At the Pub, German and Austrian Style

At the Pub, German and Austrian Style

  ~Evoking Gemütlichkeit at the Wirtshaus~   It was the early 1990s. I had only recently discovered what German beer was all about, and was doing my level best to try as many of them as possible. Occasionally, my friends and I would find our 

The Wirtshaus: Beer, Taverns, and Everyday Life

The Wirtshaus: Beer, Taverns, and Everyday Life

  The rain caught us unawares. A veil of mist rapidly descended, shrouding the hills in the distance. The first few drops announced themselves with a rattle through the leaves. Soon the path was a series of tiny rivulets. Leaves in autumn hues swirled around 

“A Heavenly Drink, Like Concentrated Sunshine”: Vienna Lager Past and Present

“A Heavenly Drink, Like Concentrated Sunshine”: Vienna Lager Past and Present

A few years back, the beer world came together to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) promulgated in 1516. The atmosphere across Bavaria was festive. Breweries touted the Reinheitsgebot during their tours, museums staged exhibitions about the edict’s history, and beer