Sun-Mon, Oct 14-15: Dusseldorf
Tues-Wed, Oct 16-17, Köln
Thurs, Oct 18, Kelheim
Fri-Sun, Oct 19-21, Bamberg and Franconia
Mon-Wed, Oct 22-24, Munich
Thu-Fri, Oct 25-26,Plzeň (Pilsen)
Sat, Oct 27 České Budějovice (Budweis)
Sun-Tues, Oct 28-30, Prague
Wed, Oct 31, Milan
Thu, Nov 1, Piozzo (near Birrificio Baladin)
Fri, Nov 2, Busseto (near Birrificio Del Ducato)
Sat, Nov 3, Fidenza (near Birra Toccalmatto)
Sun, Nov 4, Tradate (near Il Birrificio di Como)
Those are the places I'll be laying my head; with travel, I'll be spending less time in some of them than it looks (I really only have a day in Plzeň, for example, and two in Prague).
In Prague, I will rendezvous with the best guide the city has--the man who literally wrote the book on Prague's beer. (My copy is already in the suitcase.) Max is going to give me an insider's view, one that will be hugely useful when I sit down to write about světlý ležák and tmavé vycepni.
Finally, Italy is on the cutting edge of European craft brewing--an edge that cuts further south every year--and it will be fascinating to see what they're up to. Spontaneous fermentation, chestnuts, and gastronomic beers are apparently in the offing, but I'll tromp around and see for myself.
I will try to post on the various other social media--Twitter, my Beer Bible Tumblr page--but I'll use this blog as my first line of communication. Keep reading--
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Postscript. Last year I toted a bunch of beer with me so that, when I came to the end of a tour, I could make an offering from the homeland. I wanted the brewers to know how much I appreciated their time and effort. This year, I've serendipitously scheduled the trip during fresh hop season, and I'll be taking some Deschutes Hop Trip and Killers (Red and Green) from Double Mountain--among other non-fresh-hop beers. It pleases me greatly to think of spreading this bounty. And of course, the space I clear out by emptying the suitcase of beer is ideal for replenishing.
It'll be my honour to help you out, and I hope I live up to the hype :) Really looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteYou mean I'll have to drink solo at the Craft Beer Company in Clerkenwell this November?
ReplyDeleteMax, you deserve the hype.l
ReplyDeleteTed, I can't think of anyplace I'd rather be than drinking that pint with you. You're going to have to drink a couple instead. :-(
Anyone visiting Franconia for beer should check out, well, franconiabeerguide.com. Including the discussion board, where people will jump all over requests for obscure places out in the countryside to try.
ReplyDeleteTo nitpick, ungespundetes Bier isn't really cask-conditioned, as it's normally conditioned in the lagering tank and then filled into barrels. Ungespundet means, roughly, un-bunged. The conditioning tank is not tightly sealed, allowing CO2 to freely escape, which results in a less gassy beer.
Some ungespundetes beer, like the most famous St. Georgen Bräu, is then kegged and served under CO2 pressure, which defeats the purpose IMO. Others, though, are filled into gravity-pour barrels, like at Schlenkerla and sometimes at Mahr's.
And then there's Roppelt in the village of Stiebarlimbach, whose unfiltered pale Kellerbier is filled into a 1000 liter plastic bag inside a tank, which is then squeezed by an air compressor to force the beer to the tap. But that Bierkeller's closed for the season.
Not that you asked, either....glad you're enjoying your trip!