Beer

FRaVMotC Well Seasoned Fool (WSF) left a comment on my last post which sparked a scramble for information on my part. Specifically WSF mentioned that during his time in the army, back in the day, a popular beer in the Frankfurt-am-Main region of Germany was Henniger's.

A search for that brewery led to a lot of information on the various beers brewed by those folks. The following picture has the neatest looking bottle, so I went with that one. I'm not sure if WSF liked this one or one of the other products of that brewery.

Being a soldat, no doubt WSF would drink whatever he was able to get his hands on, that's what many of us airmen were prone to do. Back in the day. Or as my old colleague Martin (from Bavaria) would say, "My favorite beer is Freibier!" Which of course, as I had to explain to many a fellow Yank, simply means "free beer."

(I also had to explain to some of them that "Zimmerfrei" was not a hotel chain in Germany. It simply meant that someone had a room for rent.)

All that exhaustive research led me to the opening graphic. What Wikipedia calls "The Alcohol Belt". Of course, it's mostly Europe. There was a larger map of beer consumption covering the whole planet. But that wasn't as colorful. Didn't account for vodka and wine and didn't fit into my "May 1st, I remember Germany" theme.

Now one most interesting thing about that map above is that whiskey is unaccounted for. The British Isles and Ireland seem to be "all about the beer." With the notable exceptions of Cornwall and Devon where they seem not averse to having the occasional glass of wine (or three).

Another noteworthy fact on that map is that in Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and Poland they will (apparently) drink beer, wine and vodka. I don't think that means "all at the same sitting" but it appears that these folks enjoy imbibing whatever is to hand.

In Poland -
"Chcesz piwo?" (Would you like a beer?)
"Chcesz kieliszek wina?"(Would you like a glass of wine?)
"Chcesz kieliszek wódki?" (Would you like a glass of vodka?)

"Tak, proszę!" (Yes, please!)

In Norway -
"Vil du ha en øl?" (Would you like a beer?)
"Vil du ha et glass vin?" (Would you like a glass of wine?)
"Vil du ha et glass vodka?" (Would you like a glass of vodka?)

"Ja, takk!" (Yes, please!)

In Estonia -
"Tahate õlut?" (Would you like a beer?)
"Tahate klaasi veini?" (Would you like a glass of wine?)
"Tahate klaasi viina?" (Would you like a glass of vodka?)

"Jah, palun!" (Yes, please!)

I found the map interesting. A few observations I made while living in Europe -

• the beer in France is terrible
• the beer in Germany is incredible
• the red wines in France and Italy are incredible
• the white wines in those latter countries are "okay"
• the red wine in Germany is nicht so gut
• the white wine in Germany (along the Mosel River) is superb
• the gelato in Italy is too die for

Huh, what, gelato? That just popped into my head. I love gelato. After my wee trip to Italy a couple of years ago, I have developed a life long craving for gelato. I know, I know, nothing to do with beer, or wine, or vodka. It's not even German!

But I need want a gelato. Right now!

Venite per il vino, per rimanere il gelato.*

* Come for the wine, stay for the gelato. The Old AF Sarge's Italian mantra.