This clear, colorless fruit brandy is double-distilled from the fermented cherry mash. Because it was originally produced with sour morello cherries, it is believed that it first appeared in Schwarzwald, Germany, where the morello cherries were traditionally cultivated.
The drink is mainly produced in Germany, Austria, Alsace, and Switzerland, with various, local cherry varieties. Because cherry pits are also crushed in the process, kirschwasser is characterized by its cherry notes, pungent flavor, and mild bitter-sweet finish.
VARIATIONS OF Kirschwasser
Roggenbier is a historical rye beer style that hails from Bavaria. Although it is rarely produced these days, it was commonly brewed before the introduction of the German Beer Purity Law in 1516. The law said that only water, barley, and hops might be used to brew beer, creating unfavorable conditions for rye beers, which mainly disappeared after that.
The style was reintroduced in Germany sometime in the 1980s. Although it is not available on a wider scale, some breweries offer it as a standard or a seasonal label. Roggenbier is a beer style in which malted rye is dominant or makes at least 50%.
Rye beers are typically dark and medium to full-bodied.
XUXU is a German strawberry liqueur that is made with a combination of fresh strawberry mash, vodka, and a splash of lime to balance out the sweetness. The fruit content in the liqueur reaches the impressive 66%, and no additional sugars, apart from the natural fruit sugar, is added to the blend.
Because of its composition, XUXU displays fresh and fruity strawberry aromas and flavors. This sweet liqueur can be enjoyed as a shot, but it also perfectly blends into cocktails and long drinks. It is also commonly used in dessert-making, and it blends exceptionally well into custards and ice creams.
Maibock is a Bavarian lager style that first appeared as a special brew to celebrate the beginning of the garden season—hence the name Mai, which translates as May. Falling in the category of Bock styles, these golden to light amber beers usually have a medium body, clean and smooth malt flavors, and grainy, lightly toasted aromas with hints of spices and herbs.
They typically range from 6 to 8 % ABV, and they tend to be drier and have more pronounced hop flavors and aromas than other Bocks. Maibock is meant to be a transitional style that falls somewhere between rich winter brews and light summer versions.
Kulmbacher Bier is brewed following centuries-old traditional brewing techniques. The first monastic brewery appeared in 1349, but it is believed that communal breweries existed before that. This local beer must be brewed under German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), and it can only be made with malt, hops, yeast, and soft, locally-sourced spring water.
Various styles are available in Kulmbach, including Eisbock, Export, Pils, Festbier, and Hefeweizen. Kulmbacher Bier must be produced within the administrative borders of Kulmbach.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Swimming Pool is a German cocktail that is similar to Piña Colada. The cocktail combines equal parts vodka and white rum, pineapple juice, heavy cream, coconut cream, and blue Curaçao. To prepare the cocktail, all the ingredients except blue Curaçao are shaken with ice, and the mix is then poured into a glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
Some versions are also blended with ice. A splash of blue Curaçao is added last, and it should only partially color the drink. Lastly, it is garnished with a pineapple wedge. Swimming Pool was created by a German bartender Charles Schumann.
He probably invented it at the American Bar in Munich, and it most likely originated in the 1970s.
Eisbock is the strongest beer style that falls in the category of bock beers (bockbier). This beer style is primarily brewed as doppelbock, but then it undergoes freeze distillation—in which the water is partially frozen and then removed.
The final result is a brew with more concentrated flavors and a higher concentration of alcohol. Most eisbock beers are clear, and they may range from red to dark brown. Although they always have high alcohol content, usually between 9 to 14% ABV, the alcohol should never be harsh or overpowering.
Rauchbier is a German beer style that is associated with Franconia and the city of Bamberg. Translated as smoked beer, the style is made with smoked malt, and it initially appeared in the 14th century. At the time, using smoked malt was the standard, but the invention of drum kiln, which allowed for the malt to be dried without the exposure to the open flame, became the preferred technique in the 1880s.
However, the tradition remained in Bamberg, where the brewers stuck to the old tradition of producing beers with distinctive smoky elements. Nowadays, the style is almost synonymous with two Bamberg-based breweries: Schlenkerla and Spezial. These amber lagers are usually clean and clear with medium hop bitterness, while the aromas and flavors include a combination of smoke and malt.
Along with ale, lager is one of the two main beer categories, and in terms of production, it is the most common beer style in the world. The main distinction between lagers and ales depends on the type of yeast. Lagers use Saccharomyces pastorianus, generally known as bottom-fermenting yeasts, which ferment more slowly and at cooler temperatures than ale yeasts.
However, there are several exceptions to the rule, and some beer styles don’t necessarily fit in one category. Lagers come in a wide variety of styles, which differ in color, alcohol content, and flavors, but they tend to have a cleaner and crispier character than ales.
VARIATIONS OF Lager
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