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Father's Day in Germany is celebrated on Ascension Day (which this year happens to coincide with May Day)

It traditionally involves copious amounts of alcohol, revelry and hoonish behaviour, starting early in the morning and continuing until everyone falls over.

Being stuck here in the Infirmary naturally limits potential for participation this year, so spirits were pretty low.

Dinner time.

Did my usual "No peppermint tea, thanks"

Dinner tray wafts in and Tim says " Thought you might like some hop tea instead"

Hop tea?

There's the usual mug with a tea-bag tag hanging out..

Doesn't LOOK much like tea.

Doesn't SMELL much like tea, either.

(Doesn't smell like peppermint tea, for sure. Thank goodness)

Penny drops.

Beer!

(Non-alcoholic, but it's the thought that counts)

(It has to be said that semantic camouflage has a long and healthy tradition in Germany – cars are "rolllende Blech" (rolling metal), a bicycle is a wire donkey, a pair of specs is a nose bicycle, wine is vine juice and beer goes under the cloak of barley juice.)

But I've never heard of hop tea