When we visited Berlin in March 2026, we stayed in apartment above small grocery store. Every evening, I picked up a different bottle of pilsner to try.
I had no idea which brands were any good, so I lingered in the beer aisle waiting for a local to pick something. Sometimes they’d grab one or two, and sometimes they’d heft an entire crate of a dozen or more. Germany, huh?
Here are some notes I jotted down while standing in our kitchen over a pint.
Krombacher
Pretty mild all around. Light on the sweetness at the end, which I appreciate. Not much aftertaste at all. But also nothing much at the front.
Middle is where the meager body is, thankfully more hoppy than malty. Slightly sour there too. Medium bubble level. Easy to drink but forgettable. Light amber color. Smell is distantly sweet/malty.
Gutshaus
Malty lager taste at the front that quickly moves to lingering aftertaste in back of tongue. More sour than sweet. Medium-low bubble level. Medium amber color. Distant malty smell.
Overall would not guess this is a pilsner. More flavorful than the Krombacher but less crisp and drinkable. Probably doesn’t help that I’m not a lager guy.
Berliner Kindl
Medium malt flavor. More balanced than Gutshaus. Less lingering aftertaste but still there. Medium-low bubbles. Light malty smell; have to really sniff to get it. Malt taste is more sour than sweet, but not in a bad way.
Easy drinking like the Krombacher, but more flavorful. Not as crisp, but more body. Very light amber color.
Berliner Pilsner
I forgot to take notes on this one, but it was definitely my least favorite. Thin, artificial flavor. The beer pong beer of this bunch.
Now I’m wondering what the Natty Ice equivalent is for German college kids…
