Bier and Fun Times in Deutschland

Those who have met me know of my love for Europe; so diverse, so interesting and, of course, excellent beer. In my opinion, Germany is all of these things and more. It's my favourite country because I've always had a great time with the locals. Berlin is my favourite city; I first visited there in 2002 and fell in love with it the following year. Time spent in other parts has also been awesome.

Most bottle shops have a wide range of beers to try (and great prices too!)

Germany epitomizes a common mantra in life - work hard, play hard. Mine has a slight twist - work when you need to and then play hard! More to the point, in Germany you can be who you want to be and nobody cares. And if they do care, they still won't judge you. I don't judge and I don't like to be judged.

I love wheat beer but this was the first time I tried a dark wheat beer. Delicious!

Part of playing hard is the truly wonderful beer, second only to Belgian beer in my books. Sure if you received a glass with such enormous head in Australia, you'd have the right to smack the pourer over their own head, but that's the norm in Germany. If they serve it, it's delicious, whether pilsner, wheat, lager, unfiltered, bock, dark or Kölsch.

On top of the endless bottled beer available, local microbreweries also tempt the palate.

The German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) is well-known and you can taste that special difference with every sip. And when you're hanging out with old or new friends it tastes even better. I also love that there seems to be an endless number of brands anywhere you look. Oktoberfest is a unique festival but you can make your own fun in any town. Not to mention the fact that you can freely walk down the street with a bottle in one hand, while the other waves to the polizei.

Ahhh Schwarzbier...nothing like a black beer after a hearty German meal.

If you don't share my enthusiasm for Germany, please give it another go. It's the land of beer and sausages, so how can you go wrong? Next time I'm there, I'll be sure to find a bar and order a Weizen or Hefeweizen, then sit and watch the world go by.

What's your favourite place in Germany? What is their local beer like?