German craft beer

After drinking beer since I was 14 (Which happened about 32 years ago...) I can assure you that you WILL end up with a headache if you mix stuff too happily. Or maybe that is because we drink beer in 1 liter mugs which hold 3 times the beer your puny US bottles can hold...?

 

Well, there's a right way to do things and many perversions.

 

More hops makes everything better -- just look at the BA top beers!

 

Only place I ever had a hangover in Europe was Austria and I mixed my styles and brands all over Southern Germany! I have to believe it's more quantity than anything.

'Course, then there's the danger of adding a little Schnaaps to the mix...

 

By the way, we have a lot of large servings over here -- we just like to share more.

 

I'll tell you what I really think about that after a few beers, should we ever meet in person.

 

After 8 Mass (= 24 puny US sized beers) even you might think differently.

 

I know your portion sizes when it comes to food or soda, I've been there once or twice, remember ? Your beer sizes still are puny. It's almost like you're ashamed of your beer.

 

Not sure what you're pointing out here (other than a crazy move by anyone), my comment was "I have to believe it's more quantity than anything." So I'm not exactly thinking differently.

Downing a case of beer in a sitting is far from healthy and not something I've chosen to do for many years (no matter what my wife might tell you, I have matured a little over my time ). While traveling Bavaria I would probably have a Maß or three in an evening -- the night in Salzburg went a little beyond that... sometimes revelry is everything.

 

Did you look at the link? Those jugs are the same size as a Maß.

 

“Germans aren't exactly known as risk takers, no matter the potential reward.” But some German businesses are taking risks. Radeberger and Bitburger have decided to produce craft beers; that is a risk. The Berlin Bier Shop has decided to offer a wide selection of beers to their customers. Pax Brau is producing craft beers. I recognize this is a small portion of the overall beer industry but it is a start.

Prost

 

Needless to say but that sentence was not specifically intended for you since you live in Franconia and you appear to be very happy with the status quo. It was more intended for the other folks in Germany who make comments like: such-and-such is a beer wasteland, if you want good beer in the city of xyz you need to get on the train and go to some other city, you will only find three types of beers in the region of blah-blah, etc.

My hope is really for those other folks.

Not everybody has a good friend like Stahlsturm who is willing to shop and deliver good beer to their doorstep.

Prost!

 

“Swiss is not available for a cheesesteak, at least nowhere in Philly that I've ever been,”

Yes, Swiss cheese is not offered at ‘standard’ shops like Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, etc. Just so you know, you can get cheesesteaks at ‘regular’ restaurants too. I have had Swiss cheese on cheesesteaks in the Philly area; I ordered them at ‘regular’ restaurants vs. a cheesesteak shop.

You see, in America (Philly) we have the freedom of choice to obtain food (cheesesteaks) at multiple types of retail businesses. If you don’t like the choices at cheesesteak shops you have the option to go to a restaurant of your choosing and get it the way you want.

To use a homebrewing analogy, you can even make your own cheesesteaks any way you want. I buy the steak (I call it chip steak) at a meat shop, I buy the rolls at a bakery/supermarket (I could even buy a ciabatta roll if I was so inclined but I prefer Amoroso’s rolls personally), whatever cheese you want (I prefer provolone), onions and whatever toppings you want. You can even add tomato and lettuce; that is called a cheesesteak hoagie (a twofer!).

Cheers!

P.S. You can know get cheesesteaks nationwide (even in Maryland). There are numerous stores (which are franchises) which ‘specialize’ is selling Philly style cheesesteaks.

 

Oh I know, I used to try as many as I could before coming to the conclusion that it just wasn't right outside of the general Philly area (there was a place in Seattle that came close, though). My point was to emphasize that it makes no sense to go out of your way for something when you have so many good options in your own backyard. In my own weird way, I'm trying to draw a parallel for you as to how German drinkers may think.

 

“ …how German drinkers may think.” I recognize that the majority of German beer drinkers only want to drink the same local beers. I ‘lived’ that in that my father would only drink Piels Genuine Draft beer; the same beer over and over and over. Then we had the craft beer movement, his son Jack started to homebrew and lo and behold my father wanted (and enjoyed) drinking my homebrewed beers. It got to the point that I was my father’s Stahlsturm; I was delivering homebrewed beers to him on a regular basis since he didn’t enjoy drinking his same old local beer anymore.

I may be off base here, but if my father could ‘change’ his beer drinking choices (at an old age) then I think there is potential for changes in the German beer drinkers choices. Time will tell.

Cheers!

 

I do not.

 

Doh! Sorry about that: "Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate."

Prost!

 

Neither Radeberger nor Bitburger can per definition produce anything even remotely resembling "craft beers". And to them it's not a risk, if they tank their little experiment they have a handsome tax write-off.

 

It was more convenient for your Dad than having to buy his own ?

 

I know what a "growler" is and I also know that people look at you like you're insane when you order a pitcher for yourself and another for your wife in a brewpub and then merrily drink straight from the pitcher.