beer
Loading your saved state.
beer
An alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink brewed through fermentation from malt, hops, yeast, and water.
In Deutschland gibt es eine große Vielfalt an unterschiedlichen Biersorten.
In Germany, there is a great variety of different types of beer.
'Bier' (beer) can be countable or uncountable. When talking about the drink in general, it is uncountable. When ordering or talking about servings, it becomes countable, and you can also use a plural ('Biere').
Bier ist in Bayern ein Kulturgut.
Beer is a cultural asset in Bavaria.
'Bier' (beer) is part of many compound words that are often connected with German culture. Well-known examples are 'Biergarten' (beer garden), 'Bierflasche' (beer bottle), or 'Bierglas' (beer glass).
Im Sommer sitzen wir gerne mit Freunden im Biergarten.
In summer, we like sitting with friends in the beer garden.
There are typical verbs connected with beer. Beer is 'gebraut' (brewed / produced), 'gezapft' (drawn from the tap) in a restaurant, and of course 'getrunken' (drunk).
Diese kleine Brauerei braut ein sehr gutes dunkles Bier.
This small brewery brews a very good dark beer.
The phrase 'ein Bier trinken gehen' (to go for a beer) is a very common fixed expression. It means that you meet someone in a bar or restaurant, even if you might drink something else.
Wollen wir heute Abend noch ein Bier trinken gehen?
Do we want to go for a beer this evening?
ale
'Bier' and 'Ale' both refer to a brewed drink. 'Bier' is the general term for many types, with or without alcohol. 'Ale' is a specific type of beer, usually top-fermented and often with a fruity or spicy flavor. The words can be confused because ale is also beer. If you are talking about the drink in general, you say 'Bier'. If you mean this specific type, 'Ale' is more appropriate.
Zum Essen bestellt Max ein alkoholfreies Bier.
Max orders a non-alcoholic beer with his meal.
Dieses Ale schmeckt etwas fruchtiger als das normale Pils.
This ale tastes a bit fruitier than the regular pilsner.