To beer or what to beer for the World Cup

For the average football fan, one thing goes hand in hand with watching their favourite team play – a cold pint of beer.

It therefore follows that fans travelling to Germany for this year's World Cup will be in seventh heaven, considering that Germany is one of the planet's beer capitals.

With hundreds of breweries and brands of beer in Germany, football fans travelling to watch the world's best players compete could be forgiven for being intimidated by the vast array of choice on offer – do you choose a Weizenbier or a Kolsch, an Altbier or a Pils?

So that holidaymakers and fans in Germany can enjoy the best of their stay this summer, the German Agricultural Society has published a guide to the best beers in the country, with hints and tips on how to spot a good one and how to order.

Around the country, the type of beer you are served varies from region to region, so it helps to know a little about what you are swigging before you go.

For example, if you are watching Sweden and England in Cologne, it is most likely you will be sipping steins of Kolsch – though perhaps steins is not the right word. One of the favoured ways of drinking this golden lager is on a metre stick, which holds twelve 20 centilitre glasses of beer.

Or if you are in Berlin to catch the samba stylings of Brazil clash with the rock-steady play of Croatia, you will most likely be sampling a Berliner Weisse beer, a sweet and sour beer if you add syrup to it.

During the World Cup, fans will be able to enjoy these beers and many others at each of the host cities' Fanfests, which will feature live football on big screens, freshly cooked food and BBQs and plenty of booze.

Below is a short outline of the types of beers you can expect to enjoy during your trip to Germany for the World Cup:

Weizenbier - A cloudy, fruity beer that is made from wheat and a special yeast. Largely found in Bavaria, you can order either dark or light strains of the drink.

Kolsch - Perhaps the closest approximation to English lager that you will find in Germany, this refreshing drink is brewed only in Cologne.

Pils - A light, golden beer that has many different variations in taste, it can be strong but the flavours are often subtle.

Altbier - More of an ale than a lager, Altbier is often fruity in taste and can be found anywhere in Germany, though its birthplace is closest to Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund.

Berliner Weisse - Unsurprisingly this wheat beer comes from Berlin, and is naturally sour in taste. Berliners and Germans in general tend to tart it up with a shot of syrup, making it great for a sunny day's drinking in the summer.

To see the German Agricultural Society's beer guide, visit www.dlg.org XXX