Deutsche courage!

Berlin

Beer cocktail: The city’s speciality is Berliner Weiße mit Schuß, a cocktail of beer and syrup which is red (raspberry) or green (woodruff). There are plenty of places serving home made beers and 19th century breweries like Berliner Kindl and Schultheiss are open to visitors. Incidentally, the sparkling wine called Sekt came into its own in this city.

Munich

Beer capital: The Bavarian capital is sure to give star billing to beer, and the world knows it as the venue if the Oktoberfest, which starts on the second last weekend in September and ends on the first Sunday in October. And it has the world’s most famous beer hall and restaurant, the Hofbrauhaus which is German for “court brewery”.

Stuttgart

Beer festival: It has Europe’s second largest beer fest and also is home to two breweries-Stuttgarter Hofbrau and Dinkelacker-Schwabenbrau. More than 350 wines are also served in the city’s wine bars as it is situated near a wine growing area. Family wine bars are the norm but it is a beer city...

Hannover

Beer gardens: Plenty of them around Maschsee Lake and in the Eilenriede city forest. Notably, the Ernst August brewery has homemade beer on tap all year round. At the Marksmen’s Fair, the original Lüttje Lage - a beer and schnapps speciality - is drunk from two glasses at the same time!

Hamburg

Famous breweries: Right from the 14th century Hamburg has been exporting beer so little wonder that it has two famous breweries: Holsten and Bavaria-St Pauli. The city also has a lot of tiny private breweries.

Frankfurt

Apple country: The city on the main river is famous for its apple wine and Sachsenhausen is its centre of consumption. Point to note: the wine is traditionally served in blue-grey chinaware!

Cologne

Speciality beer: Kolsch is a beer only brewed in this region and there are guided tours in the city to enlighten people about its history. Ask the waiters (called ‘Kobes’ and invariably togged out in blue sweaters and aprons) for Himmel und Ad (heaven and earth!) which is their speciality: mashed potatoes with stewed apples.

Dusseldorf

Beer mile: In the Alstadt part of the city, there are more than 260 restired pubs, breweries and restaurants and is famous for its trademark ‘Altbier’. Even Napoleon enjoyed a swig of it in 1811 in that very area! Another Dusseldorf speciality is Killepitsch, a herb flavoured liqueur with 42% alcohol!

Dresden

Elbe delights: Many beer gardens line the Elbe river. Enjoy a pilsner or a Zwickelbier (unfiltered Radeberger) from the uber-modern Radeberg Export Brewery from its tavern on the Bruhl terrace promenade. The Elbe Valley also has vineyards and local wineries offer tastings of “Saxon” wines.