German Archives - EverybodyCraves

News Bites December 10, 2018

These are the top beer producing countries in Europe, report shows

As an American beer drinker, when you think of European beers, Germany is probably first country to come to mind. Of course, Germany is well-known for its annual Oktoberfest party, big beer steins, and influence on American beers. But the United Kingdom has had a major influence as well, thanks to the ever rising popularity of the India pale ale. And what about the profusion of Irish pubs and Guinness? If you think about it, it would be hard to guess what country in Europe actually produces the most beer. Food Ingredients First reported that The Brewers of Europe trade association released data report from last year. Seven nations were highlighted as top beer producers. Unsurprisingly, Germany led the list, producing 9.3 billion liters of beer in 2017 — accounting for 23 percent of Europe’s beer production. The United Kingdom and Poland tied for second place with production at 4…

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Seasonal September 20, 2018

Why we celebrate Oktoberfest in September

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Every year millions of people around the world wonder why the German tradition known as Oktoberfest is celebrated primarily in the month of September. The annual celebration is best known for its beer, food and general celebration of German culture. But given the name, shouldn’t the shindig primarily take place in its namesake month? The official Oktoberfest website explains. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810, with a one-day horse-race held as part of the wedding festivities for Bavarian King Ludwig I and his wife, Theresie. The crowd liked it so much, that it became an annual event, eventually developing into the world of marching bands, sausages and colorfully-dressed beer maidens we know today. But over the decades, the horse-race disappeared, and the event grew to more than two weeks long — stretching the event into mid-October. Since fall can be quite cold in Bavaria, even snowy, a decision was made to start the festivities earlier…

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Seasonal December 21, 2017

The uncertain origins of the Christmas Pickle ornament

When it comes to holiday traditions, the Christmas pickle can be kind of a big dill — depending who you ask. Some families forgo hiding the odd ornament, yet in other homes it’s the most sought after item in the whole house. But where did this custom come from? Most people believe that hiding a pickle ornament somewhere in the tree is an Old World tradition that came to the United States with German immigrants in the 1800s. It’s said that whoever finds the pickle in the tree on Christmas morning will have good fortune in the coming year. In some families, the finder even gets a special present or gets to be the first to open his presents. But as it turns out, most Germans have never heard of the Christmas pickle, and you’d be hard pressed to find a German’s tree adorned with this garish green, sparkly decoration. Other stories of origin make…

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News Bites October 26, 2017

New study reveals alcohol can help you speak a foreign language

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Have you ever drank a glass of wine and felt fluent in French? It might not be your imagination. A new study found that a drink or two can lower inhibitions and may make it easier for new speakers to overcome their hesitations and awkwardness with a new language. So is it just liquid courage or do people really speak non-native languages better after a little booze? Recent studies have shown that drinking alcohol can have some incredible and unexpected benefits, but how it improves your ability to speak a foreign language wasn’t quite as well understood. So British and Dutch researchers conducted a study to better understand the phenomenon. The study was recently published in Journal of Psychopharmacology. Fifty native German speakers who noted they drink alcohol on occasion also had to demonstrate proficiency in their second language, Dutch. Half of the participants were given water to drink and half were given an alcoholic beverage. Then each person was asked…

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Seasonal September 13, 2017

Best Oktoberfest Celebrations in the U.S.

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For beer drinkers, the month of September brings the year’s main event: Oktoberfest (save questions about the name for another article). The time-honored annual fall tradition of debauchery begins this Saturday. Of course, Munich is the original Oktoberfest. More than 6 million people from around the world decend on the city every year to guzzle nearly 2 million gallons of beer. But for those of us who can’t get away overseas, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the German festival here at home. More than 46 million German-Americans — the largest single ethnic group — have gifted us with plenty of places to help them partake in their wunderbar celebration. To help you decide where to celebrate Stateside, WalletHub has crunched data to create a list of the top 100 best cities for Oktoberfest celebrations. The data crunchers used 23 indicators including sheer number of breweries and beer gardens, overall safety and walkability, average price of beer,…

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