Take those beer trolleys for example. Somehow I doubt we'll ever persuade SEPTA to turn the Route 15 into a draft line. But the tram I rode was not a public route, either.
Instead, my Munich ride - conducted with the blessings of the city and its transit agency - was an official sight-seeing tour of the city's historic landmarks.
Someone, Mark suggested after a gulp from his stein, should launch a Philly beer tour aboard one of those goofy Fairmount trolleys, load it with soft pretzels, cheesesteaks and local beer, and take visitors for a ride.
Sure, there are some state alcohol rules that would have to be changed. But if Philly is honestly proud of its beer heritage, it should find a way to share that with tourists.
The more Mark and I guzzled, the more ideas we came up with:
Upgrade the beer selection at the airport.
Munich's airport features a beer garden in a spacious, fresh-air concourse, plus countless bars serving fresh glasses of wheat beer. The souvenir shops carry beautiful souvenir gift boxes of Bavarian beer, glassware and brewery garb.
Philadelphia? There are no last-minute gift packs of beer available in airport shops. And if someone wants a taste of the locals, it's awfully hard to find. Jet Rock, with its dozens of taps, is disappearing. And the Independence Brewpub has been replaced by an overpriced wine bar.
Other than Yuengling Lager, the only local beer I found at the terminal was Victory HopDevil at Chickie's & Pete's.
Serve pretzels at bars.
In Munich, big, soft, salty pretzels dished up with yummy mustard are a ubiquitous feature of beer gardens. They soak up enough beer to keep you going for hours.
Yo, our soft pretzels are every bit as good. And they're certainly better than greasy chips, or those seeds and stems they're serving at taverns these days.
Don't skimp on the foam.
