Europe’s most powerful woman was happy to shake the hands of Brisbane punters and take selfies before popping into a local bar for a beer on Friday night.

Pictures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel mingling with locals at Caxton St bar Brewski have caused a social media flurry.

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One woman, who saw Ms Merkel before she entered the bar, said the chancellor greeted most of the 70 people that had gathered upon seeing her motorcade drive up the road.

The crowd cheered as Ms Merkel got out of the car, the woman known only as Sarah told ABC radio.

“We expected her to be ushered inside really quickly. But she didn’t, in fact, she chose to come over.”

Sarah said the German leader was happy to shake hands and even indulged in a picture with Sarah’s friend.

“She was very kind. My friend said ‘oh, can I get a quick selfie?’. She (Merkel) checked with her security detail, they gave her a nod and she popped in for a quick photo.”