Das Boot

At Fritz and Franz Bierhause, Only the Brave Go For It

February 2019

For anyone who has seen the cult classic comedy “Beerfest,” the “Boot” is a familiar object. It is a glass boot that takes two liters of beer to fill.

In the movie, a team of Americans must win a beer drinking contest in Germany to redeem their honor. The ultimate challenge is to chug the Boot. The catch is that, as you guzzle, an air pocket forms in the boot’s toe, which then pops and releases a flood of beer.

“It’s all about how you twist it at the end,” says Fritz and Franz bartender Chris Shipp, who says the Boot is requested at least once or twice daily in the Beirhaus at 60 Merrick Way.

For those who have not imbibed at Friz and Franz, it’s the closest place in the Gables to a true German beer hall. The large space is bracketed by walls of beer bottles. The best of the four beers on tap, says Shipp, is Bitburger; his favorite of the 20 varieties in bottles is the Schneider Weisse. So, drink up! Just don’t get Booted.