Helles

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A bottle of Augustiner Helles

Helles is a pale lager brewed in Munich. It has a light golden colour and is similar in style to pilsener only less hoppy and more malty. The most famous brand abroad is Löwenbräu (although Munich locals often consider it as being at the lower end of the spectrum of the seven traditional Munich Helles brands). Most famous in Munich itself would be Augustiner Bräu, which is also the oldest Brewery still operating in Munich (established 1328)

The word Helles is short for Hellbier or Helles Bier (meaning pale beer), in order to distinguish it from Dunkelbier or Dunkles Bier (dark beer), which is another type of beer typical for the region, being darker in colour and sweeter than Helles.

For completeness, these two types of barley-based beer should be contrasted to Weissbier, a wheat beer also very popular in Bavaria, and also available in light and dark variants (helles Weissbier and dunkles Weissbier).

At Oktoberfest in Munich, a strong version of Helles known as Wiesenbier ("meadow beer" --- the Oktoberfest is colloquially known as the "Wiesen") is often served instead of the traditional Märzen/Oktoberfest-style of beer. The style is not well-known outside Germany.