After expressing interest in good local beer, a coworker demanded that I come with him to find apfelbier. I had some pretty serious reservations, because the words “apple” and “beer” should not typically be used in the same sentence, much less the same word. Alissa pointed out that it was probably like cider, and not beer at all.
We took the train into Fulda, and found our way to the old part of town, where the streets are exclusively cobblestone, and the houses look like fodder for postcards. The bar was dim and filled with nobody. We were early.
Rother Apfelbier in a heavy mug
Disappointingly, the beer was poured from a bottle. But it arrived in a nice heavy mug.
If I had to guess how they made it, I’d say they probably mixed beer and apple juice. Or maybe beer and cider. My first sip made me think it was nicely balanced between the sweetness of apples and the bitter of beer. But after my third sip, I decided it was just too sweet. The apple flavor was good, the beer flavor was… overpowered… and the mug was heavy.
And it was interesting. No harm in that. Kinda gives me shivers thinking about it now, but I distinctly remember thinking that it wasn’t so bad.
We also got some delicious sausages. Which we ate with our hands, even though I have always been under the impression that such behavior was illegal in Germany.
Delicious sweet sauce.
On the way home, I remember having to wait for 50 minutes for my train to come. Trains do not travel often in this small town.