Literally: “to pre-glow” / first drinks of the evening before going to a party
Germans do know how to party. There are just some rules to follow so that everything is in perfect order.
First, you start with the Vorglühen. This is the part where you usually meet at the home of whoever lives nearest to the party location. It should be a close friend, though—because when the Vorglühen starts, you are still too sober to connect with new people. The trick is to drink exactly enough to get in the mood, but not appear drunk yet. After that, you go to the party and have a great evening. The tough ones will still be there for the next step: the Nachglühen (“after-glow”).
That’s where you seek a place to enjoy some more drinks while reflecting with your friends on who has made out with whom during the evening. Only your very dearest friends will be with you until the Absacker—the very last drink of the night (which literally translates to something like “sagger”). That’s usually when you have a world-changing idea that you will have forgotten the next day.
