Clik here to view.
Further abroad
Yesterday we got introduced to Riga and its beer via some of the bars in the historic centre. Today we're firing up our transport pass and moving out into the sprawl for more.It's not very far to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The cat and the barley
For my last entry in the Riga Chronicles, two of my favourite pubs in the city's historic centre.Up by the northern perimeter is Kaķis Maisā, another roomy vaulted basement like BEERA. I didn't get to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Seems familiar
From Riga, I flew to the Netherlands, for just a brief stopover on the way home. Utrecht was chosen solely because it's so convenient to Schiphol. And it has several favourite pubs to return to.Top of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New-trecht
My short stay in Utrecht in September provided an opportunity to explore some beer venues I hadn't been to before. On a sunny Tuesday afternoon I set off down the canal to the city's southern reaches.I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Marking time
Landmark Dublin pub The Palace, one of the few reasons to ever venture into Temple Bar, is celebrating 200 years in business. Like most such drinks-related anniversaries it requires an asterisk or two,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A cheap celebration
The Autumn Real Ale Festival at JD Wetherspoon kicked off last week, with the promise of 40 different special beers on rotation across the branches, and the usual handful of international...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two harted
It's been quite a while since I've had any new 9 White Deer beer on here. Today's post was prompted by a couple of the Cork brewery's less-known beers making an appearance in Blackrock Cellar.The first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Anything but IPA
When a slew of new beers from Budapest's Horizont arrived in, I took a judicious look through what was on offer. Not deliberately, but I found myself eschewing all of the IPAs: beers that just seemed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From zero to loads
It's catch-up time for me with Wicklow Wolf. In my defence, Locavore Summer 2023 arrived late, only showing up on shelves near me in late August. This year's twist on the all-local ingredients spec is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Amber gambles
The German brewing establishment haven't lasted as long as they have by being innovative, or at least what passes as innovative here in the craft age. So it's always interesting to see them doing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hot and sour
I don't know what the deal is with "Ginger & Co", purported maker of this sparsely branded Ginger Beer. They've dealt with the requirement to put an address on the label by printing a bare Eircode,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Caribouze
Blimey! They've gone all-in for craft beer at Moosehead: an absolute plethora of "Small Batch" beers covering a whole range of styles of the sort that discerning beer drinkers demand. I'm intrigued to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Muscling in
Belfast's Hercules brewery, home of the Yardsman beers, has featured sporadically on the beer shelves in Dublin. I hadn't seen their beer in several years when I got a surprise in the beer aisle of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gross to the most
I'm guessing the San Sebastián brewery is not intending to do a lot of exporting to the USA. Or maybe they just like the idea of selling English-speakers cans with GROSS written down the side in huge...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Today's Schnitzls
Schnitzel doesn't grow on trees, or so I believed until Privatbrauerei Schnitzlbaumer entered my life, its name conjuring an image of juicy breaded cutlets, hanging ready to be picked. Four beers from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wintercore
Rascals has branded The Phoenix Dark an "autumnal ale", though it was October by the time they canned it and I suspect it may be around a little while longer. No matter. I'm theorising it'll be fine...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two lonely lagers
Usually, Lineman releases new beers in multiples. When I saw Reflector for sale during the summer I figured that a companion beer wouldn't be long behind it. However, in the months since, the brewery...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nancy brew mysteries
It had been almost eight years since I was last in France, and from a beer perspective, it was a very different France back in 2015. One of the things I learned when spending a few days there last...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Les bars et les boires
On my brief visit to Nancy last month there was a small amount of pubbing done when there was time. On night one, Reuben brought us to a fun little basement metal bar with the unlikely name of Brooklyn...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From salon to saloon
Each year, the city of Nancy hosts a brewing trade show called Le Salon du Brasseur. Every machine, ingredient and packaging format available to the industry is showcased here, with suppliers from far...
View Article
