The Man writes...Having no other option, I watched this week's Champions League Final sitting at a bar. The regular American clientel quickly recognised the true expert among them and I enjoyed answering their questions...yes, soccer is a game of two halves (but with overtime); no, the final is not a best of seven games series; no it was not being played in Moscow in order to introduce soccer to the Russians."But that's what I can't take - the Blue guy runs into the Red guy and they both go down like they've been shot," cried the Bartender, as the screen showed the replay of a sickening clash of heads.
Another pan-European item that is equally unfamiliar here is the shandy. I'm very partial to one myself - my favourite being a nicely chilled mix of Kaliber lager and Hooch lemonade. On this occasion a colleague ordered an IPA shandy to go with the footie. "Sure" said the barmaid, but brought back only a straight beer. My colleague then ordered a lemonade and a spare glass. "Sure" said the barmaid, but brought back what we would call a lemon squash back home. My colleague gave up.
Many years ago I did once obtain a shandy over here by explaining laboriously how I wanted a glass half filled with beer and then topped up with Sprite. The barmaid was so surprised she made one to try for herself. "Wow!" she exclaimed, "That tastes just like champagne."
Of course, as any British bartender will tell you, if you want to control the head, it is advisable to laboriously explain that it is a glass half filled with Sprite and topped up with beer. Although I confess that the internet proves that this is argued over at times.
ReplyDeleteExile #2 also started up something of a trend for shandy drinking amongst some of our local acquaintances when it was her breastfeeding tipple of choice.
Together we can change the world.
...one drink at a time.
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