The Hungry Poet: My Life in Food — Wheat Beer

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One of the students in the room next to me, Matt, had gone to public school, Westminster to be precise. I was completely unaware and naive to the English education system at this point. We ended up being great friends and he even came back to NI with me at one point to see where I’m from and experience it. Two things struck me about Matt: 1. he was incredibly polite. 2. He had a cool-box full of funny looking European beers.

Matt was studying German, and had already travelled to Bavaria and parts of Germany, so he was keen to introduce me to Wheat Beer, or as he liked to call it Weissbier. I particularly remember the Erdinger variety, not least because of its distinctive lettering. I remember it having a fruity flavour and pleasing cloudy appearance in the long-stemmed glass. Up to that point, I’d only ever had Corona or Budweiser, but this felt more complex as a drink and, more importantly, more flavoursome, although I don’t know if I’d want to be drinking more than one, but being cash strapped students this was never a dilemma we found ourselves in.