Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Germany Part 3: Beverages...Adult and Otherwise

The Germans LOVE their coffee...and Schnapps...and Beer!

At 4:00 every afternoon all of Deutschland seems to come to a halt...it's COFFEE TIME!!!! If one is out and about, finding a place in one of the numerous cafes to enjoy a machiato and some apple strudel is a must. If home, the table is set, the coffee is poured and a most delicious slice of Plum cake appears with a huge dollop of whipped cream. This scene was repeated every day while we were in Germany no matter where we were or who were were with. Now I like a little afternoon Pick-me-up too, but it usually involves stopping real quick at a counter and getting a cappuccino or cup of tea in a paper cup with a lid, heading out the door and continuing on with the busy day. (side note....I never have liked German cars because they don't have cup holders....I always wondered how they manage to hold their coffee with out making a mess on the way to work...or to run errands... or for that 4:00 caffeine need...) By Day 4, I too looked forward to (drum roll) COFFEE TIME!!! There is something so peaceful about taking a break in the day and just stopping to enjoy the moment. I vow never to pull up to a Starbucks drive-thru again!
   And what would a trip to Germany be without Beer??? I took a wonderful picture of my husband drinking his first Beer on German soil in over 30 years in the Lovely little town of Boppard on the Rhine River. We stayed there on our first night to get adjusted before beginning the family rounds. Most unfortunately that photo, along with so many others from those first few days where accidentally erased.
   Fortunately the cousins had the beer waiting:

The ladies often mixed their beer with sprite or coke....I couldn't quite go with that custom, but I did really like the peach beer!

           
No matter who's house we went to...especially the octogenarian Aunts and Uncles, The schnapps hit the table as soon as we sat down
At all the restaurants as well as homes,  were were served Schnapps following dinner to "settle our stomachs." Sometimes it took an entire bottle to do the trick.  I should not have any tummy issues for years to come.
A favorite of all our hosts was SaaseKorn. It is Brewed right in Schoppingen. The beverage was wonderful, but I really liked the Sasse house in the middle of town:

                                  


One particular night we indulged in a wee bit too much Sassekorn along with a very special bottle of Malt Whiskey brewed in the nearby town of Coesfeld that Hans had been saving. Any lingering Language barriers were completely washed away! And the rest of the story is for the pictures to tell:





3 comments:

Kate @ Daffodils said...

O you crazy kids

Sue ~ Granny's World said...

Interesting outfit, is it especially for drinking in?

MarmePurl said...

Appently they were costumes for some sort of a festival. This was day 3 of the trip and I was just following along trying to be a good guest...
Honestly.