Ich Bin Ein Berliner, Part II (the beer)
Speaking of hefeweizen , now (i.e. during this week, as I am wandering the streets of Berlin) seems like a good time to discuss the merits of my favorite beery quaff.
Hefeweizen is German for “yeast wheat,” which are the main ingredients. The yeast is left in the final product (at least in true hefeweizen, though some wheat beers are filtered), giving it a somewhat milky appearance. The result is a pale, light-bodied, slightly sweet, fruity-tasting end product, fabulous with a lemon slice. Belgium also produces something similar known as “white beers,” which tend to be filtered wheat blends, but with the same refreshing spirit.
When I first discovered it, I was only able to find these wheat wonders occasionally and, then, only in summer, probably because of its lightness. With the burgeoning recognition in the U.S. that there are far better options out there than the virtually undrinkable Budweiser-esque brands, now I can find the stuff year round near home.
My most recent favorite: Allagash white. I am logging what I drink abroad, however, and will report back.
In the meantime: Prost!
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May 14th, 2007 @ 10:34 am
My German friends had this, and especially the one about the “fried worms,” translated by the computer program Microsoft XP into German and they could not understand why we rolled on the floor laughing. After reading it first in German and then trying to translate what had been translated they also had a good laugh. They enjoy your writings and musings but will also do it into German to get the laugh of the day. They did NOT laugh at your writing, they just thought the way the program did it was too funny. Thanks for giving my friends hours of pleasure.