Brightest Young Things

Happy first day of October! Since most of our readership freely associates October with Oktoberfest and Oktoberfest with all things alcoholic and German we decided to have our new (German!) intern Wlada spend the whole month interviewing Germans and experts on all things German to optimize you cultural ( & drinking) immersion this month. We kick of with some tips from the kind folks over at Goethe Institute.

(^{obligatory intern exploitation photo})

Who should know better about good beer and German stuff in DC than the guys from Goethe Institute? GI's administrative assistant Thomas is from Bavaria and even has traditional leather pants in his closet  -  so he was the perfect expert on October Fest. And while Cultural Program Coordinators Norma and Sylvia don’t own dirndls but know a whole lot about German cake. The guys are giving a warm welcome to everyone who wants to know more about Germany.

Just stop by!

And if you ask nicely enough, maybe they will even let you hold the holy beer mug, which is usually safely hidden in Wood’s drawer.

BYT: Where in DC do you guys go, when you feeling homesick?

Thomas: Old Europe, a restaurant in Georgetown, works for me. They have antlers on the walls, Bavarian style checked table cloth and exactly the type of traditional music you want to hear after your fourth or fifth beer. The Rahmschnitzel is awesome and the portions are fair. They even make their waitresses wear Dirndls! The cleavages are not as deep as they are in a traditional Bavarian dress, but still I’m a big fan of Old Europe. It’s cozy and a bit gloomy there. Feels pretty much like home.

BYT: And for those who are less interested in cleavages?

Silvia: Every time I feel homesick I treat myself to a piece of cake from Café Mozart. Or I pop by Heidelberg Pastry. They have great scones, pies and cold meats.

Thomas: And Beerwurst! Everyone should try Beerwurst.

BYT: Beerwurst? I should probably know what this is… But I’ve never been too much into Wurst, so please explain. Is it a sausage made of Beer?

Thomas: It’s a smoked sausage with garlic, peppercorns, paprika, and mustard seeds. There’s certainly no beer in it. But it’s a great snack when you are drinking.

BYT:  Any tips on how to get a German feeling in DC without spending a fortune in a gourmet store/deli?

Norma: You can get good German chocolate like Lindtt or Toblerone at Target. Trader Joe’s is good for German food, too. The chain shares with Germany's Aldi Group and offers gourmet  foodstuffs at down-to-earth prices.

Thomas: Radler is not expensive at all and is easy to make – just mix fifty-fifty Sprite with Pilsner Beer. Girls love it! Russ is similar, except  you thin the beer down with Fanta instead of Sprite.

BYT:  Speaking of beer - any brews you recommend?

Sylvia: I’m not much of a beer drinker, but one thing I know for sure:  Stay away from Budweiser.

Thomas: I always get tired of drinking when I try American mainstream beer. It’s like trying to get drunk on water. German Beer is more … efficient.  Schneider's Of Capitol Hill is a good destination for beers, or Rodman’s on Wisconsin Avenue. I also recommend Gordon Biersch Restaurant – theit beer is brewed according to German Purity Law. But the right drink is only half the way to the finish line: The glass you drink from is almost as important as its content. You would never drink bottled beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich. Never! Or ever use plastic cups. It’s an absolute No-Go. Plastic spoils all the taste and, even worse: The music of the beer gets lost.

BYT: Beer Music? I never knew beer has a sound.

Thomas: Oh, absolutely! When you clink three pound heavy mugs – that’s the real sound of beer.

BYT:  Is there something else you miss at the American OktoberFests?

Sylvia: The ban on public drinking somehow spoils the atmosphere.

Wood: Absolutely. At German Oktober Fest people are way more sociable. They are not as afraid of body contact as Americans are.

Thomas: It’s because Americans don’t have “Beer Benches”  -  the long camping benches where people sit close to one another and swing and sway to the music after they had enough to drink. We call it “schunkeln”.

Wood: It doesn't work in America. I tried it once, but the person next to me got me wrong. Honestly, I meant no harm by it, but he didn’t get the idea and was seriously aggravated.

BYT: How does  “schunkeln” work?

Thomas: It’s pretty easy. First you drink together, than you link arms with people who sit next to you and then you start to rock to and fro together in time to music. The feeling for it comes naturally with the beer. After  1 a.m. everybody at the October Fest  is schunkeling and dancing on the benches.

BYT: And what comes next?

Thomas: Well, often drunkards put up a fight.

BYT: Let’s summarize. For having a real October Fest feeling, you need to pour your beer in a heavy mug, do a lot of clinking and “schunkling”, then dance on the benches and finally punch someone in the face.

Thomas: That should work.

See you all next week.

Previously in I Heart DC:

• 2/10: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
• 2/9: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
• 2/8: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
• 2/8: Perfect Date Outfits + Outings
• 2/7: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
• 2/6: DC News You Can Maybe Use:
• 2/2: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use:
• 2/1: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use:
• 1/31: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
• 1/30: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use