Franconia Beer Message Board

Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...)
Posted by Barry Taylor on 2019-06-06 08:52:54
I can't say that I found G & U particularly welcoming but maybe they just didn't like us - hard to believe!  But your other two Roppelt Keller friends the late Hermann and ?? were really nice and friendly.

I vaguely recall someone telling me in Forchheim that the former owner of Hebendanz, during it's 'interesting' period was some sort of spy for the Stasi or something.  I only went there once during our first first visit and, as it was a lovely day, we sat outside.  The following day, it was closed!  To add insult to injury, Neder was Urlaub, so I had to wait until the following year to enjoy its particular delights, by which time, the customers from Habendanz had transferred their allegiance.  As you say, we used to drink Hebendanz beer in Schloessle (think that's right).  It had, shall we say, a mixed clientele but we never had any problems.  It was pub strong for FC Nurnurg and the temperature could get pretty heated if Bayern were on the telly.  Sadly, Nurnburg have just been relegated from Bundesliga 1, which leaves only Muenchen and Augusburg from Bayern.

Re eating and drinking: I don't think that there is any evidence that food affects the level of alcohol in the blood stream (it does affect the sugar content, which is why I'm often seen munching some snack or other).  You have to look at the social context to understand British drinking habits.  The tavern style places that proliferate in Franken, for example (e.g. Schlenkerla, Spezial, Faessla, etc.) largely withered away during the 19th century (though some survived) and left mainly your 'Eckkneipen' - like that word!  We tended to finish work, say around 5 or 6 pm, go home, eat tea/dinner, and then go out for the evening, drinking, going to the pictures, dancing, whatever.  After, the pubs closed (in my youth, at 10.30 pm), we were often a bit hungry, being young lads.  So we went for a meal - note, not kebabs but Indian or Chinese - after all, what's the point of having an empire if you don't gt something good out of it.

I suppose that is why I like Neder - it's the closest you can get to a proper pub - I suppose a proper Eckkneipen (good).  However, I have noticed an larming tendency for the bringing in of a a sandwich or a cut of meat to be extended to full grown picnics - do you remember all those ladies coming in with food in baskets Jason?

I had an interesting conversation wit Fred about US-licencing laws in Prague - it seems like a minefield.  Of course, one of the things that Europeans can't understand is that it is possible to buy a firearm at 18 (and even younger if from a private vendor) but you can't buy a drink until you're 21 - astonishing to us.  Florida has just raised the age for buying certain guns to 21 but no all, I believe.

Regarding alcohol on trains: not 'verboten' as far as I can see.  I see loads of people drinking cans of beer on trains and the waste bins are often full of empty bottles and cans.  On the train out of Schwandorf for Prague (an ALX), a chap came round and took our orders for drinks and we were still in Bayern.  If  you get on a train that's heading for a festival (my last experience was one going to the Kirchweih in Erlangen), slabs of beer are literally stacked up!  Last year, I saw one chap open a bottle of white wine at Ebensfled and he had finished it before we got to Forchheim, where I got off, thank goodness!
 
Followups:
                       Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by TomM on  2019-06-07 03:48:45
                         Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by AndyH on  2019-06-07 06:51:43
                           Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Barry Taylor on  2019-06-07 07:27:21
                             Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by TomM on  2019-06-07 08:27:53
                               Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Mark Andersen on  2019-06-07 11:52:10
                                 Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Mark Andersen on  2019-06-07 11:57:13
                                 Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Barry Taylor on  2019-06-08 01:56:33
                                   Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by TomM on  2019-06-08 02:39:03
                                   Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Nick B. (formerly in Erlangen) on  2019-06-08 04:33:32
                                     Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Barry Taylor on  2019-06-08 06:21:09
                                     Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by AndyH on  2019-06-10 03:37:14
                                       Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by Barry Taylor on  2019-06-10 06:42:35
                                         Weird Drinking Cultures (was: Forchheimer Taverns...) by AndyH on  2019-06-10 07:40:24
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