BEER (2017-2023) - What did we drink (today/recently)?

All 3 are German

I prefer the normal Altbier in Düsseldorf over this craft beer from Germany’s far west. Just looked at their FB site, all the labels are different now.

“IPA”. Will do in a pinch but it tastes nothing like the IPA you and I like to drink (hoppy, fruity and in my case, bitter.). One on the right is better. I’m partial to beers from small towns in Franconia (this region in Germany used to be known for having the most breweries had opened the beer floodgate and it was the start of my beer loving life).

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Yet another beer float, moving out of the darker beers and into Cali Creamsicle (orange vanilla cream ale). The beer itself is not cloying; I used both vanilla ice cream and Loard’s Lemon Chiffon.

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A brewery based in London. This is an old photo, they have been sold to different corporations twice since.

From a “house brewery”, only 4km west of Bamberg. I’ve been to Bamberg several times but only found out about this place Stegaurach when reading about this beer. Notice swing-top bottles with braces are extremely common in Germany. There’s a deposit on the bottle so you (have to) bring it back.

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In 2013 I went to Meantime’s pub space in Greenwich, by the Observatory. Glad to know they’re still going.

Meantime Brewing has been owned by 2 big cartels. I hope the quality remains the same. You know what it’s like when you decide to sell your dreams and soul to the big guys.

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Owns by Heineken now. They have adverts for Affligem at bus shelters everywhere these days. That’s how you know the once small breweries are owned by a huge company.

I broke this glass.

The style is an acquired taste. 99% of fruit beers taste like “Radler” to me. A waste of water and calories.

Used to be able to walk into a supermarket and buy 4 packs like these. Already at least 10 years or more ago it was no longer possible. The monastery is more interested in making a profit selling this beer to the American market so much of it still goes straight to the US. Everyone has a prize and the monks are no angels.

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Another small/Abbey brewery got swallowed up by a big corporation. Palm brewery owns several other breweries and makes mass-produced beers. Palm is now owned by a Dutch industrial brewery, though.

English-style IPA. Fugly glass. I have a couple and use them for wine.

Trying out my recently acquired fully manual Chinese lens.

Nice and hoppy organic beer.

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In a sign of the times…

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Take good care, Californians! Best to avoid crowds and enclosed spaces.
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A small craft beer “brewery” in the former German capital and birth place of its native son Beethoven. Non German gose tends to be a bit salty. The real German gose isn’t. Leave gose to the Germans and sometimes it’s better not to mess with the recipe.

Belgian IPA with extra brett. Brett is remains very much trendy these days. This was 5 years ago.

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I have a Tilquin in the fridge for later tonight.

For you:

Unfortunately, I did not make a proper photo of this bottle, thinking I still had another one in my “cellar”. Turned out I didn’t have another one. 2 photos are 4 years apart. I think this one is blueberry version.

Quick info for other readers: Tilquin is the only gueuze blender in Wallonia (French speaking part of Belgium. “Gueuze” is a style of beer unique to Belgium. Don’t worry about how to pronounce “gueuze”, most non Dutch speakers don’t know how and when they hear it they can’t wrap their heads around it because it’s not what they think it should sound.

Merci!

Vengeful Barbarian hazy IPA from Alvarado Street, a local-ish brewery.

Bright, peach heavy tones from an East Coast yeast strain fermentation and a dry hop that includes a bunch of our favorites. The result is a hop aroma and flavor chock full of ripe, juicy grapefruit and apricot jam. On the back end, we’ve loaded up with beer with lots of oats, so it has a soft, creamy texture to support mild hop bitterness.

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Fieldwork Glowing Giants, a hazy double IPA.
This one was really good and quite juicy.

Super pungent and overripe fruit aromas manhandle the sinuses with this tropical and citrus destroyer. With a nose that is packed with orange juice, pineapple chunks, passionfruit, lime zest, and red grapes; Glowing Giants is a stroll through a farmer’s market for your nose. Not as sweet as most Double IPAs its size and really relaxed on malt character, the Del Monte-like fruit cocktail nature of this beast hits all corners of the palate and leaves it yearning for more. [Hops: Enigma, Mosaic, Citra]

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Beautifully cloudy and so fresh. Lucky you, Mr.Happy!
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Cough syrup or radler, sometimes the line is thin. Cough syrup tasting beers often leave a repulsive chemical after taste, but I’m only a small minority who isn’t a fan of most fruit beers for reasons already stated.

This one is much better. I used to drink Serafijn beers often. Brewer was a music teacher by profession but quit to pursue his beer carrier (according to Shelton Brothers site).

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I chose the Fancy Pants Kolsch. Was a perfect reminder of the nice cold Kolsch we had after the long climb up and down the stairs of the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany.

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I never climbed, was outside several times though. Had to. The cathedral is very central so you have to walk pass it every time you go somewhere. Besides, it’s always so extremely crowded in front of the cathedral, so many people and tour groups wait to get inside. I happily parked my arse in the Gaffel am Dom brewery restaurant across from the central railway station.

Kölsch is not a style I really enjoy drinking but I went to Köln for 5 days just to drink it before slagging it off. In the end, it didn’t matter if I was indifferent about Kölsch. Though I’m more of an Altbier kind of person and prefer the city Düsseldorf but I had a great time in Köln and would return to drink and eat.

Immediately one notices Köln seems less affluent than Düsseldorf and has many big city problems (homelessness - sadly more young ones than old, unruly drunks everywhere, the city is grubby etc). Köln is on one of the most busy rail routes in Germany and I have passed through it countless times. Would love to stay a few days and drink Kölsch at the 2 beautiful and atmospheric Päffgen locations again. Check out the video clip I made from the trip. Watch in full screen, headphones on.

Hoppy days are here again. A small haul last week.

Finally, something to my taste (again). Bitter, hoppy, turbid and juicy. I went back to the supermarket 2 days later to buy all of it but someone had the same idea and got there before I did. They cleared the whole shelf of Juice Rocket. I mailed the brewery (we know each other) and asked if they still had more of this beer laying around. They said it was sold out so fast. Now I have to wait until they brew a new batch. (Then I will snatch it by the whole case, times 2.)

Mosaic is my favourite hop.

The second most expensive beer sold at the beer shop attached to a Belgian abbey. It’s OK, I’ve had better. But glad I tried it. The most expensive beer in the shop is from an Italian Trappist brewery. I don’t support them/Italy.

*barrel

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That was an awesome video montage! We flew into Düsseldorf and stayed there for several days. DH was working a car show in Essen as well. Then took the train down to Stuttgart (because Porsche) then up to Bacharach, and onto Koln for a single day. It was a wonderful trip. Normally I don’t like to move around that much, but we wanted to hit all the places on our list in this trip since it will probably be years before we get back to Germany.

Me, too. I hate packing up and moving on to another place every day or two. But you come from far away and are short on time you probably want to make the most of it.

I always have a nice time in Düsseldorf. I like the Altbier, the food, the shopping and the city.


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Hate shopping at home but I look forward to it here

I always buy sourdough breads here and at the market right around the corner

This brewery has nice Altbier and good food


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The bill for 2 plates and 3 beers. At home it’s only enough for snack bar kind of food (highly processed stuff) and that’s without any alcohol. 24,10 euros including taxes.

When you return again I recommend visiting smaller towns and villages. It’s a different experience, and prices also tend to be lower.

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Forgot to post beer photos last week.

This brewery started out as a micro brewery but is no longer classified as one. Their output is huge and their market is international. I used to think highly of them now they are dead to me (like that other site).

This Belgian brewery is the same. They focus mostly on the international market. The labels have been changed so international buyers can immediately see that it’s Belgian beer etc.

Another one by them. Leave (“imperial”) IPAs to the Americans. I rarely like (“imperial”) IPAs by Belgians worth drinking more than once.