The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Drink Malta

I don't normally drink this stuff but our Nigerian friends brought some to the fellowship lunch on Sunday. If you like stout it's too sweet but I like it. It's very popular in West Africa. Wikipedia says:
Malta is a type of brewed but non-alcoholic soft drink. A carbonated malt beverage, it is brewed from barley, hops, yeast and water much like beer. Corn and caramel colour may be added. It is similar in colour to stout (dark brown) but very sweet, generally described as tasting like molasses. Unlike beer, ice is often added to malta when consumed. A popular way for Latin Americans to drink it is mixed with condensed/evaporated milk (increasing the drink's already high caloric value).
Most malta is brewed in the Caribbean and can be purchased in areas with substantial Hispanic populations. It is also popular in Colombia and Venezuela (with a Caribbean Coast). However, malta is brewed worldwide and is found in many parts of Africa eg Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and the Indian Ocean. Malta Guinness is brewed under license internationally.
Malta originated in Germany, as Malzbier (malt beer), a malty dark beer whose fermentation was interrupted at circa 2% ABV, leaving quite a lot of residual sugars in the finished beer. Up to the 1950s, Malzbier was considered a fortifying food for nursing mothers, recovering patients, the elderly, etc. Malzbier in its native form was finally superseded during the 1960s by its modern form, formulated from water, glucose syrup, malt extract and hops extract, which had been on the market since the latter half of the 19th Century, notably in Denmark. Such formulated drinks are to be called Malztrunk (malt beverage) according to German law, since they are not fermented. In colloquial use, Malzbier has nevertheless remained, along with other nicknames such as Kinderbier (children's beer). Some native Malzbiere can still be enjoyed in Germany, notably in Köln, where the taps of breweries Malzmühle and Sion sell it alongside their traditional Kölsch. Many German breweries have a malta in their range, sometimes produced under licence (eg Vitamalz).
Malta is also occasionally called "champagne cola" by some brands. However, there is a separate type of drink with this name, having a flavour and consistency more akin to cream soda. Despite this appellation, neither drink is achampagne or a cola.
Due to its distinctive colour, malta is sometimes known as black brewed beer. It is high in B vitamins. Some breweries, eg Albani Breweries Ltd of Denmark, fortify their non-alcoholic malta beverages with Vitamin B complex. Albani claim on their website to have been the first brewery to create non-alcoholic malt beverages in 1859.

No comments: