Augustiner Helles, Munich, Germnay

For my first Beer Crusade review, I deemed it appropriate to try one of Munich's most popular beers, the Augustiner Helles, straight from the tap. This light lager ("Hell" in German) is the top-selling variety from the Augustiner-Brau, a brewery in existence since 1328. The helles goes through double fermentation and like all beers from the region, is subject to the Bavarian Purity Law stipulating that the only ingrdients shall be grain, hops, and water. "He who knowingly violates these laws will be summarily fined!"

I found the Augustiner Helles to be light, mild, and inherently drinkable, which is a good thing considering it is typically served in one liter glass mugs. Its ABV is 5.2%, so a few too many mugs of Helles could earn you a visit to one of Oktoberfest's famed vomit troughs. I tend to prefer darker, more flavorful beers but something about drinking a giant mug of beer at 11:30am while surrounded by German men eating sausages scored the Augustiner Helles an extra half point in my book for a 3.5 rating.