Food & Beer Culture

A hearty dish pairs well with a crisp Pilsner in Saxony, and Saxon Sauerbraten is the best known. The meat marinates for several days in a mixture of vinegar, wine and spices, then is braised and served with red cabbage and dumplings. The bitterness of the Pilsner cuts through the acidity and the sauce.

Potato soup with sausages is a simpler counterpart, a classic found in Dresden's taverns. The beer washes the smoke and fat from the palate without competing with the soup.

There are sweet pairings too. Quarkkeulchen are small fried cakes made from potatoes and quark, and Dresdner Eierschecke is a sheet cake layered with quark and egg custard. Both traditionally belong more to coffee time than to beer, and anyone drinking a Pilsner alongside them will notice the bitterness more sharply than usual.

In Dresden and Radeberg, brewhouses are part of the cityscape. The Brauhaus am Waldschlösschen continues to pour, and Radeberg has a Beer Town Trail that winds through the town. In Radeberg, the brewery offers tours, though dates change, so it's best to inquire locally.

The Saxon Beer Route also connects breweries across the whole region. Here, a glass of beer comes with calm, conversation and time to take things in; the usual serving size is the small tankard or the half-liter glass. Anyone driving or wanting to drink less can order a small beer or an alcohol-free Pilsner.

Festivals around the Elbe slopes and the Striezelmarkt during Advent are also popular. There, though, stollen and mulled wine take center stage, and Pilsner finds its place more at the edges of the festivities.