Helles
Helles means pale, and Munich helles is the city's everyday golden lager. It was brewed to compete with pilsner but is gentler: less bitter, more malt-led and softer in body. It is the beer in the liter mugs at Munich's beer gardens, and it is made for drinking a lot of.
Food pairings
- Weisswurst and pretzels
- Roast chicken
- Soft cheese
Glassware and serving temperature
Mug or willibecher41 to 45°F (5–7°C)
What it tastes like
Fresh bread and a touch of honey from the malt, a faint floral hop note and a clean, rounded finish. Bitterness is low. Compared with a pilsner it is sweeter and softer; compared with an American lager it has far more malt flavor.
Where it comes from
Pilsner swept Germany in the second half of the 1800s and Munich's dark lagers looked old-fashioned. Spaten brewed the first helles in 1894 as a pale answer to it. It took decades to win Munich over, but by the 1950s it had become the city's standard beer.
How to serve it
5–7°C in a mug or a tall willibecher glass. Freshness counts: it is a delicate beer that shows its age.
What to eat with it
Weisswurst, pretzels, roast chicken, schnitzel, salads and soft cheese. It suits almost any light food.
