Tomorrow at 12:47 pm (8:47 pm London time) I board a plane for Europe. I'll be there most of the month, returning Nov 29. I'll roughly split my time between Britain and Belgium, with the balance going to a day and a half in France--all research, tax-deductible research [!] for the
Beer Bible (I am appropriately happy/amazed at this fact). I don't want to give away too much of the itinerary beforehand, because I do hope to keep up a travelogue here. But as a teaser, I'll mention that I will be touring these breweries and talking with the brewers there:
- Fuller's (11/7)
- Samuel Smith's (11/14)
- Belhaven (11/15)
- Rodenbach (11/21)
- Dupont (11/24 -- Thanksgiving)
- Orval (11/28)
That is but a quarter of the total breweries, and I've left out a few other biggies. (If my experience in foreign travel is any guide, one or two of the less-famous breweries will emerge as one of the best visits.)
In addition to the blog posts here, I've set up a
Tumblr page for the Beer Bible where I can post lots of pictures and iPhone videos. In a way, that may be more interesting than me blathering on about what you'll be able to plainly see there. (But blather I hope to do.)
Wish me well, and I wish you all well. See you on the other side.
What a fantastic trip! Have a great time!
ReplyDeleteSamuel Smith and Belhaven? If I promise not to generalise about American beer after visiting Yuengling and FX Matt, will you promise not to draw any generalisations about British beer from those two?
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip!
Rob--thanks!
ReplyDeleteBeer Nut--
Actually, the two breweries you mention are breweries I would hope a visiting beer writer would visit. They may not brew the most interesting beer in the country, but they have survived by brewing good beer outside the mainstream of American brewing.
And I flat-out love Belhaven's beers, so I'm not sure how they're analogous to Yuengling.
Jeff, you are on your way or close to it. We will look and listen anxiously for your reports. No one deserves this trip as a writer more than you. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you are making it to Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteTheakston Brewery, Masham, and York Brewery, York, would be worthy N.Yorks. destinations. [And York is a memorable city.]
I envy your forthcoming experiences.
Safe travels Jeff!
ReplyDeleteVisit some of the little shed breweries too.
ReplyDelete