Bratwurst und Bier (Bratwurst & Beer)

I wanted to put out a quick post before the Federweisser season is completely over. So what the heck is a Federweisser? We were first introduced this new drink in early September by a German national. Federweisser is essentially very young wine, usually in abundance after the grape harvesting season, anywhere from September on until as late as November. To me, Federweisser tastes like white grape juice that had sat around in the fridge a few days past expiration date; it tastes fizzy and sweet (yum!). There is also a drink called Roter Rauscher that is also fizzy and sweet, although looking more like grape juice, since it has the traditional red coloration. We can enjoy this seasonal treat in many public places, in markets, little pavilions outside of shops, off the sides of streets, just about anywhere people can congregate while enjoying a drink in hand. You can enjoy by the glass (about 1.20 Euro) or by the bottle (about 4 Euros). One of the things that we’ve come to enjoy living in Europe is the easy attitude of imbibing alcohol in public. Overall, we have observed little to none poor behaviors due to alcohol consumption. We surmised that is because alcohol is not a taboo, unlike in the States, where it is treated like a controlled substance. May be one of the reasons we have so many problems in the States with alcohol is because it feels so forbidden? Who knows?