I used to hate beer, up until a couple of years ago. That was when I discovered that beer didn't have to taste like Budweiser and Coors. Thank you, Victor, for introducing me to Trois Pistoles, my personal gateway to the wonderful world of beers that don't resemble having sex in a canoe.

Last weekend, we went down to ArtSci, and spent the night with The Lunchbox and Lisabetta. Karen and I really miss the some of the gustatory experiences available in Tampa, so our hosts were kind enough to go with us to Der Schnitzelhaus. Alas, accordion-playing Inga wasn't there that evening. Chef Mike spent most of the evening ignoring The Lunchbox when he visited our table, but then he turned right to him and busted out a joke about the Nazis invading France. And then turned the Apfelstrudel into a dis on Democrats. Maybe it was the fact that The Lunchbox was the only one at the table drinking wine instead of beer; I don't know. But The Lunchbox was admirably restrained, and didn't go Maquis on Chef Mike's ass.

Tangent: Speaking of the French, last week I downloaded an interesting e-book version of a pamphlet originally produced by the US government: 112 Gripes about the French.

Anyway, back to the original topic: I tried a new beer at Der Schnitzelhaus, which immediately became one of my favorites: Köstritzer Schwarzbier. I'm surprised, since as a general rule I've found that I tend to prefer the heavier flavor of ales, but this one's actually a lager. (Interesting trivia from Wikipedia: Köstritzer Schwarzbier has been made since 1543; one of its most famous drinkers was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.)

Now to see if I can find a source in Tallahassee...