Way back in the winter, my German class began to study foods of Germany. Being the foodie that I am, I was thrilled! It was at this point in my German career when I felt I would be learning vocab that would be useful on a daily basis. (And trust me, it was!)
When we started talking about drinks, Apfelsaftschorle (or Apfelschorle for short) came up in conversation. My German teacher raved about it, saying how it was the best thing ever, and how we would all be lovers of Apfelschorle if we ever tried it.
With a reputation like that, how could I not order it in the first restaurant we visited?
When it arrived, I was thrilled! My first ever Apfelschorle!
For all you curious readers, the closest comparison I can make is to sparkling apple cider. (Though my German teacher has said that sparkling cider is a poor substitute.)
It's cool, sparkly, slightly apple-y, and very refreshing. Since it's only carbonated mineral water and apple juice, I think you could probably make it at home. If you go to Germany, though, I'd highly recommend getting it from the source! It's the perfect non-alcoholic drink for someone who wants to try something you won't find on a menu at home.
I ordered Apfelschorle at every restaurant (which I'd recommend because you get more to drink if you don't order water) and am officially a fan.
Although the Apfelschorle was the big event, I did try a few other drinks.
On a long day of driving, Miki had us stop at a McDonald's for a 45 minute break. I don't eat at McDonald's at home, and I certainly don't seek them out in foreign countries, but we were stuck, so I ordered a Bubble Tea.
You may have seen Bubble Tea stands in the mall. I think it's been around for a while in the US, but I didn't realize it was a trend. Apparently McDonald's is cashing in on this popular drink in Germany, and now I think I know why.
Bubble Tea is a mix of milk, tea, and boba balls. My most recent experience with boba balls has been at frozen yogurt shops. If you've never seen them before, they're little spherical balls filled with a fruity flavored syrupy juice. My personal favorite is mango.
The Bubble Tea I ordered was strawberry with some kind of white tea and strawberry boba balls. (Sorry for the vague description.) It comes with a big straw so you can drink up all of the boba balls (which is surprisingly fun). Now that I've tasted the wonders of Bubble Tea, I'm going to need to find a local shop at home!
The last drink of note was a surprisingly simple mango juice. On our first night in Munich, we were free to find dinner on our own. When we found our tiny out-of-the-way restaurant, I was shocked to see that they had about 10 different exotic juice choices to choose from. And these weren't from a box, either. Our waiter literally blended each of the juices fresh, with no added sweeteners or preservatives.
Since I'm a mango person, I went with that. It turned out to be somewhat watery and not quite as sweet as I would have liked. But, alas, I couldn't complain about getting fresh mango juice, right? Plus it was a beautiful orange color.
So if you're underage (though I don't even know if there is a drinking age in Germany) or you just prefer non-alcoholic beverages, take heart! Germany has much more to quench your thirst than just beer.
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