The regions, towns and places, and their highlights, stories, traditions, customs and festivals

Hosted by Bluehost.com

Please note, that all links worked at time of publishing.

URL changes and web site updates are beyond our control and we apologize if you can not reach the promised link.

We try our best to only link to official and secure web pages, but we can not be responsible for the contents, security and accuracy of the featured links

©2011 GGM Direct, Inc.  

586.231.7605

GGM Direct Home Things Bavarian Our Recipes A Trip 4 U German Terms Our Store

Bavarian Humor and other short stories:

The Beer and the Pope legend

An old Starkbier (Strong beer) legend states, that the Bavarian monks subsidized their fasting with a specially brewed strong beer (liquid bread). This was accepted within the Catholic Church only after obtaining the permission from the Pope. So, many years ago to get this dispensation, they decided to send a barrel of it to Rome for the Pope’s approval. After weeks of travel, with the beer going from cold to hot under the Italian sun, it arrived there spoiled and sour. The Pope tasted the terrible liquid, commented on the toughness of the monks for the suffering they endured by drinking this stuff, gladly gave the approval for the strong beer to be consumed during Lent.

Eisbock, the strongest of the Bavarian Strongs

A brewery worker in Kulmbach forgot to bring in a barrel of beer during a very cold winter’s night. Naturally the beer froze and split the barrel wide open. The Brew master was livid and ordered the worker to drink some of the non frozen liquid as penance.  This liquid had much of the water removed through the freezing process and was excellent. This is the story behind the origin of the "Bayerische G´frorne" or Eisbock

A Bavarian story:

Ein Bayer sitzt am Ufer des Starnberger Sees und fischt, ein Engländer fällt ins Wasser und schreit “Help, help”.

Der Bayer ruft zurück: “Schwimma hätt’ns lerna soll’n anstatt Englisch”.

Same story Americanized:

A Redneck sits at the lake fishing, a German tourist falls into the water and starts screaming: ‘Hilfe, hilfe”

The Hillbilly:” Mister, you rather should’a learn’d swimming instead o’ German”

The 15th century method for testing beer.

Freshly brewed beer was poured on an oak bench, the 4 official testers actually sat in it for a couple of hours and if they could get up without the bench sticking to them the beer was not strong enough as the brewer did not use enough malt. In those days in some locations there were actually penalties imposed for not passing this test.

So, let’s put on our lederhosen and test how all these watered down light beers fare nowadays.