Beer, Beer, Beer

Is this what comes to mind when you think of beer in Germany? Then read on...

No, she's not presenting her personal collection of beer coasters. The company she works for, Katz from Weisenbach, is getting ready to show off their wares at a brewing trade fair in Nuremberg.

Pilsner, or <i>Pils</i>, is a favorite in Germany, though it originally comes from the Czech city of Plzen. It is generally served in a long, rounded glass with a stem.

Beer is so beloved in Germany that it's even been given a special day. April 23 is celebrated annually as German Beer Day. But beer is also drunk on all other days of the year.

Fresh from the tap is always best.

Caution: Objects in photo are larger than they appear. These beer glasses are not miniatures -- the soccer field near Ratingen is life-size, the inflated vessels larger-than-life. What better way to usher in the 2006 soccer World Cup?

Preparations for the pope's September 2006 visit to Bavaria were extensive. Security, transportation, speeches -- everything had to be arranged, including the specially labeled six packs. Some faithful souls in the pontiff's Bavarian birthplace, Marktl am Inn, were so enthusiastic about welcoming him back that they created "pope beer" -- or at least pope labels.

Every city and town in Germany has its own beer and this one, called <i>Kölsch</i>, is from Cologne. It is generally served in short, narrow glasses. The small portion, however, hasn't stopped anyone from consuming large quantities.

According to the German Beer Purity Law, which dates back to the early 16th century, beer may only contain malt, hops, water -- and plenty of tradition.

Tourists are apparently not the only ones who like to collect beer steins. Heinrich Kath from Cuxhaven has filled an entire barn with 20,000 of them. They're arranged according to theme -- army, animals, city emblems, and many, many more. Kath's favorite beer? Actually, he doesn't drink the stuff.

At Oktoberfest, the glasses hold a liter (or a <i>Maß</i>, about a quarter of a gallon) of beer. "Just a couple of beers" takes on a whole different meaning.

Next to Oktoberfest, Germany's second biggest beer festival is called <i>Bergkirchweih</i> and takes place in the southern German town of Erlangen. The event is named after the consecration of a church located in the outskirts of the Bavarian town.

In Germany, it's very important to look the other person in the eyes when touching glasses as you make a toast. If you don't, according to local superstition, you're in for seven years of bad sex. Well, say some, bad sex is better than none!

Hermann Dörnemann had been the oldest man in Germany before he died last year, shortly before his 112th birthday. His secret? A beer a day.

<i>Schwarzbier</i> (black beer) is a bottom-fermented beverage. This one comes from the Köstritz Black Beer Brewery in Thuringia. The employees of the brewery have to attend a weekly beer tasting. Talk about job perks!

The warm, chewiness of a freshly baked pretzel and the crisp refreshment of a cold beer straight from the tap create the perfect marriage of flavors and ... You've gotten the point: at a beer garden you can't have one without the other.

Beer is not just a fine beverage to be enjoyed on a hot summer evening, in a pub with friends, or at a sporting event. It can also serve as a muse for fine art. Visitors to Munich can now appreciate the aesthetics associated with beer at the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, which opened in 2005.

Germany's biggest sex shop chain, Beate Uhse, produced a beer that they claim can even increase libido and potency.

In Germany, children of 16 can legally drink beer (though you have to be 18 to buy the hard stuff). So don't be alarmed that this high school girl is doing a research project on how much Vitamin B6 is in beer -- and sampling the results. The winner? Weizenbier, she said.

Want a beer? Or 10? Nicole in Rostock recommends Zwickelbier, a fresh brew that is served right after it's brewed and isn't stored.

Star goalie Oliver Kahn sips his Bitburger Pils in Frankfurt in front of a sprawling audience after returning from the 2002 soccer World Cup in Japan and South Korea.