, slightly dry aftertaste.
7. Alter Bahnhof (Malsch). Dunkel
Smooth dark amber coloured Dunkles, outstanding malty aroma and taste.

Weizen

1. Andreas Bräu (Eggenstein Leopoldshafen). Weizen
Summer Weizen beer is exceptional with a pronounced banana aroma.
2. Jupiter Brauhaus (Sinsheim Steinsfurt). Weizen
Excellent full bodied Weizen with an almost extreme Banana aroma and taste. Considerably less carbonated than is usually the case for a Weizen.

Märzen

1. Eisgrub Bräu (Mainz). Helles Märzen
Served in stone mugs at a good temperature, smooth and malty.
2. Brauhaus Wiesenmühle (Fulda). Helles Märzen
Copper coloured, unfiltered, yeasty, malty nose, very lively in character, well hopped with a hint of lemonade.
3. Kleines Rüsselsheimer Brauhaus (Rüsselsheim). Helles Märzen
Coppery coloured Helles which is a good Munich style drinking beer.

Bock and Special brews

1. Vulkan Brauhaus (Mendig). India Pale Ale
One of the finest examples of this beer style, very rare in Germany and is the equal of the best IPA's from the UK or US. Stammwürzegehalt 17 %, Alc. 7,0 %, a complex beer that deserves wider recognition.
2. Andreas Bräu (Eggenstein Leopoldshafen). Maibock, Doppelbock
Excellent full bodied examples of Bock. The Doppelbock is not sweet like most examples from other breweries.
2. Alte Pfalz (Schwetzingen). Dark Bock
Feuerio Tropfen, At 9% this is a strong brew but its wonderful aroma and taste should not be missed. Not easy to find !.
3. Lindenbräu (Waldbronn). Maximator Doppelbock
One of the strongest beers available on draught in Germany. Maximator has a delightful complex aroma and taste which is reminiscent of the old Reichelbräu Icebock of similar strength. Only available during February.
4. Schmucker (Mossautal). Doppelbock Dunkel
The quality of the water and its soft nature in this area gives rise to a very smooth quality beer. Doppelbock which is available from November to February is exceptional.
5. Alter Bahnhof (Malsch). Doppelbock Dunkel
Smooth dark and malty, outstanding aroma and taste. One of the very best.
6. Wichtel (Ditzingen). Maibock
Excellent Maibock, unfiltered, coppery colour, full bodied, hoppy with a bitter aftertaste. The Wichtel Brewery is one of only a few left which produce such a fine example.
7. Brauerei zum Rossknecht (Ludwigsburg). Maibock
One of the finest examples of this style of beer in the guide, hoppy, sweet and very smooth.
8. Hagenbräu (Worms). Heller Maibock
Seasonal beer, 16% Stammwürze 7% Alc., very pale, almost clear, very fruity and lively. Really a Helle Bock rather than a classic Maibock.
9. Vogel Bräu (Karlsruhe). Rauch Beer
Rauch beer of a quality unequalled outside of Bamberg.

Best Brewery Pubs

1. Brauhaus Wiesenmühle (Fulda). Hausbrauerei
One of the most tasteful breweries in Hessen with an excellent choice of quality beers. location by the river is calm and the watermill actually works. Accommodation is first class with the rooms at the back overlooking the watermill. The pub area has many rooms in the Bavarian style and a very large beergarden.
2. Andreas Bräu (Eggenstein Leopoldshafen). Hausbrauerei
Modern building has a well designed open bar structure with the brewery visible in one corner. It is particularly nice to see people of all ages in the pub and it has become a real community centre. Excellent choice of seasonal beers.
3. Zum Stiefel (Saarbrücken). Hausbrauerei
Started life as a brewery back in 1702. The pub is full of tradition and style with friendly service and excellent Saarlandische food dishes, which naturally means that without table reservations it is very difficult to find a place to sit.
4. Calwer Eck (Stuttgart). Hausbrauerei
Brewery supplied and installed by Luitpold von Bayern, a very busy pub. Atmosphere rather like an american brewpub. The beer is usually served here in 0.2 L glasses to guarantee always having a fresh product in front of you. Service is quick and friendly when you need a refill.
5. Hagenbräu (Worms). Hausbrauerei
Situated on the west bank of the river Rhine this excellent brewpub has plenty of seating both inside and outside and offers high quality seasonal beers and good meals. In Winter the beergarden is still partly open and covered by canvas with huge gas heaters inside to keep it warm which is quite unusual.
6. Brauerei zum Rossknecht (Ludwigsburg). Hausbrauerei
The brewery is 10 years old although the building is much older and there are a number of drinking areas within. This pub is justifiably very popular and is an essential stopping point for all lovers of great beer and good food.
7. Eisgrub Bräu (Mainz). Hausbrauerei
Occupying the premises of the old city ice storage cellars, this friendly brewpub is well worth a visit for its excellent beer and atmosphere which is in stark contrast to many of the more modern brewpubs. The arched shape of the cellar means that one can hear most of the conversations echoing from the other tables and makes it a good place to study how life goes on in Mainz.
6. Gasthof Schöre (Dietmannsweiler). Hausbrauerei
Just outside Tettnang which is world famous for its hops. A fully operational farm with hop picking and packing outhouses as well as a spotlessly clean brewery. As they have their own farm animals the food is also first class and everything can be enjoyed in the Bavarian style guesthouse or in the beergarden where there are facilities for children. Outstanding beer.


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