Glögg, gluhwein, or mulled wine. Whatever you call it, nothing says “Happy Holidays!” quite like a warm glass of sweetened, spiced red wine. Variations abound, as do historical origins. Everyone from the ancient Greeks to Victorian Britons enjoyed the festive punch. Yet there’s one, extra-special preparation that promises to make your holiday season especially “lit” […]
What’s in a name? This question may or may not reverberate among the 7.2 million revelers heading to Munich’s Oktoberfest in mid-September. This year the festivities start on September 14, more than two weeks before month’s end. Oktoberfest ends early the following month, on October 6. What gives? Why is the majority of Oktoberfest held in […]
Drinking beers outside never goes out of style. Beer gardens, or biergartens, are outdoor areas where beer and food are served in a communal setting. Often attached to a brewery or tavern, they have been popular in Germany since the the 1800s (some argue the 1500s). Today, from Bavaria to Brooklyn to Beijing, outdoor beer gardens are still […]
If you like shooting tequila with salt and lime, by all means go for it! Just don’t blame Mexico for your hangover. The trinity of tequila, salt, and citrus is one of many homegrown drinking customs Americans tend to think are foreign. We also assume locally brewed, cleverly marketed macro beers are shipped from far-away […]
There’s an interesting dichotomy when it comes to German Riesling. In the 1980s, the once-fashionable wine fell out of favor with international consumers after well-known producers started over-cultivating vineyards and over-seasoning wines with residual sugar. It wasn’t long before the off-dry style became synonymous with poor-quality plonk. Yet it is exactly this residual sugar that […]
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!” lamely jokes the guy in your office who thinks he’s being naughty for having a light beer at a 3:30 p.m. offsite meeting. Today his coworkers might snicker at his so-called transgressiveness. Yet for most of history, drinking before 5:00 p.m. was perfectly acceptable, if not necessary. Many people drank in […]
Don’t call it a comeback. Just a generation ago, our entire planet was pretty much Gose-free. Today, however, the craft beer world has fully embraced Gose, the once-extinct, sour-salty beer style from Germany. Sites like Ratebeer.com list thousands of commercially brewed versions, with more added every week. It has become a go-to recipe for homebrewers […]
While hostels have historically had a reputation as dirty, undesirable places for broke backpackers, that’s not always the case. Hostels have always served as bustling social hubs. The best ones in cities like Berlin, Paris, Miami, and beyond have killer nightclubs, pool bars, historic watering holes, and even breweries on site.
Most of us associate Jägermeister with frat parties, annoying drunk people, and frat parties. But the drink itself — a generally misunderstood, hazardously abused liqueur — has an interesting history, nuanced flavors, and digestive kindness. Add an 80-year-old secret recipe, and you have a drink that deserves closer inspection. Here are 10 things you should know […]
