Strawberry Beer

In replies to the post below, Phoenix Strawberry Beer was mentioned. Tony Allen of Phoenix revealed this beer to some of us who were at his brewery in July. It was made from both strawberry pulp and strawberry juice and a base pale beer. It was thick and luscious when sampled straight from the cask, though the trade version is kegged and gassed. The cask version was a delight and I've now tasted the keg version at the New Oxford. This had lost some of the sweetness and taken on a distinct Belgian fruit beer edge. It was lovely too. Tony plans another couple of fruit beers, depending on how the strawberry one goes. Judging by the reaction so far, he might have to make a habit of it.

The photo shows my lovely lass, Eileen, with Tony and the beer.

Condoms Outsell Beer at Weis'n!

Cold, rainy weather resulted in lower beer sales at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Six million visitors drank only 6.6 million litres, a reduction of at least five percent from last year. The cold weather apparently encouraged visitors to snuggle up a bit more, though: condom sales were through the roof. Manufacturer Durex reported 1.5 million were sold in just the first two weeks of the festival. "With that kind of turnover," exclaimed Durex marketing manager Gerald Schreiber, "maybe we should think about developing a special Wies'n condom!" (Weis'n is local Bavarian for the Oktoberfest). Schreiber did not indicate whether the company would consider naming any future Oktoberfest condom the Weißwurst, or if they would opt instead for the more traditional Bavarian blue and white checked colour scheme.

Now I have never heard of the Oktoberfest being a great place to cop off, but respect! Maybe with the recession and the price of a litre of festival beer having broken eight euros, the alternative is more attractive? Or is 1.1 litres the maximum visitors feel they can cope with before sexual congress? Usually it takes a bit more than that before the sap rises!

Either way only 1.1 litres per visitor. Hardly worth going for that. Or maybe you just can’t get served - with beer at least!

I thank thelocal.de for this story and the photo and my mate John for pointing it out to me!