Bitburger Drive

Bitburger Brauerei are a German brewery founded in 1817, which feels like an introduction I’ve written for many different German brewers. The 1800s must have been the century of beer explosion in Deutschland – maybe brewing laws had become less strict, or an abundance of ingredients were available, or the populace had more income to spend on beer. Maybe I’ve just written too many of these intros…

Founded in the city of Bitburg (then merely a rural town) by Johann Peter Wallenborn, by 1877 the brewery had a yearly output exceeding 1,000 hectolitres, and was soon available in bottles throughout Germany. By the end of the 19th century their output was at 10,000 hectolitres, and nowadays this has rocketed to 3.8 million hectolitres per year. Currently number three on the list of Germany’s best selling beers, it’s a favourite throughout the many beer-producing regions of the country. Up until now, the only contact I’ve ever had with the Bitburger brand is an old beer glass that my dad ‘acquired’ from a restaurant in the former Yugoslavia, and which was always in the glassware cupboard as I was growing up. It may even still be intact, I’ll have to ask my dad next time I see him. So here it is, my first Bitburger beer, and it just happens to be alcohol-free!

Pouring out from the bottle we get a deep golden coloured liquid with good clarity and some visible carbonation. We get a small fluffy head, though this is short living. On the nose we get some mild malt sweetness, grains, herbal hop aroma and a touch of cracked black pepper.

Tasting the beer we get malt up front, transitioning into some herbal hop bitterness. Very standard pilsner-style flavours here. The carbonation level is decent, starting off high but then becoming muted and more creamy. The mouthfeel is very good, though the first initial sip does start rather watery. We get a dry, slightly bitter finish.

What can I say, this is a good standard pilsner lager, not too sweet and with a decent hit of bitterness, and good mouthfeel. It doesn’t shake my world, but I’d happily drink this again. I’ve been reliably informed this is almost identical to it’s alcoholic brethren, so if you’re a Bitburger fan wanting to regulate your alcohol intake, this is definitely for you.

Buy Bitburger Drive

You might spot Bitburger Drive behind the bar in a few pubs, but it’s readily available online from one of the following drinks shops:

Nutritional Information (per 100ml, taken from the side of the bottle)
ABV	0.0%
Energy	22 kcal
Fat	0g
Carbohydrates	5.1g
Sugar	0g
Protein	0.5g
Ingredients
Water, Malted Barley, Hops, Hop Extract