For the second year running the prerequisite barrel of Gluckspils was acquired by Thomas and I. The purchase of which sent us down to the hobby brewery at Morlenbach to meet with the master brewer Joachim. I personally feel that the sampling of the wares prior to bulk purchase is essential, particularly when free and served in endless racks of half litre glasses. Our host Joachim made us very welcome and after being presented with a 500ml bottle of plum schnapps from Thomas he invited us to sample some aged apple wine. Wow, great stuff! Runs at about 8.9% and really kicks. Normally most apple wine lasts about 12 to 14 months. This stuff was over 2.5 years old. Apparently it is possible but you have to maintain a very steady temperature and occasionally rebalance the sugars and acids with additional additives.
Turned out that Joachim is a Cold Chisel freak so I have since sent him some additional albums for his brewery bar collection.
It took us a long time to get home, touring along back roads through the Odenwald hills with our 50-litre keg riding snug in the back. Thomas showed me some of the lesser known villages and routes on the return trip which were really pretty and very old.
It took a couple of days to prepare for the party given the shopping and general setting up of the cellar areas and outdoor settings. A lot of people brought food with them which in turn created a spread to rival any party banquet I have seen, bar the occasional wedding. The day brought a mild climate in the mid 20’s and it stayed pleasant enough throughout to enjoy the garden atmosphere and the plethora of scents from the flowers and fruit trees.
Unknown to us, as we settled in for lunch in the back garden, the street out the front had come alive with dozens of riot police. Dressed in their army greens, visor helmets, machine pistols, bullet proof vests, batons hung from waists and riot shields slung across their backs they resembled an invasion of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Apparently there had been a policeman shot dead at a soccer match two weeks earlier in another district and one of the teams playing on that occasion were playing down the road at our local sports ground. The police had barricaded all routes to and from the grounds in the hope of locating several of the supporters they were searching for. Some of our guests arrived looking around somewhat dubiously at all the commotion. Once I had explained that it was just security for our party and that Thomas had gone a little bit over the top when organising it, people tended to relax and settle in to enjoy themselves. A little later in the afternoon a flight of 5 Blackhawk helicopters went over in formation directly over the house. I looked over at Thomas and said, “Airborne security as well, nice touch! A little bit over the top but nice!" Some of the people we were expecting to come along to really help with drinking the beer failed to show but we found out later that they had arrived but had been deterred from coming in by the throng of 30 police and six police transporters hanging out at the front gate.
Not to be deterred by the lack of serious beer fiends hanging at the bar Thomas and I valiantly poured, coerced and roped in unsuspecting wine drinkers for a glass of pils. Given the size of the keg there was little we could do but resign us to the fact that Sunday was going to be a party day as well. Everyone enjoyed the afternoon immensely and a couple of Bettina’s mates from Heidelberg hung in till the early hours blowing the froth and chewing the fat.
Sunday was a glorious day and perfect for the back yard activities we had in mind. Kicking back in a deck chair, feet up on the bench seat and within arms reach of the beer tap. Bliss!! We had a lot of left over food and this was attacked in due course throughout the afternoon. A great weekend.
Our next-door neighbours had an engagement party for one of their daughters the following weekend. They had put up marquee tents around the side of the house and hired professional caterers, disco and bar staff. We were invited to come over and join in on the festivities. It is an old custom here to take an old cup and saucer to this type of occasion and to smash it in the driveway when you come onto the property. When all of the guests have arrived the bride and groom to be get to sweep up the smashed china as their first task together in married life. I guess they are getting in training for the inevitable, “Pottery In Motion”, which marriage brings.
Thomas tells me that just after he finished his national duty in the army transport corps, he was driving tip trucks for a while. A friend of his was having his engagement party and had invited him to the party. Thomas arrived at the party in style, reversing his massive tip truck up to the entry of the front drive. His mate came barrelling out of the house shouting No, No, No, please No! He knew all to well that Thomas was likely to have found some way of filling the truck with a large amount of old china and the thought of having to clean up the ensuing blitz of shattered crockery was frightening. Alas it was all too late, the truck was blocking the gate, and his mate could not get out front to where Thomas was manipulating the controls. The truck tray rose up higher and higher and with a metallic, skittering scrape, a single cup and saucer fell out of the back onto the driveway. Sighs of relief and screams of howling laughter all round. Nice one.
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