Leaving Berlin

The easiest way to get to Berlin's Schönefeld airport from the city centre is of course by taxi. It is a long and expensive ride, so I preferred using public transportation. And it is also very affordable. A day ticket costs less than 7 EUR, and you can use it on buses, trams, trains and the metro system in the German capital.

The main railwaystation in Berlin, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, is an impressive sight. This modern piece of architecture is more than worth a visit. For myself, the railway station was the first step towards the flight back home. First you must take a train to Berlin Südkreuz station, where you catch a direct train to the Schönefeld airport. There is a brewpub on the Hauptbahnhof, but I did not know where to find it. Sure, I could have asked someone, but as I saw a train with the Czech ČD logo going to Berlin Südkreuz, I decided to board the train and sat down in the restaurant car.

A Czech restaurant car meant that it might be possible to find Czech draught beer. And so it was. I ordered a glass and was served Pilsner Urquell from tap. The golden lager had that beautiful aroma of grass and Saaz hops, and the excellent combination of malt, hints of fruits and tasty, bitter Saaz hops was once again a treat. Pilsner Urquell is a wonderful beer.

It was barely time to finish my Urquell before the train arrived at Berlin Südkreuz. I left the Czech restaurant car and had a walk through the station. I had some time before the train to the airport left, so I visited the little supermarket downstairs to get a water bottle and some snacks. Then it was back to the platform to get on the next train.

It was dark when I arrived at Berlin Schönefeld airport. It is probably the last time I am there, as the airport is to close later this year. Then some of the area will become part of the new Berlin Brandenburg airport. Check-in was fast and easy, and suddenly I was through security.

The departures area of the airport was very crowded. Many Brits were waiting for their Easyjet flight home, and they had turned that part of the building into a party zone. All benches and chairs were taken, so most people were sitting on the floor. The crowdiest part of departures was the little Irish pub. After a long wait, the friendly bartender gave me a Berliner Kindl Jubiläums Pilsener. It is a nice pale lager, but it pales compared to Pilsner Urquell.

There were also some kiosks in the departures area. I bought some beer to take home, and as I was given information that my flight home would be late I opened one of them. Flensburger Pilsener is an old acquaintance. I have been drinking it several times during visits to Germany. It is sold in nostalgic swing top bottles, and I am very fond of the label with the cog.

I drank the beer straight from the bottle. The nose was malty, and a combination of malts, hops and grass had a dance in the mouth before a partly bitter finish. Another fine pale lager that I felt was better than Berliner Kindl, but still average compared to Pilsner Urquell.

My visit to Berlin had come to an end, and I entered the airplane. I will be back in Berlin some day. I liked the city, and I would like to see more of Berlin's taprooms as well. In the meantime I can recommend Ronald Pattinson's Berlin Pub Guide. Fellow Norwegian beer blogger Knut Albert also has some interesting posts about the German capital. Here you can find his posts that are tagged with Berlin. Cheers!

Nearly no room at Zum Nußbaum

There are some interesting restaurants and bierstubes in Berlin's Nikolaiviertel quarter. One of them is Zum Nußbaum, which is one of the oldest pubs in Berlin. It used to be somewhere else in the German capital, but the house was moved to the current location next to the Nikolaikirche church by the East German authorities in the 1980s.

Zum Nußbaum seems to be a popular place. The afternoon I visited the bierstube, there were no available tables. I therefore found a place at the bar and had an excellent view to the beer taps. Four draught beers were available, and I could choose between two pale lagers, a schwarzbier and a wheat beer. I had already tried the Berliner Kindl Jubiläums Pilsener, and the two other beers sounded more interesting than Rex Pilsener. My first choice was therefore the schwarzbier.

Märkischer Landmann from the Berliner Kindl brewery was as expected black in colour. It had a small head and nearly no carbonation. There was barely any aromas, but I felt some coffee. The coffee took the lead with a touch of nuts before a semi bitter finish. Fortunately there was not any of the sweetness that in my opinion ruins some Czech dark lagers. This schwarzbier was refreshing and a nice treat.

I went on to try Schöfferhofer Weizen from the Binding brewery in the Hesse region. The wheat beer was cloudy in the glass, had a large head and not much carbonation. In the nose there was banana and cloves. I felt banana and tutti frutti bubble gum in the mouth before a finish with some peaches. Lovely! This is one of the best wheat beers I have ever tasted.

As I was drinking my two beers, I noticed that the female barkeeper received several phone calls. It looked as if these were table reservations for the evening and the day after. I liked Zum Nußbaum, and I feel that its atmosphere was excellent. But after my visit I have a tip for other tourists: Reserve a table in advance if you want to go there. There is not much space at the bar.

A taste of Berlin

After a pleasant flight I was finally in Berlin. I had landed on the Schönefeld airport, and I felt a bit hungry as I left the main entrance. Next to the terminal I found a special building: An old train car had been redecorated into a hot dog stand. The place was called Die Ess-Bahn. This was a clever word play on the German verb for eating and the S-Bahn trains. I went inside and ordered a Currywurst and a lager beer to drink. Unfortunately there were no draught beers available, but a half litre of Berliner Kindl Jubiläums Pilsener felt appropriate.

The Currywurst is a standard dish in Germany. Everywhere in Germany you will find it on fast food menus. It is a take on sausage drowned in ketchup and a liberal dose of curry. I like to have a Currywurst now and then while in Germany, but the fatty sausage may not be to everybody's liking.

I had to drink the Berliner Kindl beer from a plastic cup. Unfortunately, no ordinary glass was available at Die Ess-Bahn. The Jubiläums Pilsener was a pale lager beer with a small head and barely any carbonation. I felt malts and sweetness in the nose. The beer felt balanced with some sweetness and a touch of hops before a finish with grains. I liked it. This was a nice pale lager.

I finished my beer and Currywurst and spent some time reading the complimentary Berliner Morgenpost on my table. Then it was time to find the Berlin-Schönefeld railway station just a short walk away. More than one bierstube in the city centre was waiting for me.