The Barman is Brown Bread

My wife made me take up drinking again. I am way better fun to be around and I am not so stressed out about work. Also she was mad to watch Greys Anatomy so she kicks me out. (And before anyone incinuates in the comments, I'm too big of a catch to have an affair on!). I used to drink quite alot. Unlike my uncles I was never an alchy. My uncle was such an alcoholic that he would spend all his wages on drink at the weekend. To combat this he began posting £20 to himself on Friday so he would receive it in the post on Monday. He could then eat for the rest of the week. Acutely aware of my genes I never drink at home apart from wine with my meal. Whenever I drink I go to the pub with a couple of friends and it is more the social aspect of getting out and having a laugh. I can never have 1 or 2. If I am out , I am out and I drink until they kick me out. While I was in Germany the bars did not close until 5am so I did drink alot more while I was there.
The nights out in Frankfurt would begin at 8pm in the Anglo irish in Sachsenhausen, a great pub that I really recommend if you visit the city. This would close at 5am. We then would walk down the road to a club called the Cave. Noone really knew of this. It was a strange strange place. The club was a quirky 60's nightclub and everyone would be dressed in Austin Powers gearlike rainbow shirts and brown flares giving it loads to the flower power music. This would close at 7am. Barbarossa (the early house) which was run by an elderly German gentlemen well into his 80's called Paul would open at 7.30 am and we would go in to have our last drink before Macdonalds opened at 8am. We would then head there to get a Mcmuffin breakfast. Everywhere is closed in Germany on Sunday so I would retire to the bed and wake up around 3pm.

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Barbarossa was an interesting establishment. Paul ran his pub strictly and never served anyone that was too drunk. But the irony was that Paul opened at 7.30am in the morning. Who wasn't slaughtered at that stage?? So you had to pretend you were fine which was hilarious. If you passed the test Paul would then put two shots on the counter. Always sambucha. He would have one and I would have one. But the mad thing was that he would do this with everyone. I looked around 1 morning and there was well over 30 people in the pub. Paul could bearly stand he was so drunk. The other barmen used to go there after work so they would help Paul out if the pub was too full after his 20 something shots of Sambucha. They loved Paul and made sure he was always alright and not taken advantage of. His wife was always around as well to lock up at 10am so it was always a nice atmosphere compared to other early houses I have been to in the past.

All the Gang in the Anglo

We did this schedule every Saturday for around two years. It was brilliant and I have so many great memories in these 3 places. We lived for the Saturday night in Frankfurt and it was always an adventure. I was coming to the end of my time in Frankfurt. Myself and my friend Carmel were outside Barbarossa waiting the half an hour for Barbarossa to open its doors at 7:30am. As usual Paul opened the doors to around 15 of us waiting outside. I got a drink and as per usual I received my shot off Paul. He drank his and his usual saying:

Hau vec die scheiss which translated to Down the shit

Carmel's boyfriend Styx walked in around 8am. He too asked for a drink and got a sambucha first as usual. Paul poured his and drank it. He fell back like a tree falling. Everyone giggled and the regulars went in behind the bar to pick him up. Happened alot. The only thing was ... Paul was brown bread. There was no pulse and an ambulance was called and confirmed our fears. This is the first and last time someone died in my vicinity. The thousands of shots of Sambucha finally caught up with Paul. ThE regular barmen ensured the pub was closed but that was the end of Barbarossa. It was the end of an era.
A year later one of the guys in my local took it over and it is now called Drinksmiths bar and they are doing well by all accounts under Zach who is from South Africa. Lovely chap and you should pop in.

My night in the new Drinksmiths

Apart from a barman dying beside me I have always had a positive time with alcohol and a good night out can be great for the mind. I don't drink at all anymore because a hangover with a 2 year old is hell on earth and unfair on her. But a shove out the door once in a while is very welcome.

I will leave you with a quote from old blue eyes Frank Sinatra:
“I feel sorry for people that don't drink because when they wake up in the morning, that is the best they're going to feel all day.”

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