Inside Germany's beer obsession, from a 5,000-metre beer pipeline to home-brewing championships

Temperatures are slowly climbing, the days are getting longer, and summer is just around the corner. For an evening with friends or a barbecue with the World Cup, the right drink is key. Germany prides itself on being a nation of beer.

Oktoberfest attracts millions of visitors annually, and last year around 6.5 million maß (a large glass mug containing exactly 1 litre of beer) were served at the counters. To dig a bit deeper into Germany's love affair with beer, Euronews has taken a look at some of the country's most interesting beer ideas. Germany even has its own home-brewing championship. Last year's winner was Jan Mordhorst, who beat out around 200 other competitors to claim the title. "Altbier is a demanding style," the 2025 winner said at the award ceremony. The recipe is now freely available online so other home brewers can recreate it. Mordhorst also had some tips for anyone thinking of following in his footsteps. "Ideally, the wort should be fermented in a cask or pressure fermentation tank," he said. "Once maturation is complete, the beer is carefully drawn off from the top using a floating dip tube and then bottled under counter-pressure. This produces an especially clear beer." His prize: 400 litres of his own beer and a non-cash prize of his choice, such as an upgrade to his brewing kit or his own dispensing system worth 2,500 euros, donated by the competition organiser, Störtebeker Braumanufaktur. The beer will go on sale in spring. In 2026, to mark the 10th-anniversary edition, the competition will be on beers in the wheat bock style.

Key points

• Oktoberfest attracts millions of visitors annually, and last year around 6.5 million maß (a large glass mug containing exactly 1 litre of beer) were served at the counters.
• To dig a bit deeper into Germany's love affair with beer, Euronews has taken a look at some of the country's most interesting beer ideas.
• Germany even has its own home-brewing championship.
• Last year's winner was Jan Mordhorst, who beat out around 200 other competitors to claim the title.
• "Altbier is a demanding style," the 2025 winner said at the award ceremony.