Berlin, Day Two

First of all, two days in Berlin is not nearly enough. My wonderful stay in the Czech Republic threw my schedule a little out of skew, but I narrowed my focus and strived on ahead. Berliner Weisse found, I now felt I had time for some touristy things: sections of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and the big Sunday market not far from my hotel on Bernauer Strasse. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday, and though the Berlin underground and above-ground Metro is probably the best in Europe, it is also an easy place to walk. Kolin, who is a graduate of the Versuchs und Lehranstalt fur Brauerei school here, recommended a unique spot, situated under a railway arch near Alexanderplatz, Bräuhaus Lemke, and so that was my first stop, for lunch and to taste their beers. As luck would have it, they had four beers on tap and even offered a tasting ‘probe’. It was a lovely modern brewpub, two large rooms in fact, the bar area featuring smaller, higher tables and the main room more traditional with long shared tables. They also had a lovely patio, surrounded by large trees and much greenery. I went from dark to light, munching on the toasted grains provided in between, as I waited for my Bavarian-Oktoberfest inspired weisse-wurst and fresh, steaming pretzel meal. Their mustard was good too! The Original was a malty nosed dunkel, caramel and lightly roasted grain palate, a good balance that finishes a little sweet with a tiny hint of rauchbier-style smokiness. The Oktoberfest was, of course, the seasonal offering, a little lighter in colour, a brighter mouthfeel, clear and clean, some hop bitterness underpinning the malt base. The Weizen was a typical cloudy pale gold-amber, fruity nose, but a bit drier than expected, the traditional banana/clove elements missing, but it was well balanced with some citric and a background of hops, finishing quite dry. The Pils ended up being my favourite, big, hoppy aroma, pale yellow, nice bitter first sip, a bright mouthfeel that leads to an even bitter palate, but smooth, ending dry with more hops than other German pils I’d tasted. I ordered another glass of this one, despite the AOR classic rock soundtrack too loud in the empty room. This excellent brewpub now has two locations in Berlin, and I can see why. The beers are quite good and so is the food. More folks poured in for Sunday brunch, as I made my way out and on to other more touristy things.
I then went for Hardy’s recommendation from the night before, the Stangdige Vertretung, or Stäv, as its affectionately called (translated as The Permanent Embassy). This is an historical place, having not only survived the Cold War, but actually became a place for intellectuals of all stripes to discuss current events, the main room being filled with photographs of a divided and united Germany over the years. A lovely location with a terrace across the road, right on the water’s edge, and as the restaurant was full and the early evening warm, that is what I opted for. They served Gaffel Kolsch in the standard tall 200 ml. thin glasses. This tap beer was delicious, pale yellow with a light head leaving great lacing, a somewhat fruity nose, but a lovely even and smooth malt character, good carbonation and enough hops to even out the palate and dry the fine finish. After the lovely lentil soup of the day, and a few more kolsch, I asked if they had any Berliner Weisse. This, of course, led to a discussion with the not-so-busy waitresses. They did have the Berliner Kindl Weisse in bottles, but were surprised I would order it out of season, but also without the usual, sweet syrups. Again I found myself the centre of attention, as all three wanted to know who was drinking such an odd, sour beer. Traveling and writing about beer is a great conversation stater.
I had wanted to hit the Zur Letzten Instanz, but, alas, it was closed on Sundays, and although I had been by the Brauerei Mitte earlier in the day when it was not opened, I got a little lost and ended up not finding it again. But, all in all, I had had a great day, so opted for a Metro ride back to my hotel, where I finished the evening with a couple of glasses of a regional Berlin beer on tap, Wittinger Pils (a 4.9% classic German pilsner brewed with Hallertau hops and local malts, characterized by a smooth bitterness that lingers lovingly on the palate) discussing Berlin life and beer with the beautiful bartender and night desk person Janine. I didn’t nearly spend the time or discover what I had originally intended in Berlin, but I had a very nice slice and was not disappointed in the least. I promised myself that I would be back!