I stand by my original point. My personal view is that the lemon is so intrusive that it buries any individual quality that the beer may have. It could be the best beer in the world, it could be Holsten or Heineken, who could tell ?

I'm not against the idea of adding flavours entirely. Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with wormwood extract and I enjoy the beer either with or without. Indeed I'll confess a childish pleasure in drinking a glass of luminous green liquid. However, it is my view that it enhances the original flavour, whilst lemon buries it entirely.

As for germans drinking it with lemon. So what ? People do it all over the world, it's just an affectation born of distaste or indifference for the actual quality of the beer. Not every german cares anymore than most brits do.

But I care. Call me rude. (Why not ? It's true and my friends list is appropriately limited). Call me a beer snob, whatever. Lemon in beer offends me because it's not just unnecessary, it's ruinous. Especially where it is the default in a bar and you end up being made to feel you're at fault for asking for another beer without the lemony thing in it.

Of course I know mine is a minority opinion but I simply do not understand why anybody would spend the extra for a premium beer and then render it indistinguishable from the cheapest crappiest beer in the bar.

keep to the Fen Causeway