nobeerlady

Hello, my husband and I plan to visit Germany early next year, but I admit that I'm not a big fan of beer. Well, at least the beer that I've had over here in the U.S.<BR><BR>Is there any hope for me?

Geri

Of course there is hope! You may find that after experiencing fresh, smoooth (non gassy), full bodied beer with a lush head that you can actually taste, that you may start to enjoy the beverage. But, if not, the wine is wonderful in Deutschland. They also serve excellent bottled waters and apple juice.

wes fowler

Germany is the home of some of the world's finest beers, far different than those you're exposed to in the U.S. Even the German beers you may be familiar with, Beck's, Warsteiner, Lowenbrau, taste far better in Germany than those names imported into or brewed under license in the U.S. Consider, too, that Germany is the home of some truly excellent wines; the Mosel, Rhine and Franconian regions produce truly fine wines.

BillJ

We were in Germany along the Moselle and Rhine last spring, and believe it or not, we are not wine drinkers, in one of the most reknown wine making areas on earth. Oh well, we survived quite nicely. We do like beer, but just the pilsener type, and found that Wes's comments are indeed correct. The beer tastes better over there. Our favorite German beer turned out to be Bitburger, which is available in the US, even in some grocery stores.<BR>You might like to know that the beer served in most cafes and restaurants is only 3-4%, vs. 6% or so in US (or so I've been told) Also, the standard serving is .2 liters, so you would need about 2 1/2 of their drafts to equal the alcohol in one can of ours (I think). Most of the restaurants have a sign hanging over their door, with the featured beer. Such as "Bitburger" etc. I think its kind of like the pepsi/coke wars. Anyway the featured beer is always served on tap, and we found it very good.<BR>Even if you are a tee totaller, is not a problem. Ask for coke or pepsi, some water, and you'll be just fine.

Bob

We lived in Germany when I was in the Army and my wife did not drink coffee, at all. I told her she was really missing some good stuff. Now 33 years later we go back and she loves the coffee. She cannot believe she never tried it for the two years we lived there. The same is true for German beer. I have a hard time drinking American beer when I return from Germany. Coors and Bud taste like flavored water compared to what the Germans can do. You gotta try some! Watch how long it takes them to actually poor the beer from taps in Germany because they want the full head. This is getting me thirsty.....I gotta get back to Bavaria!<BR><BR>And then there is the wine............

Buyer

Well no. They don't allow you in until you prove you can polish off a liter Stein.

xxx

Nope, they turn you away at the border if you don't drink beer! Kidding aside, I'm not a beer drinker, either, Hardly ever touch the stuff in the US. But when I go to Germany, I drink it twice a day, at lunch and dinner. It's a totally different product over there, and it tastes great. Be sure to try it, even if you don't think you'll like it. Ask for "ein bier, bitte."

Kay

I love Germany, been to Octoberfest, and don't drink beer at all.

Bob Brown

For health reasons I don't drink right now. This past summer in Germany and Austria, and last year in Austria, I never had so much as a blink of hesitation when I ordered water or something else like apple juice or tea. <BR>Ordering beer or not ordering beer is no big deal. It is no different than ordering a ham rather than a tuna sandwich at a deli. <BR><BR> I think a lot of us don't realize that in many parts of the USA we have the "alcohol is a sin" mentality. Let's face it, I have yet to see alcoholic beverages in public vending machines in the USA, whereas you can find cans of beer in machines located in Vienna Ubahn stations.

harzer

I don't drink beer at all any more, either here in Australia or in Germany, and do not encounter any social difficulties as a result.<BR><BR>All German beer is brewed, and has been for the last 450 years, in accordance with the so-called 'Reinheitsgebot', or purity law, which regulates the ingredients that may be used. These are: water, barley/wheat, hops, malt.<BR>Note that there are no preservatives or other additives in German beer.<BR><BR>German beer is also not transported over long distances (there are some 1600 breweries in Germany), people being happy to drink their local brew. And the output of each brewery is controlled to match the rate of consumption. So, you are guaranteed that the beer you are served will be rarely older than three weeks. These facts might explain the better taste of German beer.<BR><BR>It is most unusual for German beer to be served in a 0.2 liter glass. Only the famous Cologne beer called 'K&ouml;lsch' is served in this measure, to my knowledge. The more common measures are 0.33l in the northern States and 0.4l or 0.5l in Bavaria. At festival times you can find 1.0 litre mugs being used.<BR><BR>German beer can be from 2% alcohol up to 10%, the latter again specially brewed only at festival time.<BR><BR>As Bob Brown pointed out, beer, which is by the way classified as a food in Germany, is as readily available as Coke in the States. <BR><BR>Prost!<BR>Harzer<BR><BR>

Ben Haines

If you open the map of Germany you'll see two river valleys, each the home of wine. The greatest is the Rhine, with good reds and some fair whites from Mannheim to Mainz, excellent whites between Bingen and Koblenz, and strange, light, sweet whites along the Mosel river between Koblenz and Trier. The lesser is the Elbe, which has wines between Dresden and the Czech frontier. There are others a little west of there, in Saxony.<BR><BR>I like German beer well, but the wine is good, too. And if I feel like water I ask for water - nobody bats an eyelid.<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

xxxxxx

I don't think you will be allowed into Germany if you do not show that you drink beer. But seriously, GO and have a great time. Germany has more to offer than beer. There are many places to visit. <BR>We often travel to Paris and we don't drink wine. We travel to Europe and we don't smoke. We travel to many countries where there are no wash cloths. We travel to countries where people have different believes and values. <BR>Have a blast even without beer. Germany is a great place to visit and people there are really friendly to tourists.

Melissa

I don't like beer in ANY country! But I was fine in Germany in every place except one place, where the waiter made me feel like a freak for not having beer with my sausages. I did order one, but gave it to an older man at a table farther down with a wink & a smile. hee hee

Heinz Stuebben

No Beer Lady, I have taken 2 litres of locally brewed beer per day in Bremen since I was 17 years of age and have never had a kidney stone. Many of my American friends have suffered this problem. I encourage you to come to Germany and drink our good beer. You will feel refreshed and like a young school girl again!<BR><BR>Proust!

Harzer

Hi Ben!<BR><BR>How can you leave out the Ahr valley with its reds, the Nahe river with its delicate whites and the Main and its tributaries with the famous Frankenwein in the Bocksbeutel bottles. Not to be omitted either are the quaffing wines of Baden.<BR><BR>Prost<BR>Harzer

Bob

I was just in Germany and found that many bars in Berlin (bigger city) served fresh squezed fruit juices. And all bars I saw served coffee of all sorts (expresso, latte, etc). Order a bottled water and join the crowd.<BR><BR>Of course, they sell Jack Daniels in the newpaper kiosk on the S balns platforms.