Some facts...

BEER IS HEALTHIER THAN COCA COLA!!!!
Czech's drink the most beer in the world per capita!!! FYI

We visited some brewery's and had some delicious beer. Brau Haus probably had my favorite which was a seasonal beer called "potz blitz." I could be wrong on the spelling but close enough. I thought it had a chocolate flavor. At this brewery it was interesting to taste the different grains and gain some information on the malting, mashing, etc... I was fascinated by the amount of copper used in brewing. The mashing containers are huge. 

Once again we have managed to get mixed up by the bathroom. We finally figured which word meant men and women's and there were words at the top of the bathroom saying "Not the Men's Room." Who would of thought that?!?!? It didn't help that we were in a club where the walk way was dark.

The presentations were very interesting. I never knew any the facts of Berliner Weisse, Gose, and the Iron Curtain. The iron curtain pertains to the division of the east and west across Europe. During this time of division you had to brew what the government told you to brew. There were over 200 brewers brewing the same beer! That sucks! I really want to try Gose because of the bottle it comes in. The style of the bottle was interesting enough to get me to want to try it. The fact that wheat and barely is needed to make Gose was cool because the husk is needed from the barely to make this beer successful. Berliner Weisse is a good refreshing drink. I almost wouldn't want to classify it as a beer because if I was caught drinking that in front of my friends then I would be denied social status. The syrup being added to the drink makes it really refreshing and sweet. The sour taste prior to the syrup gives it more of a beer taste. It is definitely a summer drink.

We were able to visit the Jewish Museum. That was the most interesting museum I have been to so far. Reading the stories of the Jewish families and seeing the artifacts left behind was very moving. The architecture of the building itself made your emotions get into the mix. The fact that we're in Germany where it all took place made the experience more memorable. The opportunity to visit the museum is definitely a life time experience. 

Til next time!
Aloha

one more thing

I also learned that if you want to increase the alcohol content in beer you just add sugar. You can't add too much sugar because the yeast eats the sugar. If I'm not mistaken you end up killing the yeast. Then you will have too much alcohol.

Whole New World

I already have faced some interesting situations here in Berlin. First day, we all slept a lot and decided to go out and decided to get a bite to eat. I had my first beer in Berlin and it came with a straw. Kinda embarrassing? I refuse to drink a beer through a straw! I drank it the "natural" way. The beer was interesting because it was very sweet (almost like juice; kind of carbonated) yet you could still taste the fact that the drink was a beer. I thought of it as a beer/champagne. I only drank it because I was told that you needed to try it at least once seeing that it was native to Berlin. 

The night out was fun. There were a few of us you could hold there eyes up a little longer and decided to continue without sleep. I had my first communication break down where I tried going to the bathroom and I couldn't figure out which room was the boys room. A man walked out of the girls room (actually cleaning) and I thought it was the men's room. It was funny but embarrassing when the old man needed to tell me that I was going the wrong way. I didn't know the German words for the men's room and women's room. It didn't help that the figures on the doors both looked like they were wearing dresses. One dress just looked younger than the other. It was an experience. 

On the second day, the tour of Berlin was extremely interesting and worth while. To think that Berlin was once a battle ground was a fact that was never truly thought of until now. You learn a lot in history classes but being here in Germany has really opened my eyes and I have found a new appreciation for history. Seeing parts and pieces of the wall was amazing and hearing first hand stories from Gudren was really cool. The before and after pictures of war and of the wall was a huge part of the my experience here in this country. It really makes you appreciate where your from and the opportunities you have in the U.S. The unity of East and West Germany was an enormous change for Germany and I am in aw after seeing what I saw. I'm glad its not going on now or else this class would have been interesting. The architecture here is beautiful and the old buildings with all the different people and animals on them really give you the feel that your in a whole new world. 

I only know the word "prost'!!!
Aloha