Food & Beer Culture

In Frankfurt a clear order applies: Apfelwein comes first, then beer. Anyone who orders a Pils in the Apfelwein taverns of Sachsenhausen gets it anyway, just alongside the Bembel. According to common tradition, a vintner named J. Werner from Sachsenhausen poured the first Äppler in 1754.

Among the dishes is Handkäs mit Musik, a sour-milk cheese in a marinade of vinegar, oil and onions. The onions are the "music." Pils goes well with it, because its bitterness balances the acidity of the marinade and its foam clears the palate again.

Frankfurt's Grüne Soße with potatoes and egg also pairs well with a pale beer. The sauce consists of seven herbs, including parsley, chives and chervil. For something heartier, order Rippchen mit Sauerkraut or a Schnitzel, for which a stronger Pils or a Weizen makes the fitting counterpart.

Celebrations take place, for example, on Wäldchestag, the Tuesday after Whitsun in Frankfurt's city forest, an old traditional festival day of the city. Beer flows there from the taps, Apfelwein from the Bembel.

When it comes to quantities, Hessians stick to the general custom: a Pils in a pub usually comes as a small glass, a Weizen as a half-liter. How the evening unfolds is decided in the end by the table, not the menu. In Frankfurt it's also customary to sit at long tables in the Apfelwein taverns, where conversation with your neighbors is part of the experience. Beer shares this culture with Apfelwein.