With the last remnants of a jetlag hanging in our skull like evaporating water droplets from a harbor fog, our brain was filled to capacity with impressions: We just came back from seeing orcas in the wild, more bald eagles than pigeons and rough-edged coasts and soft moss on millions of trees. In such a state, seeing a person dressed like a unicorn, on a field full of seagull shit, on an island – may it be as big as Belgium, the whole experience could have felt like a motorcycle race during a sandstorm outside of Las Vegas. In the end, attending the Great Canadian Beer Fest(ival) was very little gonzo, but very much fun.
Beer at gas stations and everywhere else – our trip to Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Victoria
Gas stations with a good beer selections and young Asian women drinking flights. It was these two among many, many other moments that made me fall in love with the beer reality in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. We went to British Columbia for orcas, trees and coasts and we came back with a serious crush on all things BC.
Interview with Jeff Bagby of Bagby Beer Company
Before the hype, before the trend, before all of that, there was craft beer. In this interview Jeff Bagby, owner and brewer at Bagby Beer Co., pulls you away from all that hype and reminds you that craft beer is a craft with dedicated people who have a passion forged in history. In this wide ranging interview, you’ll get to read about small beers, a westcoast point of view on eastcoast IPAs and running a company.
Interview with Fredrik Ek of Brekeriet
Brekeriet is everywhere. Literally. They must be among the most busy when it comes to participating at festivals and other events. Ironically this interview was done via Skype, but it included a tour through the new brewery location, which includes a designated sour room and a lot of space for more barrels, fermenters, and a foosball table. Read what the three brothers have been up to and how an infection got them here.
A homebrewer walks into a brewery – part 1
Max Descloux from the tiny brewery Brasserie Lance-Pierre in Switzerland is doing an internship at renowned Brew By Numbers (BBNo) in London. Over a few installments, he writes about how it is for a “homebrewer” to be working in a professional and world-class brewery. This is part 1.
Looking for craft beer in Greece
The sun hit us hard. We had arrived in the South, in the Sun, in Greece. It was a thirsty weather and we knew little to nothing about Greek craft beer. But we knew of one place, pointed out to us by Konstantinos Avramidis of Elixi – who we found via Untappd and contacted via Facebook. With an unsure future for Ratebeer, such might be something we need to get used to.
Interview with Chris Boggess, headbrewer at 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
They are loud and dark. Known for Heavy Metal, Dark Lords and Warpigs. Everything else that you need to know about 3 Floyds you can read in our interview with headbrewer Chris Boggess.
Drinking beers from Flanders and learning things
Beer is to Belgium as Cheese is to Switzerland as is Guns to the US as is ceviche to Peru: you can’t separate the two. At home we have a book called “1000 Belgian Beers” and browsing through it you’ll notice that there’s a plethora of breweries you’ve never even heard of. Thus when we got an invitation from Flanders Investment & Trade to drink… uhm, I mean discover, beers from the area, we obviously had to go. The event catered to people in the gastronomical and retail industry, and we were there as a multiplier, apparently, to spread the good word about Belgian beers. All with the intention of these beers hopefully being available in Switzerland soon.
Amsterdam, one day in April
Besides (or maybe for some: on top of) plenty of Sodom and Gomorrah, Amsterdam has a lively beer scene. Moreover, many have a tap-room for you to hang out, drink fresh beer and eat something to keep you going. There are actually so many breweries and bars that it is impossible to do them all in a day – for a good list, check out the map our fellow traveler and guide has put together. Therefore, this is not a complete guide, but a report on how we spent one Saturday in April.
Interview with Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Company
Some things just take longer: Interviews last longer than expected. Transcribing the interview takes longer than hoped. The duration of both was, let’s say of gigantic proportions, thus somewhat fitting for an interview with Van Havig of the Gigantic Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. The interview took place a few months ago, but don’t panic, we have put updates where updates were applicable. The interview also went on for about an hour. As Van had a lot of very interesting things to say, we did not radically shorten it. Thus, this might take a bit longer to read. So, get a beer, sit down, let’s go.
Beer labels: 3. my water is better than yours
“Pure mountain spring water, the best hops and the finest malt provide the unmistakable taste of our unique beer.” Sound familiar? Must. Because it’s written in similar form on many labels of traditional lagers. But since paper is patient and can’t fight back, the question naturally arises: is what it says on the beer label true? Is it really the case that these three ingredients have a significant influence on the taste of beer?
Interview with Greg Koch of Stone Brewing
Craft beer pioneer and visionary. Part-time voice of reason and standard bearer. Everybody who’s even only remotely interested in craft beer knows of the Stone Brewing and right after that knows of Greg Koch. He visited Switzerland and we were on location to talk to him.