Tasting

Anyone wanting to taste beer in Ingolstadt has plenty of choice: an overview lists six breweries for the city. Good examples include Herrnbräu's Hefeweißbier Hell and Premium Pils, plus its seasonal Tradition beer. Nordbräu's range includes Pilsner, Helles, Weissbier, and Kellerbier.

Pilsner is best tasted from a Pilsner tulip glass. The slim stem keeps your hand away from the beer, and the shape captures the aromas. A Weissbier belongs in a tall wheat beer glass, wider at the top than the bottom, which supports the foam. Helles is often served in a mug or handled glass in the pub, as is common throughout Old Bavaria.

More important than any number is making sure the beer isn't served too cold. A Pilsner can be served fresh and cool, but a Helles—and especially a Weissbier—loses its aromas in icy conditions. No one here gives a hard-and-fast temperature. If you want to really taste a Weissbier, wait a moment until the glass fogs up slightly.

When pouring a Weissbier, one trick helps: tilt the glass, angle the bottle at the end, and swirl to stir up the remaining yeast from the bottom of the bottle. Kellerbier is usually unfiltered and naturally cloudy, showing its yeast visibly, with malt coming through strongly in the aroma.

Tasting follows the same rules everywhere: smell first, then sip in small amounts, and judge the bitterness last. If you're driving, order a non-alcoholic beer—Nordbräu states it offers alcohol-free versions too.