Beer Styles

What is a Helles? A Helles is a bottom-fermented, golden full-bodied lager with low bitterness, originating in Bavaria and now the signature beer of the Alb. Zwiefalter Klosterbräu calls its version 'Helle 1521,' referencing the year of the monastery's first beer.

The difference from a Pils lies in bitterness and malt character. A Helles is softer, bready, and without a sharp hop bite, while a Pils is more bitter and dry. The difference from a Märzen: it's lighter and paler, with lower original gravity. Original gravity refers to the dissolved sugar from the malt before fermentation.

Alongside the Helles, nearly every brewery also offers a Hefeweizen. This is a top-fermented wheat beer containing at least 50% wheat malt, which is standard practice in the industry. It smells of banana and clove, appears hazy, and produces abundant foam. Berg's Hefeweizen, according to the brewery, uses several types of grain.

Then there are specialties with names like 'Schäfleshimmel' from Berg Brauerei, a variation on the pale lager that nods to the Alb's sheep flocks. Whether every brewery makes a Schwarzbier or a Festbier depends on the house; Zwiefalten offers a Schwarzbier in its lineup.

Comparing the styles reveals their kinship quickly. Both signature beers share similarly low bitterness and rely on malt, with yeast being the key differentiator: bottom-fermenting yeast gives the Helles its clarity, while top-fermenting yeast gives the wheat beer its fruity aroma. Choosing between Helles and wheat beer, then, comes down to aroma and body rather than strength.