Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1883 — German Beverages. [ARTICLE]

German Beverages.

What corresponds to the great “drink question” in England is one of growing importance’in Germany. Beer, though *plentifal enough, is far from being the principal drink. If Germany he noted for its beer, it is also noted for its trink-halles, set up in all manner of convenient quarters of a town, whpre for Id. the thirsty soul may obtain a seltzer or sodawater, and for another penny may have it flavored with one of a variety of sirups. More popular still are the kiosks for the sale of Apfelwein, which is cider with its asperities toned down and made delightful oy flavors and sirups. Or it may he mingled for the drinker who is regardless of cost with the best apology to be found for champagne. Then there are shops which offer one the pleasant maitriujc; coffee hi the composition bf yvliich egg enters, and the familiar black coffep of the French; while a variety of dairylike shops are spread about for the sale of pure milk at a few pennies a glass. Add to these kiosks for the sale of tea, chocolate and cocoa, cups of which are gratuitously distributed as samples of the excellence of the powders with which the drinks can be made in a moment. Wines _ are various, from the

weakest of Cape t-o the strongest of Spanish. Wine has not yet come in Germany under the medical ban, and some sorts proclaimed as being under special medical favor. Those thus favored change from time to time, and some sarcastic Germans who walk about seeking what they can criticise, say that the recipe is changed according to the taste of the writer. The prevailing medicinial proclivity is for Hungarian wine, which was so strongly favored by the German doctors last year that, notwithstanding that the Hungarian wine harvest was almost a failure, curiously enough Hungarian wine specially recommended by the faculty, so far from failing, was sold at a remarkably cheap rate in every town and village of the great German Empire. Next to this, Malaga and special “Tokay” come in for the physician’s favor, and whether nature is willing to meet the demand, or not, the wine makers find no difficulty in doing so. French wines seem very plentiful, though French wines have been brought very near extirpation; the Spanish, however, can supply their place, and German distillers have been doing a good export trade, sending to Spain the spirits to.fortify the wine, which, after coming through France, is sold to the Germans for the purpose of strengthening their constitutions. With’all these facts before them no wonder that the Germans, knowing nothing of blue ribbonism, cling to their beer with a strong hand, and, indeed, it is not a weak one that can raise the huge glass basins in which the German drinks his frothy white beer; while a stronger hand than head is needed to raise the heavy tankard of brown beer which the more enterprising imbibers can get sd. —Letter from Germany.