When news that US Budwieser beer would be the sole appointed beer for the FIFA World Cup 2006, there was strong resistance from the Germans, who with their proud brewing tradition, think the American brew does not qualify as real beer at all. To make up for past disappointment, Germany's own Bitberger beer is one of the official drinks of the World Cup.
For football fans in Taiwan who want to quaff this famous beer while watching World Cup games on the big screen, the German tavern Deutsche Kneipe, hidden behind the Sunrise Department Store (
Deutsche Kneipe proprietor Jurgen Tsai (
PHOTO: HO YI, TAIPEI TIMES
In addition to Bitberger, Deutsche Kneipe also offers the full-bodied stout Koestritzer, and the well-known wheat beer Licher will soon be added to the menu.
"Coming from a brewery with more than a 300-year history, Bitberger enjoys the highest sales in Germany," Tsai said, adding that Bitberger is regarded as the Mercedes-Benze, while the Koestritzer claims to be the Porsche, of the beer world.
According to Tsai, the secret to Bitberger's superb quality lies in its brewing process that takes approximately one month to complete, 10 times longer than American brews. Strictly abiding by the German beer Reinheitsgebot law enacted in 1516, the brew contains live yeasts beneficial to the digestion and spring water rich in minerals.
Deutsche Kneipe also offers a decent range of German dishes, the most popular of which are the pickled pork knuckle served with sauerkraut (NT$350) and pork and beef sausages cooked in different styles and served in various size portions with prices ranging from NT$250 to NT$400. A variety of authentic German snacks and appetizers accompany the joint's beer will soon be introduced on the menu, according to Tsai.
For customers who want more privacy, a bar in the back offers some peace and quiet and a dozen or so rarely-found distilled fruit spirits.
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