Beer guide to Berlin

Sure, there is the CAMRA Good Beer Guide to Germany, but it’s a few year’s old, and it’s not too handy when you’re visiting just one city. The Berlin information at ratebeer is helpful as well.
But for anyone reading Scandinavian, the new book just out by Danish beer writer Carsten Berthelsen is well worth the investment. A [...]

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File under Dirndl

A bit lazy, a bit busy with other things right now. Don’t expect too much happening here until then middle of next week.
I have repeatedly pointed out that I am unlikely to go to Munich for the Octoberfest. That does not mean I’m not impressed by the Bavarian beeriness of the photos at The Big [...]

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Armchair travel

I can hardly complain. I have done my fair share of travelling over the last five years. I’ve visited most countries in the EU, and most often I’ve had the chance to get to try some of the best beers – in the best bars – of every city. But there is always a craving [...]

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Book promotions 2.0

It is interesting to see the contrast between the marketing of two different British beer books published this year.
One follows the old way of doing things, sending out review copies to some old chums writing in media wholly dependent of dead trees.
The other uses the social media, creates a buzz as the book is in [...]

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Bavaria calling

It’s time for silly hats again, ladies and gentlemen. The brave Bavarians of the Oktoberfest have their web shop open for this year’s tacky souvenirs.
Glasses, steins and t-shirts, of course, but there are tons of other stuff, too. Most of it is probably easier to sell to people on the spot after they’ve had their [...]

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Around Oslo in 18 beers – part 8

When summer hits Oslo, we behave like lemmings, aggressively aiming for the waterfront. Most of us end up at places like Aker Brygge, an old shipyard turned into yuppieland in the Eighties. It is a mad fight for a table in the sun, the beer is Ringnes at outrageous prices.
The alternative is just across the [...]

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Hamburg to Århus

Mark asked the other day about his planned drive from Hamburg to Århus. Any good brewpub stops along the way or places where I could pick up some good Danish microbrew?
I don’t know the scene first hand myself, so I asked the Danish crew at ratebeer, and they gave a quick response.
South of the border [...]

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Border trade again

Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten tries a new angle – this time it is not Norwegians stocking up on beer, wine and stronger stuff in Sweden. It’s Swedes doing the same in Germany.
Expensive toll bridges, petrol and ferries means they have to buy quite a lot for this to be profitable. But they do. Legally.
The European Union [...]

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Two reasons for having a beer

Sure, I could think of more than two if hard pressed, but here we go.
It is St George’s Day. As an anglophile, I ought to observe this.
It is the 493th  birthday of the Reinheitsgebot. The Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV made his decree in Ingoslstadt all those years ago. This means it has, in more recent times, [...]

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Best of the year – travel

I will not go into details about every visit abroad in 2008, but I want to mention some new beer experiences. I have been to all of these cities before, except Riga, but not necessarily with an emphasis on beer. And yes, I’ve been to Italy, England, Ireland and other countries, too, even if they did [...]

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