Beer you want in Germany

Yeah, so will dirt. Not all tastes of home are worth carrying around the globe.

When I lived in Germany, I did get homesick for some things. For those things, I went home. When in Rome, drink what the Germans do, to badly mix a metaphor.

-Steve

You had a little more choice about living in Germany than the soldiers in question do.

American soldiers in Germany usually have access to an on-base shop selling goods from "back home" at subsidized prices. A local operator running a local shop near one of these bases will not be able to compete on price; it doesn't really make sense to compete with a subsidized base PX. Better for a local shop - particularly a drink shop - to provide a good selection of local products instead, as they will often be quite reasonably priced, and serve as an alternative to buying US-sourced goods on-base. Those American soldiers interested in trying local products will spread the word; those who aren't probably won't bother with many of the local businesses anyway.