UEFA European Championship 2016 – Group C and their coffee
Any group that has the World Cup holders is going to be an interesting group, the German footballing machine will no doubt be ready for the short trip to France to attempt to assert it’s dominance over world football yet again.
But what about their coffee drinking preferences? We wonder what each nation has up their (short) sleeve…
Group C
Germany – ‘Kaffee’
As one of the largest drinkers of coffee in the world, it would come as a surprise as to how the vast majority of German nationals drink coffee in a pour-over form. With espresso drinks being more popular amongst the immigrant population of the European powerhouse.
A regional favourite, der Pharisaer, is German engineered with rum, cream, coffee and sugar; created to celebrate the christening of one Johanna Theodora Katharina in 1872 to trick Nordstrand island Pastor, Gustav Beyer who was fervently against alcohol.
We applaud your ingenuity!
Ukraine – ‘kavy/кави’
Recently having a tough time off the pitch with some unwanted Russian advances, Ukraine has it’s own culture of coffee drinking that is different from the overbearing big-brother that is Putin’s Russia.
Preferring to drink their coffee like the Turkish, the original Slavic capital of Kiev is adorned with coffee shops and ‘dispensaries’ without a hint of Starbucks in sight.
You can even drink coffee in the 11th century Lavra monastery, with ostentatious gold leaf ceilings and walls offering a stunning backdrop to a smooth latte.
Poland – ‘Kawa’
Plucky hosts at the last European Championships, the Polish team is more than just Robert Lewandowski’s goals, and the same can be said about their coffee.
The Poles drinks their coffee extremely strongly, and due to coffee shortages in the 1970s came up with a popular coffee substitute known as Inka.
A roasted grain beverage, Inka remains popular due to being caffeine-free, and is made up of rye, barley, chicory and sugar beet.
With no artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives this is a great way of getting an ‘almost coffee’ fix without the caffeine.
We for sure would like to give it a try!
Northern Ireland – ‘coffee/caife’
Northern Ireland is not quite the same as Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, there are certain things that are distinctly ‘Northern Irish’ as opposed to ‘Irish’.
And those who have no understanding of the differences would have you believe that all of Ireland likes drinks Guiness and wears green. This is not the case.
Having a population smaller than that of Yorkshire means that by qualifying for the Euros, Northern Ireland are punching well above their weight.
As for the coffee, much like the South and the rest of the UK —Northern Ireland is a nation of tea drinkers — so for the most part coffee is either freeze-dried or filter.