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pronounced by some to be mere " hogwash," and
by others to consist principally of the juice of
fir-cones and onions mixed with snow-water.
The fir-cone flavour is, I believe, accounted for
by the " pitching" of the barrels in which the
beer is stored; but I don't know where the
oniony flavour comes from.
The prejudice
against this beer has long since departed from
our midst; in fact it has become quite a favourite
summer drink. It is generally considered less
intoxicating than its English cousin. In fact
the German students are in the habit of putting
huge quantities thereof out of sight, on the
occasion of passing examinations, and public
rejoicings; and these " beer-drinkings" are,
apparently, fully sanctioned by the authorities.
It has been written that it is to Dean Nowell,
"classed by Fuller among the worthies of Eng
land," that we are indebted for the discovery of
bottled beer. According toFuller, " this worthy,
who was an enthusiastic fisherman, was one day
angling in the Thames ; but at the very time
when he was trying to catch perch to carry
to the frying-pan, that benighted bigot Bishop
Bonner was trying to catch him to tie him to
the stake for purposes of cremation, to the glory
of the old religion. The reverend gentleman
heard that he was ' wanted,' left his fishing, and
fled as far from the Thames as he could, leaving
untasted in a safe place a bottle of beer which
he had filled in the morning. Bonner's day did
not last long, and Dean Nowell was soon able
to return to his old haunts. Fishing as usual,
he went to look after his bottle of beer, and