Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, mainly produced in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word can be translated as 'bright', 'light', or 'pale'.
Flavour profile Helles-style beers are typically medium-bodied, mildly sweet and light-coloured, with low bitterness (15-25 IBUs) and strong malt aroma and flavour. The beer is clear due to filtration before bottling, though some restaurants and breweries offer an unfiltered version. Munich-style helles is a yellow beer brewed using cool fermentation with a lager yeast such as Saccharomyces pastorianus, bitter hops such as Hallertau hops, and an original specific gravity (prior to fermentation) between 1.044 and 1.048 (11 to 12 degrees plato), and between 4.7 and 5.6% alcohol by volume. Helles has a less pronounced hop flavour and aroma than German pilsner beers.
History Until the 1960s, Helles was universally available in German-speaking regions. In many regions, Helles was slowly replaced by pilsner-style beers, which was also driven by changing consumer preferences from draft beer to bottled beer. In regions outside of Southern Germany, Helles was regaining popularity in 2010, particularly Berlin, where the beer's traditional image has become trendy.
Distribution Helles enjoys great popularity in the Southern German regions of Bavaria, Franconia, and Baden-Württemberg. It can be referred to as , , , "Munich lager", or "export". No clear distinction is drawn between lager and export, although export typically is closer in style to Dortmunder Export, which has a slightly higher ABV of 5.5% for extended shelf life.
Examples Andechser Hell Augustiner-Bräu Lagerbier Hell Ayinger Lager Hell Bayreuther Hell Chiemseer Hell Dinkelacker Hell Erdinger Brauhaus Helles Flötzinger Hell Giesinger Münchner Hell Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Helles Hofbräu München Original Kichesippi Beer Co. Heller Highwater Löwenbräu Original Oberdorfer Helles Paulaner Münchner Hell Spaten Münchner Hell Schönramer Hell Stiegl Hell Tegernseer Hell Weihenstephaner Original Ølsnedkeren Sikkert og vist Юзберг Helles See also Beer in Germany
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