Categories
Beer styles Germany

Right beer, right time

Lots of people don’t like German-style wheat beers; in fact, this blogging partnership is divided on the issue, with Bailey something of a fan, and Boak being very much a sceptic.

Even if you like a good weizen, Franziskaner is probably not your favourite. Of those you can get easily in the UK we think, somewhat predictably, that Schneider is the one to go for. Our all time favourite is Distelhäuser’s (Würzburg), which gives a fantastic hit of tropical fruit, and especially pineapple.

On Friday night, though, after a two and half hour German lesson, a tall, cold Franziskaner at a mediocre, would-be-trendy pub in Waterloo really hit the spot. It didn’t fit the season — it defied and defeated it.

Categories
Spain

A famous Irish person

GARRULOUS SPANISH BARMAN
Where you from?

PUNTER
Ireland.

GSB
Holland?

PUNTER
Ireland.

GSB
Oh, yes, Ireland…. William Wallace. Braveheart. You’ll never take my freedom!!

Overheard in San Sebastian during the summer.

Categories
Blogging and writing breweries

Brewer's blogs

A good number of brewers are now blogging properly — that is, writing the material themselves, being quite open and generally engaging with their punters. We love it.

We’ve kept an eye on the Thornbridge blog for a while, but are ashamed to say we’ve only just clocked Stuart Howe’s blog, even though it’s been going for yonks; and now there’s Kelham Island’s Brew Girl too.

Now we’d like brewers’ blogs from Dark Star (tantalising glimpses), Crouch Vale, Meantime… it’s easier to set up a blog than a website so they’ve got no excuse!

Categories
Uncategorized

The Euston Tap: customer service fail

This new venture from the folks behind the fabulous Sheffield Tap should be our new favourite pub. Unfortunately, we’ve just been treated quite badly by a snooty barmaid.

We’ll stick to Cask.

This is why we stay incognito.

Categories
beer reviews

American and German-style beer in Bristol

image

It was nice to pop into the Bristol Beer Factory again. Their Acer and No 7 (pale/hoppy and darker/malty respectively) continue to impress with their powerful breadiness and sheer gulpability. Acer is one of my all time faves – it’s only 3.8% but tastes more substantial.

We also tried some good bottles. Southville Hop is an American-style IPA and extremely convincing at that. I probably prefer Acer (and my liver definitely does, as Southville is almost twice as strong) but only because Acer is so superb — there’s certainly nothing wrong with SH. Bristol Hefe is also excellent, nailing the clove and banana flavours that define the real thing but also being a little more sour and bitter than its Bavarian counterparts.

Boak