A beer for beer lovers, the German-style helles is a malt accented lager beer that balances a pleasant malt sweetness and body with floral Noble hops and restrained bitterness. The helles is a masterclass in restraint, subtly and drinkability which makes it an enduring style for true beer lovers and an elusive style for craft brewers to recreate. The German helles reminds beer lovers that the simple things in life are usually the most rewarding and worth pursuing.
German-Style Helles
“Helles” means “pale in color,” as these beers are often golden. The German-style helles lager is a bit rounder or fuller-bodied than light lager and even all-malt pilsners. Helles lager beers offer a touch of sweetness that balance a measurable addition of spicy German hop flavor and light bitterness. The malt character is soft and bready, making it a terrific complement to light dishes such as salad or fresh shellfish, like clams. Clean and crisp, this is a refreshing beer with substance. Low levels of yeast-produced sulfur aromas and flavors may be common.
A Classic German Beer
While the German helles is highly versatile for pairing with food, helles lager is designed for refreshment and makes for the ideal beer on a hot day. Today, small and independent craft brewers offer their own takes on this classic German beer, many following the German tradition exactly, including German malts, spicy German hops and expertly controlled fermentation, offering a balanced yet subtly sweet lager beer. Others have added their own American twist on the helles variety by adding American hops and making this lager beer available in aluminum cans so beer lovers can enjoy this style while out and about. If you have not had the pleasure of tasting and appreciating this beer brewed for beer lovers, do yourself a favor and seek out a brewery near you that offers the style as a taproom option. You won’t be sorry.
Helping You Find Your New Favorite German Helles
We’ve assembled an interactive “Find a Brewery” map to help you keep track of all of the breweries and brewpubs near you, and some of those craft breweries are likely making helles beer. By allowing the map to use your specific location, searching by state or searching for a specific brewery, we want to help you find your next favorite craft beer, which could be a helles beer.
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