Beer Styles

Dortmunder Export, known in competition terminology as "German Helles Exportbier," is a golden, bottom-fermented full-strength beer. It's stronger and maltier than a Pils, but less sweet and less bitter than one might expect. The head is white and firm, and the finish is mildly dry.

What sets Export apart from Pils? In a Pils, the hops take center stage; in an Export, the malt does. According to the BJCP, a German Pils has 22 to 40 IBU and 4.4 to 5.2 percent alcohol. Export comes in at 20 to 30 IBU and 5 to 6 percent, and it's usually a touch darker and rounder.

And compared to a Munich Helles? Munich Helles has a lower original gravity and is built entirely around malt sweetness. Export is more robust and drier, and usually carries more bitterness.

These figures are a competition range, not a rule. Individual beers may fall above or below them, and some brands even carry their original gravity in the name. The label is the only reliable source of information.

Even the word "Export" alone tells you little. The term is used worldwide for export-style beers. Dortmunder Export is a specific style developed in this city. Taste it, and you'll find a beer that, after more than 150 years, still stands as a benchmark for balanced lagers. Pils is a different story altogether. By comparison, Export feels warmer and softer, and pairs easily with a leisurely meal. It's still brewed today by breweries like DAB and Union, and the name Dortmunder Bier remains tied to the city as a Protected Geographical Indication.