Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-29

a III hAul huAtlIt.l |#.
Two typical institutions of the
German capital are in weiss bier and
vein stuben, both usually to be met
with in the quieter streets, and fire.
quented by regular rather than by
chance customers. The Berliner Of
the old type is usually a weiss- bier
drlnker who regards the beverage as
peculiar to the city, and is fond Of
expatiating upon its merits to stran-
gers. You no sooner become acauaint-
ed with a man of this class than he
will ask your opinion OF the weiss"
l remember being sorely puzzled by
an inquiry of the kind, and on reply
ing, hesitatingly, The weiss? What
is the weiss? ?" my friend said in a
reproachful tone, What you have
been among US for a whole week
and not tasted the weiss yet p and
then hurried me along until VIC
reached a building with "Wcissbicr
Ausschank painted in huge black
letters on the facade.
Hero we found ourselves in front of
a small counter, behind which three
individuals were engaged in uncork-
ing stone bottles and carefully pour
ing their contents into huge glasses,
each holding more than a half gallon
while a fourth was removing lampreys
from a barrel. Right and left Law the
weiss bier steuben, decorated, like all
the beer saloons Of Berlin, with
plaster busts of the emperor, the
crown prince and Furst Won Bismarck!
All the little tables crowding both
apartments were occupied by guests
whose rosy faces and rOtund forms at
tested a familiarity with the good
things of this life. Before every one
stood a gigantic tumbler containing !
liquid, pale and clear as Rhine wine
and surmounted by a huge crown Of
roth. This was the famous " weiss,
The liquor being ordered and duly
brought, we observed that the quart
bottle 1lled not more than one.third
OF the large glass, the voluminous
head OF frOth not only occupying the
remaining space but foaminq oyer the
sides. Hence the necessity for such
eapaclous tumblers, which a novice q
only able to raise to his lips BY the aid
of both hands, Not 50, however. the
experienced weiss beer drinker. who,
by long practice, has acquired the
knack OF balancing, as il were, the
bottom OF the glass on his ~outstretched
little finger, while he grasps the side
with the remaining fingers and thumb
OF the same hand. A preliminary
mp Of kummel (anise seedl is consid-
cred de rigueur, and, this disposed of,
the Berliner will drink his four quarts
OF kghle blonde-as weiss bier Is no
etlcally termed by its admirers--as
readily as his native sand sucks in 4
summer shower, exciting his thirst
perhaps once in the course O. the one.
ration by some sailed delicacy such as
a lampEey, Berlin is the city where
the kuhle blonde is obtained in the
greatest perfection. 1t should be
drunk when it is of a certain ace. b,
largely impregnated with carboniC
acid gas, and should have acquired |
peculiar sharp, dry, and by no mean,
disagreeahle, flavor. To the ordinar,
enstrung Berliner a moderate GUAM
tity Of the weiss is as soda and brand,
to the seedy Englishman. Ate,
an evening Of excess his steps invari
ably teRd to the weiss bier stube
there to quench his thirst with
draught of kuhle blonde, and stimulate
his palled appetite with knoblauch
wurst, a deli0aey of the favorite sau
sage type fried with garlic.