by Mandy Chinn
When I first started tending bar about twelve years ago, the first bar I worked at had outdoor patio seating with yellow umbrellas that had “Bitte ein Bit” printed on them. I asked the bar manager what it meant, and he said, “I dunno; those were left over from the previous owner. I think it’s some kinda German beer.” I have since found out that “ein Bit” is bar slang for “one Bitburger”, and “bitte” means “please” in German.
It is indeed “some kinda German beer”; in fact, it’s one of the premium German pilsners available in the American market as well as being the official beer of Germany’s Nurburgring, one of the most amazing racing sites in the world.
The Nurburgring, nicknamed die grüne Hölle - The Green Hell - is 20 kilometers of twisting and turning through the dark green forests of Germany. It looks like something out a fairy tale, except whizzing by at 190 miles per hour -if you’ve got the nerve. As Germany has quite a bit fewer attorneys that we do, you can actually pull out your credit card and take a high-speed lap yourself there - and relax with a Bitburger afterwards.
Bitburger is so tied to the racing world that its non-alcoholic brew (which we also carry here at Sly’s) is called Bitburger Drive. It is one of the best non-alcoholic brews we’ve ever tasted. These folks take their beer - as they do their driving- seriously.
Bitburger Pils is brewed according to the original Rheinheitsgebot - a law originated in the city of Ingolstadt in the duchy of Bavaria on 23 April 1516 - yep, that’s a long time ago. The Reinheitsgebot said that all you can make a beer with was water, barley and hops. German Purity laws, which govern all brewing in Germany, have become a little more relaxed, but not so much Bitburger - it stays true to the old style. I suspect that many more modern brews would have trouble passing muster with this law...
The brewery was founded in 1817 and continues as the third-highest grossing brewery in all of Germany. The Pils is their best seller, and it’s selling here at Sly’s, too. We brought it on tap about 2 months ago, and as the weather warms, it just keeps selling better. It’s light and crisp and refreshing, but still has amazing flavor and character. It is the anti-C**rs, if you will. It is relatively low in alcohol as well, clocking 4.8%, which makes it an ideal “session beer” for a lazy afternoon. This may have led to Chef James’ favorite Bitburger slogan from when he worked in Germany “Abends Bit, Morgans Fit!”. It means, drink Bitburger at night, and you’ll be in great shape in the morning!” We can’t guarantee that, but what a great slogan.
Bitburger pairs beautifully with some of our lovely fried bites at Sly’s: the famous skinny onion rings leaping first to mind, but also fried calamari and potato skins. It has none of the “skunkiness” which is sometimes associated with German beers-just a pleasant mildly floral aroma and a crisp finish. So if you haven’t yet, come on down to Sly’s and try one. Feel free to order it in the traditional way: “Bitte ein Bit”. It’ll certainly earn you a knowing smile from the bartender. Prost!
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