My New Book

 

This is to announce to all my friends, enemies, and readers that I have just published my 4th book. Unlike my first three books, which had nothing to do with drugs, DEA, or law enforcement, this one is autobiographical. It is the story of my law enforcement career, beginning as a US Army military policeman in Germany in the 1960s, my 2-1/2 years as a US Customs agent, and my 22 years with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), lasting to 1995. It also has chapters about my experiences dealing with campus anti-Semitism issues when I was teaching at the University of California at Irvine from 1998-2016. In addition, there is a chapter dealing with militant Islam, based on my personal experiences from about 2006 to the present.

The book is available on Amazon, either in hardback, paperback, or E-copy (Kindle).

Bismarkhbrau From Eibau

 

We have previously written about various beers produced by the Eibau Brewery in Eibau, Germany on the German border with Poland. This is yet another Eibau Brewery product. It is called Bismarkhbrau -Das Pilsner. It is 4.8% alcohol, and I just picked up a 4-pack of tall cans at Total Wines and More. The cost is reasonable, I think about 12 dollars for 4 cans.

I am not sure why the variation in the spelling of the former German chancellor's name. 

Henniger Beer From Frankfurt (or Dortmund?)

 

I recently picked up a 4-pack of Henniger beer at Trader Joe's, for under $8. They are tall cans, 1 pint 9 ounces, and the alcohol content is 4.8%. Henniger is one of the major breweries in Frankfurt, at least it was, but looking at the can confused me.  According to information on the can, it was brewed and canned in  Dortmund, Germany, one of the country's largest beer-producing cities. Could it be that a Dortmund conglomerate had bought out Henniger? This has been happening in Germany over the past few decades, resulting in what many Germans call "industrial beer".

Henniger was established in Frankfurt in 1869, and in my past visits to Frankfurt, I was not excited about the beer-but that's just my taste. Going to Henniger's current website, I learned that, indeed, the company went bankrupt in 1996 and was sold to the Radeberger Group in 2001. Yet, the brewery still keeps its iconic Henniger Tower (Frankfurt) logo, and its Radeburger Group address is still in Frankfurt.

So what is with the Dortmund angle? I could write to them and ask, but why bother? Why don't you?  

Früh Kölsch From Cologne

Kölsch beer is a special type of German beer brewed in the city of Cologne. Rather than describe exactly what it is and how it is brewed, I will let you read about it here.

There are various breweries in Cologne that brew Kölsch. One of them that imports to the US is Früh Kölsch, by the Cölner Hofbräu brewery. Comparatively speaking, this is a fairly young brewery (1904).

The alcohol content is 4.8% and a 6-pack of bottles runs about $15 at Total Wines and More. 

Bamberg's Schenkerla Brewery

Bamberg town hall

Bamberg is a lovely town in northern Bavaria's Franconian region, and it is also noted for its beer. The Schenkerla brewery is particularly noted for its Rauchbier (smoked beer), which, as the name implies, has a smoky flavor to it. To be honest, smoked beer is not exactly to my taste. I have tried it in Bamberg but prefer to stick to the more traditional brews.

Schenkerla does, however, have a variety of beers, and it also offers a pale lager, which I have been able to find in my local Total Wines & More. It comes in a 4-can pack and can be recognized by its blue label. The cans have the same color and label design as the bottles (pictured below).

The alcohol content is 4.3%, and the taste is similar to that of Bitburger, with a slightly bitter taste. 

Franconia Bierfest Schedule 2025

Bamberg

A hearty welcome to the eternal beer fest calendar, in which we have compiled the important dates for the Franconian beer lover. Naturally, that includes the oldest "church fair" in Bavaria, the Michaelische Kirchweih (first mentioned 1100 AD). Classics like the Bamberger Sandkerwa, and the newest ones like the Bayreuther Beer Days, or the Schweinfurt City Festival. (You can find the exact dates on the respective websites.)

We wish you a lot of fun!

Courtesy of Bierland-Franken.de, I am cross-posting their schedule of regional beer fests in the northern Bavarian region of Franconia (Franken). If you click the link to the respective fest websites, you can get the exact dates.

If you are in the region this year, these beer fests are not to be missed.

Weltenburger Kloster Hell

 Weltenburger Kloster Abbey Brewery is the oldest monastery brewery in the world (1050), and its beer has been imported to the US for many years. Up to now, however, all I have ever found in the US is the darker variety. Last week, however, I picked up a 4-can pack of helles at Total Wines and More. It is 4.9% alcohol content, and I liked it, but to be honest, I preferred the darker variety. I have never been there, but it is considered well worth a visit if you are in the area.

There is a note at the bottom of the can that it was "brewed according to the original recipe by the Bischofshof in Regensburg". The abbey itself is located near Regensburg on the Danube.

The abbey

Abbey biergarten