It is that time of year again, the Bocks of Bamberg are being unveiled, Hector is Bamberg bound in October for the third consecutive year. ?Stan! awaits, Mr. Strang and co. will be in town the following week when we would have chosen to go, alas the school October week is strangely early this year.
Craig has remarked not for the first time that it takes exactly six hours from his door to München Hauptbahnhof. He is right, it is. Having checked in painfully slowly at the Hotel Dolomit, a money saving choice given that Howard and Hector required single accommodation, the two Bad Boys left the company and headed straight for Perlach.
Perlach, a München suburb, is the home of the Forschung Brauerei, or St. Jacobus as it is more likely known. Here the Blonder Bock is on tap and is a perfect anaesthetic for a day when one knows our friends in Englandshire will be on the wind up. Drinking this Bier makes it a draw, which is much better than Scotland were to fair against the mighty Spain.
Hector had phoned last week to ensure that the venue was open today. At this time of year they close for the winter and the great brewing experiments get underway. Hector, Howard, Steve and Marg were present two years ago for the final night of the season, a good Fest.
The normal Doris was serving the outside tables, yes people were outside. The temperature today hit 20C, but outside is of course unhealthy in present times. Indoors is much healthier – smoke free.
Our new Doris was most amenable and offered to take our ritual photo. She came back later for a chat: Forschung is under new management. They are not closing until mid December, and only for about six weeks. It was also evident that the new regime had abandoned the half litre rule. Formerly half litres were only sold until 16.00, this is why Yvonne was not keen to join us. Heaven help us on Saturday on our way home.
The Sensible Chaps
Howard and Hector limited themselves to a portion and a half of what I regard as the finest Bier brewed in München. A second litre would have put us in party mode, we would never have left. There was a Curry-Heute arranged at Mango, another priority of the day. As our visit was drawing to a close, Hector recognised a local and then another.
The octogenarian that Craig had arm-wrestled with a few summers back was in the house. I waved, he came over and I re-introduced myself. There was some sense of memory on his part, these guys are happy to share their great Bier with us and appreciate the fact that we foreigners are aware of it. We both spoke, simultaneously, a perfect understanding therefore of my improvised Deutsch.
The Curry at Mango was magnificent.
Steve and Juliet turned up eventually, Craig and Yvonne were a few minutes after the rendezvous time. We then all walked back up to the Augustiner Großgaststätte where Steve had confirmed the Festbier was available.
The Bert brought six Festbier in Edelstoff glasses. Hector sent three back. These are empty I said in no uncertain terms. A short measure in a litre has always been a Bayern tradition, but this was blatant theft on the house’s part. When the order was repeated there was no nonsense.
Craig and Yvonne had been to a Spaten outlet earlier and claimed that it is still the best of the Oktoberfest Biers. This was very easy to drink after the demands of the St. Jacobus Bock.
The couples claimed to be tired, so Howard and Hector took their leave.
The Bad Boys’ Club
The BBC, München branch, reconvened at Andechs am Dom. Do you have Spezial Hell? We asked, as we always do. We know the answer, we have to explain every visit to the new staff that the Helles they sell is not the one we want. It never makes an impression, such is the indifference of the Andechs regime in general.
The Weizen Hell, vom Fass, is IMHO the best Weizen sold on draught – on the planet. It is a pity it is always gas pumped, Hector has served it by hand pump at his Clydebank mansion. The Bad Boys were aware of the fact that we had behaved ourselves too well today and so another Weizen was called for before the mandatory Doppelbock Dunkles was ordered. By this time we were alone. The rest of the punters had gone home, maybe they had work in the morning.
Whilst Howard was downstairs, I spoke in fluent Deutsch to a Doris, she complimented me on my German. It was only after midnight and that which normally takes until 03.00 was already in motion, my Deutsch Kopf had returned. It is strange how one reaches a stage where one just speaks without any planning, as in conversation. I have no idea how this happens, my Deutsch is limited, but within certain topic parameters, out it flows.
Scotland were humped, to rub salt in the wound further, the Czechs had won comfortably too. Lord Clive sent the inevitable wind up text suffixed with a remark about his envy. He knows you know, in München there is no pain.
The Brewery and Brewery Houses visited today:
St. Jacobus – H. Jakob Forschungsbrauerei und Bräustüberl KG, Unterhachinger Straße 76,, D-81737 München
Zum Augustiner – Neuhauserstr. 27 – 80331 München
Andescher am Dom – Weinstraße 7, 80333, München
We compared diaries and the St Andrew’s Day holiday Monday weekend was free. I had a look at all possible destinations from Scotland to Germany, nothing was on. I could get us back from München for a modest sum, but it took me a couple of weeks to stumble upon the indirect route. A Friday night in Crawley would enable is to catch the 06.25 flight from Gatwick, sorted.
This is Clive’s local. The pump clips of what has been cover the walls and the ceiling. Tonight the choice was not that outstanding. The Dark Star (Partridge Green, West Sussex) Winter Meltdown at 5% satisfied abv requirements, but after a couple of pints of this Hector was making enquiries about the Cider. Niall, a friend of Clive, had already gone down this road. There was a choice of two, let’s be sensible, sleep will be at a premium tonight…
