Experiencing a new city in Europe during December is always a quaint idea, given they tend to take on a unique character that in no way aligns with their usual feel. While most people gravitate towards famed Christmas markets in your Berlins and your Budapests, beer nerds can rejoice since many winter-wonderful yet under-visited European cities are beer odysseys. Here […]
Situated conveniently on the train line between Prague and other common interrail destinations of Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest, Brno unfairly receives short shrift. This is Moravia in pure time capsule form, with charming 19th century buildings, the remnants of Communism (including a well-integrated Vietnamese population giving the local cuisine a much-needed uplift) and pubs, pubs, pubs. The city is small […]
They say Spanish beer is a great hangover cure for too much Sangria. Madrid has never been known as a beer capital, but the scene for indie beer here is as underrated as the city itself. Incredibly affordable by global craft beer standards, here are the top stops to hydrate yourself during the summer heat, all dotted around various neighbourhoods […]
It’s a richly immersive little bit of the USA, is New England. Maybe because it’s closer to old, O.G. England? It has culture, it has “history” (by North American colonial standards) and it has the softest of water which means they make the softest of beers. It also has a very, very long coastline full of edible sea creatures, all […]
Don’t worry, the anti-tourist protesters will let you in if you drink high quality local beer. If you’re seen with a Mahou, however, you’ll be blasted with water that tastes better than the Mahou. To find the good stuff, Barcelona has four top stops to cool off after a long sweaty day wondering why the Sagrada Familia hasn’t been finished […]
They’re saying Baltic Porter’s not a thing, but you should tell them no – it is a thing, and Riga will prove it. With a rich history of brewing that stemmed from some banter and tension between the UK and the Russian Imperialists in the 1800s, the UK weren’t allowed to do much trade with the region at the time […]
The sights and sounds of Vietnam’s capital sometimes sit in the shadow of its Southern cousin, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and when it comes to craft beer that stands true too. Hanoi’s spectacular, relentless café and coffee culture is simply so ingrained that any boutique establishments are based around the beans, but that hasn’t stopped a handful of small […]
“Craft” beer in Berlin is a little ironic (well, isn’t everything?) given that bottles of German Lagerbier from any corner shop are delicious, with plentiful choice and at half the price of something more “indie”. You want Kellerbier, Helles, Dunkel? It’s all there, in those slightly oversized glass bottles in all shapes and sizes, staring out of the fridges like […]
“You wouldn’t believe the number of tourists who stick to the bars in sight of their cruise ship. We get barely a trickle up the hill, so we started this shuttle”. Matt, of Alaskan Brewing, stroked his predictably long beard. “I love bringing people up on it, though. Means I can play tour guide a bit too. Did you know […]
I have it on good authority that the Chicago musical was originally about the craft beer scene here.