The pub smoking ban again

I seldom think about the smoking ban in pubs and restaurants across Europe. It’s mostly when I’ve spent some time in a smoky pub in Prague that I look back and feel pretty pleased that I usually can drink my beer without the nicotine.
Sure, I understand the arguments against, and libertarian reflexes tell me that [...]

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Pivovarský dům, Prague

I had time for a lunchtime session, and I had to pick one of the brew pubs on my list. Pivovarský dům was conveniently situated, reachable on foot from my hotel – and with a tram stop with direct connection back to my hotel.
The facade is very impressive, you don’t seem to pay much for window [...]

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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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Zlý Časy once more

Shortly before five, a text message told me Max had arrived at my hotel. I handed over the beers from the Norwegian micros, and we set off for Zlý Časy. Half an hour and two tram rides later, we arrived.
The first time I visited, last year, this pub has some sort of festival going on, [...]

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Back to Prague

To Prague for a meeting this week, and I, obviously, used the opportunity to do some beery things as well.
I had an appointment with Max, the Beer Philosopher, and I even brought along quite a few beers to him from Nøgne ø and Haandbryggeriet. He is considering importing some of their beers. While they obviously [...]

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Express de Lyon

Another recommendation from Simon at Cave á Bulles.  This was actually five minutes from my hotel, and I had actually walked past it without giving it a second glass glance.
As location is everything in a city like Paris, the street right in front of the Gare de Lyon is filled with brasseries serving food and [...]

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Oslo Mikrobryggeri

I don’t often sing the praises of the only brewpub in town, it has had its ups and downs.
But they have two new beers on, both very drinkable. One is a Märzen, quite true to style, the other is their 20th anniversary beer, an American Pale Ale.
My tasting notes: Hazy golden beer. Lovely flowery aroma. [...]

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Mother London

Usually, when I start reading a novel I have to keep going. Sure, I can put it away for a few days, but I have to keep reading to avoid losing he plot. If I leave it for weeks or months, I often never get around to finishing it.
I read a lot of Michael Moorcock when [...]

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A compensation for vertigo

We went to the Eiffel Tower. Of course.
But it’s not for me. I fell down a flight of stairs when i was two. And since then, I feel very uncomfortable about heights. Cliffs are OK. Planes, too. But not buildings and stairs.
So I left them in the queue and went off to look for something [...]

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Both a success and a failure

Sometimes I really hope a place is better than its reputation on the major beer sites.
Especially when there is a chain of brew pubs established over several years, trying to create a British pub atmosphere in France. They have beer names with inventive puns, six house brews, and a fine web site documenting it all, [...]

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