'Beer Mat' Currency, Germany

In the old days, the German bars serving staff would tick ones beer mat with the amount of drinks you ordered in your round. Generally, the average squaddies paid up at the end of the night drinking.

You guys out there still in Germany as civis! Is the beer mat method still around?

a lot of guys used to exit stage left befor paying. however they got you next you went in.
i'm thinking of the titty bar, the wolf bar & the the krombacher in lippstsdt. they were the nearest to the camp. i think every squaddie in lippstadt was barred from most pubs, clubs
& places where the locals went.

reg

I always thought that it was very civilised. How did they signify a large beer from a small one? I have forgotten.

Never actually knew anyone who did a runner but I suppose it went on. Some of the local bars were pretty good with the credit and trusted you to pay next time if you were short.

The best people of all were Gerds (?) taxis at Wildenrath. Not only could you pay them when you were paid but they would sometimes lend you money. Nice people and I don't think they were ripped off too many times if at all.

I don`t know why they bothered with the beer mat..They seemed to know exactly what you had without looking at it..As for doing a runner .I never saw it.In the companions Bar at Herford ,half liters were marked with two lines and a strike through.The small .2 liters were marked with four lines and a strike through.Makes sense if you think about it,which i didn`t at the time and i don`t think anyone else did

reg wrote:

a lot of guys used to exit stage left befor paying. however they got you next you went in.
i'm thinking of the titty bar, the wolf bar & the the krombacher in lippstsdt. they were the nearest to the camp. i think every squaddie in lippstadt was barred from most pubs, clubs
& places where the locals went.

reg

Ah..... the Titty Bar and Gastatte Wolf!


When did you serve in Lippstadt, Reg?

they still do, most places see drinkers as trustworthy people and rightly so - I wouldnt try and introduce it in the UK though. They would close as I guess everyone (bar us) would grow linford christie legs at the end of a night.

Hi Shelldrake, i was there from jan 69 to dec 71. i had a school chum in 132 Bty, 27regt.ra
there the same time

reg

I can say the Beer Mat marking procedure is alive and well. As are the smart, neat, alert and friendly German barmaids.

Hi Reg, I must have just missed you, I arrived in May 64 and left Feb 69, I was with 42 Regt. I shall be going back out there in May for a trip down memory lane - will report back.

There have been occasions when I've walked out of a bar?, slightly the worse for wear, without paying. However as I used the same establishment, the next time you went in a beer would be poured and nothing said. After a couple of beers the memory would "kick in" and rather sheepishly apologies were given. The owners had no problems of you not paying that night because they knew you would come back. I also found that the Germans thought it a point of honour that bar bills were paid. A very noble thought.!! I somehow think it might not work in this Country. They have one of the most civilised drinking codes ever devised by Man.

Yes the beer mat was one of the most civilized methods of keeping track of your bar bill around. There was also the Christmas savings ban( Weinacht Sparkasse) they had. I only saw that up north when I was posted in Deilinghofen. It was hard to get into but most of the locals were in it. My last year there 67/68 I got into it and really enjoyed the party they had. How it worked, there was a box on the wall with small compartments one for each member to put your money in. I believe it was expected to be either 2 or 5 marks minimum per week. Around early Dec. there was a party for members and their spouses. You got your money back with beer tokens and the party food was paid for by the interest. I remember that was the year (67) at the party that I was told to use the word Du and no longer Sie with many German acquaintances. Also I was invited to sit at the stamptiech table and play lugen spiel (liars dice) on Sundays, they didn't all go to church. I could even join in mid game with a small penalty. I knew I was in then, especially when a fella who was on his 3rd tour with the PPCLI thought I was a local who spoke good English.

Please excuse my German spelling, to lazy to check with my wife or reach for the German Dictionary.

Hardrations, the first time I saw one of those Weihnachts Sparkassen I thought that it was a Jukebox (well, I was only 18).

Hardrations wrote:

Yes the beer mat was one of the most civilized methods of keeping track of your bar bill around. There was also the Christmas savings ban( Weinacht Sparkasse) they had. I only saw that up north when I was posted in Deilinghofen. It was hard to get into but most of the locals were in it. My last year there 67/68 I got into it and really enjoyed the party they had. How it worked, there was a box on the wall with small compartments one for each member to put your money in. I believe it was expected to be either 2 or 5 marks minimum per week. Around early Dec. there was a party for members and their spouses. You got your money back with beer tokens and the party food was paid for by the interest. I remember that was the year (67) at the party that I was told to use the word Du and no longer Sie with many German acquaintances. Also I was invited to sit at the stamptiech table and play lugen spiel (liars dice) on Sundays, they didn't all go to church. I could even join in mid game with a small penalty. I knew I was in then, especially when a fella who was on his 3rd tour with the PPCLI thought I was a local who spoke good English.

Please excuse my German spelling, to lazy to check with my wife or reach for the German Dictionary.

The Sparkassen box was a good way to save. I was a member in our local,I think you had to pay a minimum of 5 Marks, I was Werl at the time.(1989). Your right, the party was excellent. I used to play "Shock Dice"with the locals, the ideal way to learn the language and get a few drinks in. First time I played it cost me a fortune,but an ideal way to get to know the people.

Yes, the beer mat system is still very much alive in Germany.

whitehorse660 wrote:

There have been occasions when I've walked out of a bar?, slightly the worse for wear, without paying. However as I used the same establishment, the next time you went in a beer would be poured and nothing said. After a couple of beers the memory would "kick in" and rather sheepishly apologies were given. The owners had no problems of you not paying that night because they knew you would come back. I also found that the Germans thought it a point of honour that bar bills were paid. A very noble thought.!! I somehow think it might not work in this Country. They have one of the most civilised drinking codes ever devised by Man.

I agree, I could never understand how 1 barman and 1 waitress could easily serve an imbiss full of customers and you'd never have to wait for your beer. My local has about 3 behind the bar and you always have to wait

The Germans, food & beer just know what they are doing.

Apart from the 'Bierkeller' in London, staffed by Germans, nothing has ever come close!

On that thought, what was the bar called behind Ripon Bks, Bielefeld? Was it the lions bar, just sandwiched between camp and the MQs...

Yes very much alive...have managed without "Iserlohner Pilsner" for 4 weeks now but enjoy "Holsten Edel" it comes in .33l stubbies a crate of 27 is euro 9.99 or down to euro 7.99 when on special so circa 65p a pint if my maths are correct
Bumper sticker "I am a drunk not an alcoholic...alcoholics go to meetings"

Going off on a tangent again, I once had a Bumper sticker that read "Dass faengen vom Fliegen und voegeln im Auto ist verboten" Who said the Germans don't have a sense of humour?

Whilst in Hameln my brother-in-law who was RE in Gordon Bks whent to my local the Post Haus in Tunden Filled a mat and left it behind the bar, needless to say I copped for it next time I went in. "Ihr Bruder" sagte Sie zahlen würden

Shelldrake wrote:

Going off on a tangent again, I once had a Bumper sticker that read "Dass faengen vom Fliegen und voegeln im Auto ist verboten" Who said the Germans don't have a sense of humour?

OK . . , I can understand a bit of Welsh, some Deutsch and speak fluent Brummie, (very useful as a paramedic on the M6 by the way !) but Sheldrake ,old chap, you'll have to decipher THAT one for me !

Literally translated it means "Catching flies and birds in your car is forbidden" German slang it means "Catching flies, and sha***** in you car is forbidden". It loses something in the translation but was funny in 1971!

Wasn`t into catching flies...but the other welll??????????

Shelldrake wrote:

Literally translated it means "Catching flies and birds in your car is forbidden" German slang it means "Catching flies, and sha***** in you car is forbidden". It loses something in the translation but was funny in 1971!

Voegeln (birds) = effing

Martin, the bar at the back of Rippon Bks was Hans Meyer's. Great bar.

as for shagging in cars, a friend of mine was doing the deed with a young lady in the car park of a disco in Hohenlimburg, when a policeman opened the door. he suggested that this might not be the best spot to be fornicating and suggested that the Schloss had extensive grounds and was a little more quite. so off he went, and found a nice quite spot in the castle grounds. after a bit of persuassion he managed to get back to where he had been in the car park when the same policeman again opened the car door and issued him a DM20 fine for being in the castle grounds after it was officially closed !!!!