6/22/2005: Beer pitch

Nother xob/WaPo, and also, another balloon shot. This time the balloons aren't meant to be ridden, just admired. The field is growing barley and this is in Vach, Bavaria, Germany. They are promoting German beer during the FIFA Confederations Cup. I know this ad is working on me.

From the size of the actual guy in the center of the pic, this soccer pitch is actual size.

The wierd thing about beer in Germany is that unless they have the right glass for the brand at the bar they won't sell you that brand. They just won't serve it up in a glass designed for a different brand. All I want is a goddam BEER and they're being pernickety about the vessel they serve it in. I don't think they quite understood when I switched my order just to be able to get a drink !

That's bizarre, Limey.
Do they have proper glasses for the different brews(light, dark, etc) from the same brewer?

Not sure it is working on me or not ... a bunch of balloons in a field . hummm..... I am used to my beer advertising having women in bikinis and loud music ... and something about twins ...

When I was in Koln (where is the umlaut?) my host, who knew better but was proving a point, ordered a Munich beer at a restaurant. The waitress gave us a withering look and said: You're in Koln, we don't serve Munich beers.

Then he turned to us and said "See?"

vaguely on the topic, anyone else come across Kronenberg Blanc yet? Nearby pub recently got it, i'm hopelessly addicted despite the insane price for a pint.

beer-rules

gentlemen - and ladies (if involved in that beer-discussion)

as an Austrian I think I need to explain a bit of German beer culture.

concerning the glasses and types of beer: they wonīt serve you a wheat-beer in a pils glass - they wont put a pils into a mug for "lager". There are even very different techniques of pooring the beer into the right glass.
That is necessary and minimum beer-culture!

Like you do not eat soup with a knive, you cannot eat a burrito on a silver plate, and you (hopefully) do not drink nice red wine from a can.
Wouldnīt you doubt a waiters clear mind if he served you a real good filet-steak into a burger-box with some plastic cuttlery. I am sure you would.

Technically the food itself does not change - but...

See - very easy, isnīt it. The wainter can not serve the beer in the wrong glass.

@footfootfoot
Concerning Cologne and Munich:
As you certainly remember Koelsch from Cologne is served in small glasses (0,2 liters) and the waiter will replace any empty glass with a full one, except you ask for the bill or put your hand on the glass. http://www.beerglass.nu/sion.koelsch.htm

In Munich you drink either wheat-beer or type-of-lager each from different glasses: wheat-beer in 0,3 or 0,5 liters http://www.beerglass.nu/maisels.htm / lager http://www.feichtner-hof.de/biergarten.html in 0,3 / 0,5/ 1 liter mugs
Sitting in a beer garden in Munich people drink from 1 liter mugs mostly

Glasses for Pils look like that: http://www.beerglass.nu/veltins.html and are 0,3 liter.

btw: 0,3 liters is the normal size of a coke-can around the world.

I hope I could give you a brief insight into beer-culture.

have a nice day!
rupert

I can eat a burrito on a silver plate. It's easier than you'd think.

And a filet in a burger box with plastic cuttlery is also known as Outback's Curb-side Takeaway. Very popular actually...

Is there a reason for the rules other than ritual?

Dear rupip:

Thank you for a very informative post, an excellent first post. Welcome to the cellar. We all look forward to more dispatches from Salzburg.

If you can stand the racket, that is.

Sweet! I love the idea of different glasses for different brews! It's like a tea ceremony! I love stuff like this. It's what makes the world go 'round!

(I also love the smilie.)

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, beer. Good German beer at that!
I'll have one of each, and by the way call me a cab........

I wish the US sold beer in the standard half liter bottle like the rest of the world. One half liter bottle is just the right size for me for one drink. A 12 oz bottle in the US is too little and two bottles is often a little more than I want.

I feel the same way about coffee.

Except the part about not wanting a second liter.

(Referring to the beer pitch picture.)

But who would see this particular advertisement??? I'm assuming though, that the field's rather remote...

Head on down to "N'awlins" They like to sell 10oz beers, even in stores.

Thanks Rupert.
OK, so each type of beer must go in a specific type container. Do the different Brands, of say lager, get served in the same mugs or must they be Brand specific?

thanks for the warm welcome

@ prof. russotto: european cans are mostly 333ml - but I wanted to keep it simple, in order not to confuse you guys - which was obviously an unnecessary fear!

@xoxoxobruce: usually the brewery pays quite a lot to the restaurants / bars in order to be the primary supplier. its is a very good business. They not only provide all the glasses with their logos on it, but sometimes also the tap technique or even parts of the furniture.
So it is quite unusual to not have the right glass for the desired beer. some bars however donīt give a shit about that rules, are independent and put the beer in a glass without any brand

Oh, I see. We've been seeing that with Coke and Pepsi here, buying exclusive rights at fast food chains and school campuses.
The beer companies commonly pay to paint their name on independant supply trucks here.
Thanks again for the beer culture lesson.

Beer comes in bottles, what the hell do you need glasses for?

Oh, REAL beer. I'll just lay down under the tap and you keep it running, all right?

Despite the name I beleive Kronenburg is a French beer hence the blanc and they probably don't serve it in Koln either

[quote]Glasses for Pils look like that: http://www.beerglass.nu/veltins.html and are 0,3 liter.

One of the realy trick things about Germans and beer in glasses, such as above with a stem, is that the beer "mat or coaster" fits around the stem and above the base of the glass. This stops the drips of condensation before they get to the table and also remains attached to the glass.

When I came home from Germany, I must have had 75 or so of the place mats. None the same. Mom cleaned house one day and there went my coasters and hand grenades

bB,

Reminded me of a 404 type screen I got one day when surfing that said someting to the effect.

"This URL is not available at the moment probably because my Mom has cleaned my room and inadvertently pulled out the plug...."

LCanal - you're right.