Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, mainly produced in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word hell can be translated as "bright", "light", or "pale".
Flavour profile
Helles-style beers are typically full-bodied, mildly sweet and light-coloured, with low bitterness. The beer is clear due to filtration before bottling,
though some restaurants and breweries offer an unfiltered version.
[ Schanzenbräu Hell] Munich-style helles is a yellow beer brewed using cool fermentation with a
lager yeast such as
Saccharomyces pastorianus, bitter hops such as
Hallertau hops, and an original specific gravity (prior to fermentation) between 1.044 and 1.053 (11 to 13
plato scale), and between 4.5 and 6% alcohol by volume. Helles has a less pronounced hop flavour than German pilsner beers.
History
Until the 1960s, Helles was universally available in German-speaking regions. In many regions, Helles was slowly replaced by
pilsner-style beers,
which was also driven by changing consumer preferences from draft beer to bottled beer. In regions outside of Southern Germany, Helles was regaining popularity in 2010, particularly
Berlin, where the beer's traditional image has become trendy.
Distribution
Helles enjoys great popularity in the
Southern Germany regions of
Bavaria,
Franconia, and Baden-Württemberg. It can be referred to as Helles, Spezial, Landbier, "Munich lager", or "export". No clear distinction is drawn between lager and export, although export typically is closer in style to Dortmunder Export, which has a slightly higher
ABV of 5.5% for extended shelf life.
Examples
-
Andechser Hell
-
Augustiner-Bräu Lagerbier Hell
-
Ayinger Lager Hell
-
Bayreuther Hell
-
Chiemseer Hell
-
Dinkelacker Hell
-
Erdinger Brauhaus Helles
-
Flötzinger Hell
-
Giesinger Münchner Hell
-
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Helles
-
Hofbräu München Original
-
Kichesippi Beer Co. Heller Highwater
-
Löwenbräu Original
-
Oberdorfer Helles
-
Paulaner Münchner Hell
-
Spaten Münchner Hell
-
Schönramer Hell
-
Stiegl Hell
-
Tegernseer Hell
-
Weihenstephaner Original
-
Ølsnedkeren Sikkert og vist
-
Юзберг Helles
See also
