Hello from Germany!

Welcome to the group, Bastian and yes....international would be a good way to describe it. That's what makes it such a desirable place to visit. I'm a fairly recent admirer of Belgian products. Until recently, my experience was limited to the Chimay line; since then, I've tried wonderful products like Orval(just now), good brews like Duvel and Rochefort 12, and the superior(IMHO) Rochefort 8. Oh yeah, I've also tried Stella Artois(cause I just had to) and I've got 4 different blondes waiting for my attention. Which Belgians have impressed you?

Best regards, Bill

Herliche Willkommen, Bastian!

Yes, it's international.

Have you travelled in Franken yet? Of course you must be familiar the Duesseldorfer and Koelner traditions, and the Weizenbiere of southern Bavaria, but ... ungespundetes Kellerbier? Rauchbier? Plenty of good stuff in Germany. Drink some before it disappears forever.

"Bill Becker" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@r02.usenetserver.com...

Thank you Bill for that warm welcome.

That is a hard question. Nearly all, except the usual brands like Stella Artois, as you mentioned. I like the trappist beers, Orval is one of my favourites (and yes, I drink it with the sediment and I think that makes it even more interesting). I had the Westvleteren 12 recently in the pub "In de Wildemann" in Amsterdam and it is also great. Last year I discovered the Belgian Witbeers for myself. Hoegaarden is very nice especially on hot summer days, which we had this year. In Amsterdam I also tried the La Trappe Witbier which is quite new. Do not miss it if you have the chance! But the most interesting beers in Belgium to my mind are the Lambic-beers. I tried some Geueze over there and I like them very much. I also had some fruit beers, which in former times I thought were undrinkable, and there are some nice beers under it. But to name a favourite of mine is not possible because there are so many stiles for different situations. But I am lookind forward to discuss about that with you!

Best regards and Prost,

Bastian

Thank you very much!

Yes I was in Franken and I like them. The Rauchbier is not one of my favourites, I think it tastes like smoked ham, but I must admit it is an interesting style. The Kellerbiere are very nice but you only get them there (about 400 kilometres away).

Many greetings and Prost,

Bastian

Bitte schön ... and thanks for not reminding me that I left out the 'z' in "Herzliche."

You'd be surprised. I'm much farther away than that - more like 9000 km - and I can get St-Georgen Kellerbier and Mahr's Ungespundetes Lager here. We also have local breweries making interesting beers. I just recently tasted this year's batch of an unfiltered Festbier made in my American home city. Not bad, especially since they were giving them to me...

So do I ... but when you have big foreign companies like Interbrew and Heineken coming in and buying up the German breweries, you have to wonder. Also, a lot of old Privatbrauereien are being shut down, and with them, some interesting beers may disappear forever.

It's pretty easy to understand why you wouldn't be real fond of Stella; there are better Pilsner lagers in Germany. If you like lambic beers, though, you might want to visit the Gosenschenke Ohne Bedenken and the Bayerische Bahnhofbrauerei in Leipzig some day. You'll find modern versions of Leipziger Gose in both those places, and if there's any German beer that could be considered to a lambic or gueuze, Leipziger Gose is it. Well, there's also Berliner Weisse, I suppose, or maybe the Weizenbier served at the Pinkus-Müller Braugasthof in Münster.

No reason to name favorites. I tend not to have favorites, because naming one favorite means not naming too many other good ones!

Hello DGS!

You are right with the lagers. If I want to drink lagers I take German ones or I also like the Czech lagers. I was in the Czech Republik in September and their beer is very nice (and cheap, too, not to forget, about 60 Euro-cents per 500 ml on draught). It is really nice there and almost everywhere the beer is served very cultivated. And you are also right with the Leipziger Gose. I read a lot about this beer but I have not been to Leipzig unfortunaley. It must be very interesting. The Berliner Weisse is also sometimes nice, in Germany they mostly drink it with a shot of raspberry- or woodruff sirup, as you might know, but pure it is very refreshing and astringent, which I like. And you are right again, the Weizenbier at Pinkus I like, too.

I totally agree with you at this point and I think that one cannot name an all-time favourite (or favorite, sorry I learnt British English at school) until he had tried all beers of the world (impossible). And every time I try a new beer I am not sure if my favourites may change one day, maybe tomorrow when I open a "Stille Nacht" Christmas beer from "de dolle brouwers" from

Best regards and Prost!

Bastian

Hi,

I am a little late in responding, but let me also say "hello"

I live in Los Angeles, but next week I'll make my third visit to Germany this year -- a week or so in Düsseldorf before heading off to Amsterdam for the Bokbierfest and then a week in Belgium visiting places of historical cultural interest (that is, breweries).

Paderborn is a couple hours from Düsseldorf, nicht wahr? On Tuesday Oct 21 Obergärige Hausbrauerei zum Uerige will be serving their twice a year sticke bier and you'll find me and some friends from here there drinking many liters of this wonderful beer. There is always room for one more if you'd like to join us :)

Fred Waltman

First of all, the dates are not all that secret. Uerige Sticke is served on the 3rd Tues of Jan and Oct. Schumacher Latzenbier is on the

I was told by a brewer that the grain bill for Sticke is the same as for the regular alt, except that they don't sparge as much and so it has a higher gravity. It actually varies from brew to brew -- I've had Sticke from 6.5% to 7.5% abv. They do fiddle with the hop bill -- usually it tastes maltier but that may just be the higher gravity. The one this past January seemed to be dry hopped -- MJ says they somethimes do that but this was the first I'd tasted it, thought its also the only time I've tasted a January Sticke.

Schumacher Latzenbier is just a bigger, maltier version of the regular Schumacher.

The interesting thing is that Sticke *replaces* the regular beer. If you go to Uerige on Oct 21 and order a beer you will get Sticke. They serve it until in runs out, then switch back. Usually they will have it for a little bit the next morning, but they have told me they have sold out the first day.

I do like the Sticke, but the regular alt is a bit more drinkable -- the higher finishing gravity of Sticke fills you up much quicker.

I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it.

Fred Waltman

"Fred Waltman" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Hello Fred!

You are right, Paderborn is about 2 hours by train from Düsseldorf. Your offer sounds interesting. I did not try the sticke yet but I would like to. I visited your homepage and it seems that you are having a lot of fun tasting beers. Originally I also wanted to visit the Amsterdam Bokbierfestival but as I am moving into a new flat there is no money left to travel there. But as Düsseldorf is not that far and easy to travel I will try to be there on 21st if my boss does agree (and my girlfgriend, which will be more complicated). What are your exact plans for that day? Also visiting the Füchschen (I was there and I like it) or other brewpubs?

Many Greetings,

Bastian

I'll be there, too! Will arrive Amsterdam 16 Oct, stay until 21, when we go to Dusseldorf for the Sticke! Brugge on 22-24 to visit deGarre and Daisy's bar. Then Poperinge for the Saturday/Sunday Festival at the Palace hotel. Perhaps I'll run into you!

Can't wait to see my friends at d'Wildeman an t'Arendsnest. Oh, and all those Dutch girls!

-Jim

Jim,

I send you an email, but if you don't read that acct could you send me an email.

Thanks,

Fred.

I replied, but it bounced....

I'm spending the night of the 21st there. It looks like your trip is exactly the opposite of mine. I'll arrive Amsterdam 16 Oct and stay there until my friend Craig arrives from Czechoslovakia the 20th (Monday). We're taking the 9AM train to Dusseldorf, and should be at Uerige by noon, if all goes well. I'll head to Brugge for Wed-Fri.

I'm staying in Poperinge Sat-Sun, will attend festival at the Palace.

I'll be there! Hmmm....haxe. What's that?