Outside Franconia, within Bavaria, Germans very rarely order “a lager”, which simply means “store” and refers to the cold maturation process which stabilises beer. If a German wants a lager beer, he will usually specify which style. If it’s an easily drinkable golden lager of modest alcohol content, he will ask for a Hell or Helles.

A lager higher in alcohol, and more assertive, will be a Pils (or Pilsner, or Pilsener); and if the requirement is something more substantial again, then it will be an Export from Dortmund, though today the Dortmunder is increasingly harder to find. You sometimes see a lager with a full, copper-red colour and a malty-sweet aroma and palate. It bears the legend Märzen and/or Oktoberfest. Its sweetness goes well with German noodle dishes, chicken and pork.

Dunkles or Dunkel means “dark”. If there’s no further description, the beer is likely to be a brown, dark lager. Bock means “billy-goat”, a term applied to strong brews, usually lagers, brewed for Lent, spring, autumn and winter holidays. A May Bock usually has around 6% alcohol by volume (abv), and is typically pale and crisp for such a big beer. It’s particularly associated with the Hanseatic brewing city of Einbeck, in Lower Saxony. Traditional Bock is a speciality of the famous Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich. Doppel (Double) Bock can be found at Paulaner Salvator, in Munich; its alcohol by volume is at least 7.5%.