PEUSSUN BEER.
73
those of tlie vinous, so that what is positive vinegar to usbecomes to their tastes absolute wine.
There are, however, soino peculiar "bowls" or "cups"populär in Rhineland, whieh, for the sake of completeness,deserve some mention. The vin ordinaire or " Tisch-wein"of Germany, being, as we have said, as sour and as mild in itsexhilarating qualities as our stalest table-beer, the Prussians,love to neutralisc, or rather disguise its acid by sugar, and togive flavour to it, as they do to their tasteless viands, by theaddition of all kinds of fruit.
Of the drink called " maiwein" we have already spoken inanother place, and no sooner is the month passed after whichthe potion is christened, and strawberries have made their ap-pearance, than the beverage termed "cardinal" becomes populärat the casino and wine-houses. This is made up of wine andsugar and the little "fraises des quatres Saisons" that are styled" earth-berries '' by the Germans, and wild strawberries by us— the fruit being steeped in the " Zeltinger" or " Piesporter"for a considerable time before the potion is quaffed and theinfusion served, like the mahvein at the wine-gardens, inhandleless Hass mucrs imitative of small barreis. Indeed it isthe custom to soak all kinds of fruit in the sweetened RhenishSliced oranges, preserved apricots, grape blossoms,
wmes.
young filberts, &c. &c. are severally used according to theseason; and many of these, it must be confessed, serve tomake the sour stuffs (that in England would be added onlyto gherkins and walnuts) about as palatable drinks in hotweather as our raspberry vinegar.
The beer of Germany, to throats that have been accus-tomed to English Burton and London porter, is but wretchedphysicky wash, costing about threepence halfpenny a quart,and tasting so strongly of dandelion instead of hops, that atrue-born Briton enjoys it about as much as he would a