Thoughts at 1000

It’s been quite a ride.

My WordPress blogging interface tells me this is blog post no 1000. One thousand.  Add to that the hundreds of posts at my old blog now disappeared into the graveyard of cyberspace, it is quite a figure. But does it matter?

Looking back, the first couple of years were spent trying to find a voice. A fair number of reviews of bottled beers, not particularly entertaining or informative. I feel that I have gradually evolved, both when it comes to travel writing and more general essays.

I have been lucky to be able to visit most countries in Western and Central Europe over these seven years, some times documenting a beer scene very few have written about in English. It is fun to seek new brewpubs and bars and find enthusiasts at both sides of the counter.

I’ve met brewers, landlords, writers and tickers. And I’ve seen the European craft beer scene develop from its first hesitant steps to the lively, inventive and robust market of today.

I have seen breweries pop up across Norway and across Europe. I have seen the Italian micro breweries take off from humble beginnings.

I thought the closing down of The Ram Brewery in London was the beginning of the end of brewing in my favourite city, but I was seriously mistaken. There are now micro breweries and brewpubs by the dozen and beer bars far beyond what anyone could dream about.

And the revolution is global. Disposable kegs means breweries and bars set up networks that ensure an endless supply of new beers. I can get Cantillon beers on tap in Oslo, who’d imagine that?

The number of beer bloggers has also exploded. There is even a market for international beer blogger’s conferences. I must say, though, that I am bored with most of them – a bottle opener and a smartphone camera do not make good stories on their own.

I doubt I will return to a schedule of daily blog posts. But I have a fair number of readers and I really appreciate the interaction with the rest of the beer community, bloggers , brewers and the rest of you.

But I don’t aspire to writing of the same quality as Alan. Or Lars Marius.

Listing my favorite bloggers from the British Isles is for another day.

Rumours from the Norwegian beer scene

A new proper blog post sooon. For now:

Samples of a Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout aged in Cognac barrels are reported. I don’t know anything about a release date.

A new cranberry IPA, Zombie IPA on tap at Schouskjelleren in Oslo tonight. Their import list is as strong as ever. Lots of good stuff at their sister establishment Olympen Restaurant as well.

There will be a micro competitor in Drammen, the home town of Haandbryggeriet. The industrial Aass brewery is setting up a brewpub in the old Drammen public bath, they are currently inviting tender for the brewing equipment.

Larvik Mikrobryggeri is currently offering beer from Lillehammer Bryggeri, but they plan to start brewing in a few months’ time.

Twh new nanobreweries in Trondheim, both only selling their beers in one restaurant.

Christmas wasn’t over

Well. I had paid for it. I had bought the beer, paid the postage, forked out the Norwegian duties.

But it’s nive to receive a package anyway. When it is filled with beer from Marble, Hardknott and others. From myBrewerytap.com.

A German beer Wiki

Still in its infancy, but all such initiatives are to be applauded: A Wiki for the German family owned breweries – Private Brauereien.

There are a thousand of them, and, while there are some good regional sites, a comprehensive site for Germany would be very welcome.

Yet another Oslo micro

I have mentioned the two  food emporia in Oslo taking shape.

Mathallen at Vulkan, on the rapidly gentrifying East end of town, has just announced that Ølakademiet will have a beer shop and what they call a small micro brewery. Ølakademiet is what I would call a beer event company, conveniently located across the road from Vulkan.

The beer shop is to feature more than 400 types of beer, so I assume there will be a broad range of imports as well as all Norwegian micros under the 4.7% limit.

Mathallen will open some time this autumn.

I’ll see if I can find out more about this.

How I would run the Haandbryggeriet festival

As I’ve told you, Haandbryggeriet will organise their own festival in Drammen, Norway in May this year. Lots of guest breweries from near and far,and they have asked on Facebook for suggestions on how to proceed with the plans.

I’ve never organised something on this scale, but I have attended enough festivals to know what I’d want:

• A web page/blog to be established right away, starting with programme and guest brewers. A comprehensive list of beers to be published at least a week before the event. Links to public transport, hotels etc.
• Make a deal with Ticketmaster or others, start promoting right away. Utilize the social media to promote the event for participants from abroad.
• A Friday and a Saturday session. Friday 16:00-22:00, Saturday noon-22:00.
• A press event on Thursday afternoon ( I don’t mean bloggers here, but for coverage of the event in regional and local media.)
• Prepaid tickets in an attractive package including food, souvenir glass, early admittance, t-shirt etc. 
• Additional tickets at the door., at least for the Saturday session.
• Clear communications about which rare beers will be available when. 
• Good no-nonsense food. Prime quality sausages, pies and stews.
• Payment by tokens – with a clear and comprehensible system. 1, 2 or 3 tokens per sample.
• Plenty of running water for drinking, for cleaning glasses and for washing hands.
• No formal speeches, but maybe some round table discussions with brewers, bloggers and others? 
• I have no competence when it comes to portable toilets, marquees etc. Check with someone local who runs soccer tournaments or concerts.

Resolutions be damned!

Adnams Tally-ho and some cheese. Port-like flavour, dark cherries. Bitter almonds in the finish. Should have had some Stilton……

A pardon for everyone?

Some Germans are working on the rehabilitation of people who were burned as witches between 1500 and 1800, according to Der Spiegel. Sounds fine. But, on the other hand,  some of them were convicted for spoling beer….

I have seen the future, and it is barrel aged

At least I know something about 2012. It will be the year of the barrel aging. There will be barrel aged barley wines. There will be barrel aged blondes. Norwegian brewers will be barrel aging everything-but-the kitchen-sink.

I have visited both Sundbytunet and Haandbryggeriet during december, and they both have bought plenty of oak barrels.  I assume Nøgne Ø and Ægir are well stocked as well.

I expect limited editions of some of those beers. Partly experimental, partly more on the safe side.

As my fellow blogger Anders has pointed out, oak is a notoriously difficult material to work with. They are almost impossible to clean, so if there are micro organisms in a barrel, you are more or less stuck with them – bacteria, wild yeast, whatever. There are lots of good reasons for the phasing out of oak in favour of more stable forms of storage during the last century.

So, I hope for lots of lovely experiences. Lambic-like beers that are, by intention, bordering on vinegar. Rodenbach-inspired ales with vinous tones and barrel character. Beers soaking up the aromas from bourbon and aquavit, sherry and whisky.

The danger is that they will also open the door to yeast and bacteria that do not contribute positively to the brewing of beer. I think I’d do my barrel experiments safely away  from the main brewing activities.

A few spoilt batches  is what you’d expect in an innovative brewery. Closing down everything to sterilize is not what you want.

Looking back

Not the most active year of blogging, though I feel quite pleased about the number of Berlin pubs I have been able to cover during three short visits. I have really come to appreciate this city, which encapsulates the best and the worst of our common European identity.

Some excursions to London and Copenhagen, too, but no beer festivals abroad this year.

The positive trends have continued in Norway, and I should probably cover the local scene better. We have a great range of beers available here in Oslo, both on tap and in the Wine Monopoly stores. The domestic craft beers are great, and both Nøgne Ø and Haandbryggeriet also import beers from the most interesting micros all over the globe.

I am particularly pleased by one of my posts this year where I point out that I prefer beer festivals run by people with knowledge about beer.  But I also like to write about my first impressions of new brewpubs.

There are still a few European countries I havent’t blogged about, and I have hopes about visiting at least one of them next year.