"pedestrian"; "flâneur"; a "gentleman stroller of city streets"; "lounger"; "saunterer"; "loafer"; a "person who walks the city in order to experience it"; an "idle man-about-town"; a "complete philosophical way of living and thinking".
The walls are the desk against which he presses his notebooks; newsstands are his libraries and the terraces of cafés are the balconies from which he looks down on his household after his work is done. -Walter Benjamin,"The Flâneur"
BEN BRYNMOR FOWLER
Currently living in Ebisu, Tokyo. A lover of city living & city walking, cinema, music, fiction, currently writing a PhD on contemporary theatre in Britain and Germany, and developing an intense relationship with apple gadgets.
OTHER HOMES:
http://www.scoop.it/t/british-and-german-theatre-today
Instagram username: IBKHOV
“Man gewöhnt sich daran…”
Like the highly developed network of theatres across most of Germany’s major cities, breweries are also a source of huge regional pride and strong character, with an incredible range of ales and lagers on the market, staked up in Getränkemarkts in all the major cities, each with their own personality and identity. With one of the oldest brewing traditions in the world, and the unique and special purity laws regulating brewing in Germany (ensuring that the four simple, natural ingredients are the only things that make it into the brew, so the art and craft of brewing is the focus of attention) mean that there aren’t chemical agents, rice and corn starches, or special sugars and flavours added in order to cut corners and mask faults in the brew - as with so many British and American beers. Out of constraints emerges huge variety.
I’m a huge fan of the weissbier (especially the potent HEFE which gives raging hangovers), the bavarian all-wheat pale ale, cloudy with a kick. Also love the Köllsch, a speciality of Cologne, a barley pale ale with an ale’s fruitiness and complexity yet the fresh spritzyness of a lager. I also love how anyone who wants to brew it has to have a view of the Cologne Dom from their factory. However, it being winter and all it’s the perfect time for sipping the strong, heavy, malty bock beers (especially the monster Eisbock with its warming - i.e. giant - alcohol content). Gosh, I’m in heaven. Add to this the fact that beer is actually cheaper than water here - between 80c and 1.50 euros a bottle - and people knock it back on pavements, trains and platforms at any hour of the day - and you’ll appreciate what a struggle it is to stay sober, especially in the cold.
The other elixir of Germany that deserves a mention is CLUB MATE. A non-alcoholic energy drink, high in caffeine, low in sugar, and infused with tea, is to be seen up and down the city, clutched in the fists of Berlin’s 20 and 30 something artists and club-goers, fuelling their 24/7 activity - which is why I thought it’s name referred to it’s friendliness to clubbers. Perhaps it;s more to do with the fact that they use the Mate tea extract. It’s certainly an acquired taste, a sort of fizzy green tea (hence the slogan: “Man gewöhnt sich daran…” - One gets used to it…!), and I’m yet to get to the bottom of the creepy witch symbol on the label. However, it certainly is a powerful potion.
By the way, hugely informative and useful introduction to German Beer Styles can be found here.
-
physicaleo4 liked this
-
ewstyle reblogged this from fussgaenger
-
nobordersdaily reblogged this from fussgaenger
-
seelebrenntblog liked this
-
quatsch said:
Club Mate FTW
-
quatsch liked this
-
fussgaenger posted this
