A video of German chancellor Angela Merkel being doused with a tray full of beers has gone viral.

The accident took place during a Christian Democratic Union meeting in Demmin, when a waiter lost control of his tray and poured beer down Merkel's back.

She reacted well after the initial shock, smiling as staff hurriedly patted her down and enjoying her own beer.

This is not the first time she has had something unwanted on her back, although she reacted more aggressively when then US president George Bush tried to give her a back rub in 2006.