Through the end of October, beer writer Tomm Carroll filed quick-hitting dispatches from Europe on his iPhone. His latest reports were updated throughout his hop-soaked journey.

Back to L.A. (The final post)
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 8:56 AM

It’s a long trip home from A-dam to LA, via Munich, so you know some final beers woul eb involved en route.

Final breakfast of champions: the so-so major Dutch brand Brand Duppelbock with cappuccino at A-dam’s Schiopol Airport.

Warsteiner — in bottles — all the way home from Munich to LA!

Thanks for following along. Prost!

Amsterdam — Last Day!
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 8:45 AM

Our last-night-of-the-trip nightcaps include a draft Heineken (the only beer available at the Argentine restaurant where we had dinner) as well as a Gulpener Herpst Bock and an Eem Bitter at In de Wildeman, where we run into Menno from De Molen and the Swedish brewers, and finally over to the Beer Temple for more than one drink this time.

Actually a decent lager in Holland.

There, we run into Peter, the owner, and Jos from PINT (enjoying a bottle of Goose Island Pale Ale after judging all those bocks). Also get to meet Alex, the brewer/owner at Rome’s Revelation Cat, who’s very interested in participating in the Beachwood BBQ Italian beer dinner planned for December.

Bitter, left, and Bock at In de Wildeman.

Beers consumed included Southern Tier IPA (which we can’t get on the West Coast), and a pair of Beer Temple beers brewed for them by De Molen: Rood Borst and Temple Bier. Then it’s back to our hotel to pack up — including beers and glassware picked up along the travels….

Bock Festival in Amsterdam
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 6:31 PM

Happy Halloween! Despite the 24-hour party atmosphere of Amsterdam, the holiday is not widely celebrated here. Instead of shock, I go for bock this All Hallow’s Eve. Danise decides to go out museum browsing instead, but, almost nearly beered-out, attend day 2 of the 3-day 32nd annual BokFest, a few blocks walk from our hotel.

To an iPhone camera, a bock is a bock is a bock.

I had met Theo Flissebaajle and Jos Brouwer, 2 guys from PINT, the Dutch version of the UK’s CAMRA, in the States last year. They invited me to the fest, which PINT sponsors. Despite their roles (one organizing, the other judging), they were each able to spend some time with me and talk about the fest. Because, despite the fact that nearly all the Dutch speak English, there was hardly any printed material in anything but Dutch.

One of the most full-bodied bocks of the fest.

Way over 50 bock beers were available for pouring, all on tap. Some of caves included the Hertog Jan Bockbier, rich and dark, a smoked bock from Mommeriete, and a bock from Belgium’s Chouffe brewery that unsurprisingly included all the Chouffe spices, led by coriander.

Smoked bock, anyone?

A fine sampling of beers. The winners of the competition should be posted on the PINT website soon.

De Molen Bier Fest
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 8:12 AM

Some 9 of us depart Amsterdam on a cool and misty morning for Bodegraven, about 30 mins north of Amsterdam. There, the great craft brewery De Molen is holding its first beer festival at its own facility.

A small but amazing fest, with a bunch of international beer geeks lining up before the noon opening time. With Fred Waltman as our leader and herder, we are of course at the head of the queue.

Some great beers from De Molen.

You can see a beer list and a report on the fest. But some of our faves were a pair of de Molen Eisbocks one made with cognac and wood chips, the other dry-hopped with Simcoe. Both topping 16% abc.

Also a great Triple Hopped Bock from Revelation Cat Brewery in Rome, but brewed at De Molen by it’s brewer Alex (forget his surname) and De Molen’s Menno Olivier; and Mikkel & Menno, another collaboration, this time with the great Mikkeller Danish brewery.

Speaking of which, Mikkell was there with his beers as well, including several takes on the Beer Geek Breakfast: one aged in Islay whiskey barrels and one aged in port barrels with Brett added. Amazing.

Father and son brewers from Närke in Sweden.

Also some astounding beers from a small island blrewery in Sweden called Närke, who do a Rauch Sahtea beer (smoked malt and the traditional Scandanavian method of juniper in place of hops.

The sour Dirty Horse from Belgium brewery Struisse was the rare find. Apparently only brewed for the fest.

Wait; it gets better, there was also a bottleshop on the premesis, with many beers that were at the fest, as well as several hard-to-find (in Europe) US brews. Also some Westy 8s, a couple of which I pick up, along with some fest faves.

Amsterdam, Day 2
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 12:04 PM

After some 5 hours of beer sampling and meeting other like-minded fans (interrupted by a do-it-yourself picnic lunch in a nearby park, we train back to A-dam. Regrouping and a quick dinner are followed by a trio to t’ Arandsnest, a great pub on a quiet canal that only serves Dutch beer. Buy you’ll find no Heineken or Grölsch here (actuall draught Heineken in Netherlands is a pretty decent lager.

Bar scene at Arandsnest.

Owner Peter is not here tonight, but the small place is packed. It’s Friday evening and the BokFest is in town, so the good beer bars are on a lot of agendas.

Some of us have the new Mikkel and Menno again, this time on tap. It’s a complex brew at 7.2%. Also the Pale Ale from SNAB (roughly the Southern Netherlands Association of Brewers), a hoppy American style of beer.

Then back to Wildeman for a final night cap, as many of the Pacific Graviteers are heading home tomorrow (we have 1 more day), it’s a time for reminiscing about the trip and our various agendas. I can’t believe that Amstel actually makes a Bock, so I order one — in anticipation of the BokFest I will attend tomorrow. It’s not bad, but nothing to rave about.

Amsterdam. Day 1, Part 2
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 5:52 AM

The beer board at In de Wildeman.

Many of us reconvene at In de Wildeman for a nightcap of several beers. Among them (all Dutch breweries): Jopen’s Hoppfenbier, Eem Bitter, and a bottle of The dark, heavy Rasputin from De Molen, where we are off to tomorrow morning for their inaugural beer festival.

Just a couple of our beers.

Amsterdam, Day 1, part 1
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 4:16 AM

As luck would have it, our hotel in A-dam is about 150 feet from In de Wildeman, one of the city’s best beer bars! But first we meet up with some of the Pacific Gravity guys at The Beer Temple, a new bar opened just two months ago by Peter van der Arend, proprietor of ‘t Arendsnest (Eagle’s nest), and specializing in American craft beers. In fact, it even looks like the Toronado, with its beer names and prices on blackboard slats.

Here you could get Anchor Bock as well as Anker Bok. Also a lotta US beers from Flying Dog, Saranac and Southern Tier. We try two from the former: Dog Schwarz (a schwarze beer of course) and the appropriately named Raging Bitch (an intensely bitter IPA).

Unfortunately, did not manage to grab an iPhone photo of/in the place during both visits. But it has a 5-ft high statue of liberty draped in a US flag in its front window of you happen to walk by.

Belgo beer to go with Argy food in A-dam.

Across the street for a great Argentine meal at La Pampa. Bottled De Koninck (but not the appropriate bolleke glass)

Bamberg->Amsterdam
Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 12:39 AM

Hotel owner/manager Roland Kolb presents us with 3 bottles of Fässla’s fall bock, Bambergator, just released today. At 8.5% abv, it is the strongest beer brewed in Bamberg.

So it’s a few more bottles to lug along on what is essentially a travel/hangover day, some 8 hours of train travel (including a 1-hour layover in Frankfurt) to Amsterdam. Of course, we bring some hair-of-the-dog beer along for the trip.

Bamberg, Day 3, part 3
Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 4:58 AM

For our nightcap, we head over to Spezial, the only other Bamberg
brewery that makes rauchbier. For a Wednesday night, it is packed. We
share a table with two young German students, Johannes and Lukas, both
fluent in English. They are beer geeks, and Johannes is a
homebrewer, so you can imagine the topic of conversation.

Bamberg, Day 3, part 2
Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 2:46 AM

Sorry, this day is actually 28/10. It’s difficult enough to keep the beers straight, let alone the days!

Next stop is Wunderberg, where 2 more Bamberg breweries are located, one across the street from the other. We start at Brauerei Mahr’s. Their classic Kellerbier, aka “U-beer,” is golden orange, smooth, creamy and malty, and served in a glass mug, not a stoneware krüg. The bottled Weisse is perfectly balanced.

Mahr’s Weisse, left, and Kellerbier.

Next round is Mahr’s Helles, a very good take on the style; mild but with a nice malt profile. The seasonal Heller Bock was smooth and deceptively easy going down, but sure packs a punch!

It’s a busy dinner crowd, and most seem to be enjoining a Kellerbier.

Danise photographing the Weisse, with my half-finished Sternla in the foreground, at Keesman.

For dessert, beer-wise, we cross the street to Wunderberg’s other brewery, Keesman Bräu. There, we have the flagship, Herren Pils, malty. But with an oxidization-like flaw in the finish. The Hellerbock is strong, creamy and strong. Sternla, the unfiltered lager (which still looked pretty clear), also had that off flavor. The Weissebier had a nice banana and clove esters harmony.

Bamberg Day 3, part 1
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 2:58 AM

The Day starts out with a quick tour of the Fässla, by braumeister Sebastian Kalb, all in German! Then off for some more sight-seeing. The Dom is particularly wonderful. Lunchtime finds us at a recommended restaurant: Kachelofen. We split a potato soup and salad, and enjoy two beers from St. Georgen Bräu of nearby Buttenheim: a Kellerbier served traditionally in a stoneware krüg. It was nice and malty with a grassy hoppy finish. Also a good Weisse beer, favoring the cloves.

We are right across from Schenkerla, so we pop in for a couple rauch bocks.

Bamberg, Day 2, part 4
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 1:43 PM

The Braunbier, left, and the Schwarzla.

Some more wandering around. And getting lost after dark. Then we finally find Klosterbräu, Bamberg’s oldest brewery and the third in the old town.

The 5.7% Braunbier is an easy-drinking brown lager — golden orange really. The 4.9% Schwarzla (little black) gases like a regular Schwarz to me. Also at 4.9%, Braun’s Weisse is a nice Hefeweizen with the banana and clove esters merging wonderfully. The 7% Bockbier is blonde and malty, and packs a kick. But it does finish off another day of drinking.

Bamberg, Day 2, part 3
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 6:51 AM

The Ambräusianum brewpub is Bamberg’s newest brewery. It’s modern look seems more like a Euro Gastropub, but the beer and food is traditional style.

There is the malty Hell, a Weizen that tastes a little off with an herbal flavor that does not really taste like cloves, and a Dunkel that tastes malt extracty, and a wee bit sour. It makes a much better ingredient in the Biersuppe (beer soup), which we order, when accompanied by by spices and croutons.

Bamberg Day 2, part 2
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 6:17 AM

An older German gentleman, Hans-Uhlerich, a univeristy professor of organizational theory, and a rauchbier fan, joins us at our table. His English is measured and excellent, and soon we are talking about politics (German and US), history, gender roles, and even the French (don’t get him started).

We order a couple more Märzens and enjoy the conversation, like a couple of real Bambergers. We notice on the menu that Schenkerla also makes a rauch schnapps. And wonder what would taste like. Hans orders us a round. It is crystal clear, and tastes like a schnapps, altho there is that distinctive rauch taste in the finish.

Rauch schnapps, anyone?

But then it is time to move on (there is a brewpub one door down), so we thank Hans and I give him a bottle of Alaskan Smoked Porter I brought along for just such an occasion…

Bamberg, Day 2, part 1
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 5:43 AM

Off to check out the altstadt (old town) including the bridge that goes right through the old Rathaus (city hall), which is built on an island in the middle of the river (long story).

The Holy Grail for smoke beer lovers.

Before long, we find ourselves at the Holy Grail for smoked beer (rauchbier) lovers, Aecht Schenkerla, the taphouse and restaurant. Construction work is being done out front, so one must walk up a plank instead of steps to enter. Seems like an effective sobriety test for those leaving!

Too early for us to eat lunch, so we sit in the schwemm and order from the window: ein bock und ein märzen, plus a weizen rauchbier served from a bottle. And what they say is true: at the source, you not taste the meat or fish with the smoke, which you do in bottled rauchbier in the states.

Bamberg Day 1, part 2
Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 9:12 AM

Back to Fässla for a nightcap; well, 2. First, their Lagerbier. Tapped from the traditional wooden keglet, it is golden colored with a nice malt/hop balance and a sessionable 5.5% abv.

In typical Franconian fashion, there is a little window in the hallway (“schwemm”), from which I order the beer, and drink it in the same unheated hallway (it is a bit stuffy and warm in the main room), decorates with the little gnome the brewery uses as its logo — kinda like a chouffe in Belgium.

Speaking of which, my next beer is a Zwergla (the German name for the gnome), 6% dark lager that is malty but has some hops in its dry finish. I’ll sleep well tonight…

Bamberg, Day 1, Part 1
Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 8:26 AM

Check into the guestroom at Brauerei Fässla in the early evening and immediately have a lie down after a sugar crash resulting from the donuts and beer diet on the train ride. Then, as there is nothing to eat for me that isn’t red meat in the Fässla restaurant, we walk down the street to an Italian restaurant, Ristorante Dal Passatore, where I can order some grilled salmon.

Their draught beers, however, are not from Bamberg, but from nearby Reckendorf. The signature Recken Pils is typical of the style, slightly favoring the hops. The Weisse beer is clovely in aroma and flavor, and looks semi-clear for an unfiltered beer.

Recken Dunkel, left and center, and Keller Bier.

Next round is the Reckendorfer Kellerbier, also seemingly clearish for an unfiltered beer. It has an amber color, medium body, and a malty nose and mouth. Nice beer, but served in a glass handled mug rather than the traditional stoneware krüg. Also a bottle of the Recken Dunkel, thin, malty sweet and a little caramelly.

Berlin -> Bamberg
Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 3:57 PM

Not quite a breakfast of champions.

Running late for our train to Bamburg. Coffee, donuts (Dunkin’? Am I in NJ?) and canned Pils fuel/fool us for a bit…

Berlin, Day 3, part 2
Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 2:47 PM

Also tried some of the 100 beers, which were some weird entries:

Flagrantly defying Reinheitsgebot: Neuzeller beers.

Nuezeller is a Reinheisgebot-defying German brewery and so we had to try some of their product: a Schwarzbier with added sugar (too sweet!) and a kirschbier, with cherry and, yes, added sugar, which, surprisingly, is not so bad — like a poorman’s Echte Kriek.

Merewan, the Lebanese waiter and little brother of the owner, guides us through these beers and others we sampled, most of which we’ve never had or are likely to ever see again — at least in the States. Since he knows the history of Berliner Weisse, we present him with a bottle of The Bruery’s award-winning Hottenroth Berliner Weisse. He promises to e-mail me his impressions.

Merewan, left, and yours truly with handover of The Bruery’s Hottenroth Berliner Weisse.

Berlin Day 3, part 1
Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 10:43 AM

An easy going day, our last in Berlin. We wander around the neighborhood by our hotel and have a piesurely brunch before heading over to the Museun für Gegenwart Hamburger Bahnhof (the Museum of Contemporary Art in the old Hamburger Train Station, the oldest train station in Berlin), sorta like Paris’ Musée d’Orsay. Lotsa great modern and avant-garde works from the likes of Robert Rauschenberg, Nam June Peik, German great Joseph Beuys and, of course, Andy Warhol.

Evening is devoted to the Haus of 100 Beers in Posterdam Platz. Called Mommeseneck, it is Lebanese owned and indeed features 100 bottled beers as well as about a dozen draughts. Our waiter, Marawen, younger brother of the owner, was quite fluent in English, and had a basic knowledge of bieren.

Kristall Weizen, left and Schwarzbier at Mommseneck.

We tried many beers with our dinner. Among the most interesting (in a good way) were: Kulmbacher Mönschoff Schwarz Bier in aflip-top bottle. It is rich and roasty like a Porter with chocolate notes. Also a Weiheistephaner Kristall Weizen. And apparently, Kristal Weisse IS traditionally served with lemon slices (please disregard earlier comment about this), with a crisper and cleaner banana and cloves flavor…

More to come…

Berlin Day 2, part 3
Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 3:33 PM

For a nightcap, we wind up at the Lindenbräu, a hip, stylish brewpub in the massive Sony Center, a gigantic complex of restaurants, cinemas and even the Film Haus (German film museum, complete with Billy Wider’s Bar) at Potsdamer Platz, near where we started our tour today.

Part of Lindenbräu’s brew works, laid out in a spiral staircase!

Not only is the beer the best I had all day, but Lindenbräu also has the most unique brew works: the kettles and tuns are situated on different level of a spiral staircase that winds up (or down) the 3 floors of the brewpub! They must have a small and agile brewmaster. Brewing logistics aside, it makes for an impressive display.

However, the only beer actually brewed here is an unfiltered Weisse bier, cloudy orange opaque with a decidedly heavy body and a fine mix of ripe banana and clove aroma and flavor. Most flavorful Hefeweizen I’ve had all day.

Lindenbräu’s Zwickel, left, Pils and Weisse beers.

Also impressive was the Zwickelbier, which, like everything but the Weisse here, is brewed by the giant Hofbrauhaus in Munich. A hazy, bright yellow lager, it is flavorful and well balanced. The Pils is typical, but the clearest I’ve seen in Germany so far. And the Altbiersch Dunkles, with a nice dark malt character, is caramelly and creamy, yet chewy in the mouthfeel. My favorite Dunkles so far as well.

Since the big thing here, regrettably I think, is to make a beer cocktail with the Weisse (with everything from cola to mango to lemonade), we decide to follow the “When in Berlin…” rule, and order one with ingwer (ginger). A strong Ginger root nose, but the flavor and mouthfeel is somewhat soapy, even solvent-y. 2 words come to mind: “Pine Sol.” We leave it.

And get ready to leave when an American guy makes a positive comment about the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, after seeing Danise’s Harpoon Shirt. Turns out he’s a beer geek who works in IT for the US State Department in Frankfurt and he and his wife are in Berlin for the weekend. He recommends a beer bar across the Platz from Lindenbräu that is known as the Haus de 100 Biere. Alright, something to visit tomorrow!

Berlin Day 2, part 2
Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 5:55 PM

Dunkles und Pils, the typical choice.

More touring along the River Spree, and past the Berlin Döm, which is lit with light projections as are most of the city’s monuments and huge buildings are being illuminated I’m the annual Festival Of Lights, which ends tomorrow night.

Next beer stop is deep into the Alexanderplatz area, not far from the ancient Nikolai Kirche and the city’s space needle.

A small, traditional East Berlin restaurant that happens to brew its own beer, Marcus Braü. The beer? 2 styles: a nicely balanced Pils, but favoring the malt; and a Dunkel, a malty sweet almost fruity dubbel.

Off to another nearby microbrauerei that we passed on our walkabout…a larger, more touristy brewpub, and another Bavarian-themed one. Brauhaus Mitte (it means middle, and is mid-Berlin, altho formerly East Berlin). It is huge, and connects to a shopping mall!

The Brauhaus Mitte Line-Up: Hefeweizen, Fest Bier, Pils and a taster of the Dunkel.

They have four brews:

A Pils, which seemed to favor the hops surprisingy, but was otherwise fine; a rather mediocre Dunkel; a mild and mildly malty Fest Bier (not as good as last night’s); and an extremely clovey Hefeweizen. Basically, traditional German beer microbrewed by Germans for tourists. Time to move on…

Berlin Day 2, Part 1
Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 10:46 AM

A dark and cold day, threatening rain but fortunately never following thru. Wayne takes us on a whirlwind tour of some the city’s best known sites, from Brandenberg Gate to the Reichstag (Gerrman Parliament) to the remnants of the Berlin Wall (whose falling was 20 years ago this Nov. 9). Of course, there were beer stops.

The first, and in many ways was the Berliner Republik pub, known for the Bier Börse (beer stock exchange).

Beer Futures: The constantly changing beer prices at the Berliner Republik.

There are some 20 beers here, most on tap and all German (except for Corona in bottles!). The flat screens on the wall show the beers and their “stock” prices, which vary on supply and demand. You supposedly pay the “market” price of the beer when you order it. The beer prices are updated every 7 minutes. An interesting embrace of Capitalism for an area that was once behind the Iron Curtain.

Interestingly, we were charged the printed menu prices for our 3 beers: Wayne’s Paulaner Pils (crisp, with a dry finish), Köstritzer (smooth and creamy with some chocolate notes) for me and Danise’s bottled Paulaner Kristallweizen (filtered and lotsa banana and clove, but marred by the 3 lemon slices they served it with! Because we are Americans?). German Fútbol was on and we watched FC Bayern defeat Frankfurt 2-1 in the last minute of the match.

First Night in Berlin
Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 3:29 AM

Check into one of Berlin’s Art’otels, all decked out with Andy Warhol’s work — in the lobby, the hallways and even the room (a purple Mao above the bed).

Then we book up with a buddy and former neighbor of ours from Culver City, Wayne Grajeda, a musician/TV director, now living and working in Berlin. Together, we head out for some dinner — at a brewpub he knows not far away — and grab a beer at a local food stand on the way. It is local pils, Schultheiss, a decent pils with a grainy malt flavor, more like a Munich Helles, but balanced with hops.

We soon arrive at Brauhaus Lemke, one of two in the city, this one at Schloss Charlottenburg, a local palace on the westside of the city. Specializing in Bavarian-style brewing and cooking, and bedecked in the blue and white checks of the Munich flag. The brew works are tastefully integrated around the large restaurant area.

Lemke brews four beers, which I have as a set of tasters They arrive in a specially designed tray and served with a litte dish of Munich Cara malt.

The Original is a dunkles, golden dark orange in color and bready and biscuity in the taste. The Pils is unfiltered (!), well balanced but favoring the malt, again like a Helles. The Wheat is a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen with big banana and clove notes, but marred by some weird off flavor in the finish (this perceived flaw was much less noticeable in my second glass of it). And the Seasonal is a Oktoberfest bier (also available in a 1 litre size), smooth and malty creamy, and lighter in color, like US versions of the style. All good, solid traditional-style beers.

For dessert, I order a Berliner Weisse, bottled, from Berliner Kindl, mit schuss waldmeister (woodruff syrup), but ask them to let me pour it. It comes with a wide, squat logo glass, a dash of woodruff already in it, along with a bendy straw. I ask for a small glass and pour the beer into that to drink unadulterated. It’s very pale, almost colorless; nary a nose, and extremely light in taste with some discernable wheat flavor, followed by that tart kick in the finish. I drink most of it neat, but add just a touch of the green syrup for a tasty herb version. I spot a woman at atother table drinking it Berliner style, with the straw in the squat glass of very green beer.

Wayne walks us back to the hotel, where we hang at the “Factory Bar” among the Warhols, catching up over a round of pale-colored Berliner Pilsners, in tall pilsner glasses. An inoffensive Pils, it is light and clean-tasting.

Berlin Bound
Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 4:28 AM

Danise and Früh.

4 hours from Düsseldorf to Berlin by train. 1 bottle of beer. And it’s a Kölsch, so we gotta drink it cold. We will be thirsty when we arrive in Berlin. Til then…

Last day in Düsseldorf
Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 12:17 AM

A mellow day, overcast after an overnight rain. The Sticke Warriors head off to Antwerp; we will meet up with them in Amsterdam in a week.

We explore the city on foot, from the parks to the riverbank to the neighborhood with the archictechturally avant-garde buildings designed by Frank Gehry, among others. Also take in the vast expanse that is Düsseldorf from way up above, atop the 172-meter-high (574 ft.) Rhein Tower.

Also have time for another malty Alt or two, this time from Zum Schlüssel, one of the Alt houses we managed to miss.

Finish the day off with some Kraut Kültur: a performance of Mozart’s “Sie Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute) at the opera house. Conveniently only 2 blocks away from our hotel. Bottled Frankenheim Alt (from a big Alt brewer in the area) was the only beer choice at the bar pre-curtain and during the interval.

A great town. D-dorf. To quote Leonard Cohen, “…then, we take Berlin.”. Stay tuned…

Day Trip to Köln, part 2
Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 12:52 AM

Good advice. That’s just what we did in Köln.

After leaving the Köln train station, we gape in astonishment at the enormous Kölner Dom (Cathedral) in whose shadow we stand awed. We walk around the massive structure and soon find our way to the nearest Kölsch taphouse.

“13 Kölsch, bitte,” Fred orders as we gather around some tables outside Früh, our first stop. And very soon, the server comes out bearing a circular tray that carries multiple stagen (the small cylindrical rod-shaped Kölsch glasses) filled with that wonderful, clear, light-bodied liquid, and plops one down in front of each of us. Our first of many in this gorgeous city, and it’s only about 12:30 in the afternoon.

A pleasant alternative to the heavier, more bitter Alt, Kölsch is likewise served on gravity from a tapped barrel keglet and pours with a big, creamy, but quickly dissapating head. But no time for seconds (at least not yet), as there other tap houses andtheir Kölsch to try.

Unfortunately, we spent so much time visiting the pubs and sampling their versions, that I didn’t take many photos on the iPhone, so what you see above is what I got (until I post real camera photos).

After Früh, we follow a taphouse trail through the Altstadt (old town) and hit, in order, Brauhaus Sion, Peters Brauhaus, Gaffel (more corn in flavor), Brauerei zur Malzmühle (where we stop for lunch and have several of their quite good Mühlen Kölsch in the process), Pffafen (technically not a Kölsch as it is brewed outside the designated area of the city in which a beer can be legally deemed a Kölsch, as the term is an appelation, like Champagne), and then Päffgen. Next, as a palate cleaser, Fred leads us to an international beer bar, where we mix it up; some go for an Eisbock, others a Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock. Since Danise and I will not be following the group on to Belgium, I order a bottle of the Mort Subite Kriek — the not-so-sour cherries really jump out at you after days of the more subtly flavored Alt and Kölsch styles.

We walk along the river more, and then reconvene back at Früh for another. I do believe this is my favorite Kölsch of our walkabout in Köln today. Some of the group head back to Düsseldorf earlier, while a small cadre of us first-timers visit the confines of the massive Cathedral, Germany’s largest and most ornate gothic cathedral.

Day trip to Köln part 1
Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM

The Uregie pub in the underground Carsh Haus shopping center in Düsseldorf shopping center, right next to the fresh produce section.

Today is the day trip to Köln to sample the local Kölsch. But first, a stop at the Carsh Haus, the underground shopping center with the Uregie pub, for those who didn’t make it there yesterday. Fortunately, we are able to buy some bottled Sticke und unfiltered Alt to take home, which we do. Back to the hotel to drop them off.

And then some 13 of us board the train to Köln, some 20 miles south…

Sticke Day, Final
Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 6:15 AM

The mash tun at at Ureige.

We are soon joined at the Ureige table by John Byzek, an American working as a brewer here. Fred met him here exactly 9 months ago on January 20 (the only other day of the year that a Sticke is released!), which was his first day on the job at Ureige!

John graciously takes us on a tour of the brewery and bottling and kegging operations, showing us, among many things, the kühlschiff, or coldship, the shallow basin which sits atop the brewery in which the wort cools. Amazingly, and not too different from Belgium’s lambic brewery Cantillon, the screened windows are open, obviously allowing some microflora into the process. So much for a strict reading of the Reinheitsgebot, eh?

Other interesting info: The brewery starts a new batch every 7 hours and each ferments for 18 hours. Ureige has been brewing since 1862 in this building, which dates back to the 1400s. Everything but the front wall was destroyed in the WWII bombings; the rest was rebuilt in the old style.

Following the tour, John joins us for lunch — and more Sticke! By the time we leave Uregie at 3 pm, I am definitely feeling the alcohol…

Sticke Day, part 2
Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 1:20 AM

Uregie Weizen, left, and the Sticke.

Turns out Uregie also brews a Weizen beer (using the same Alt yeast), and sells it bottled. The warriors tell me it’s more of a “girly” drink, for those who find the Alt too bitter (mostly woman presumably), so Danise acts as my beer beard and orders one. The Wiezen naysayers are right; it’s pretty mediocre, more akin to a wheat beer from a US brewpub. But I had to try it as I never heard of it before. And may never see it again…

Sticke Day, Part 1
Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 2:50 PM

A barrel of Ureige Alt ready to be served on Sticke Day Eve.

10/20 STICKE DAY!

After a quick breakfast at the hotel where most of us are staying, we meet several of the Veteran Sticke Warriors, headed by tour organizer and German beer expert Fred Waltman, at some still-locked doors. This is not the entrance to Ureige but to an underground department store, that just so happens to have a tiny Ureige pub inside (not unlike the English pub inside Harrod’s in London).

We finally get in, go down the escalator, into the door by the makeup department, through the fresh produce section and into the pub. A Ureige barman brings out a small barrel, unplugs the bunghole and taps it. We are immediately drinking fresh Ureige Alt, at the only place in town you can get it today as it is Sticke Day and the main facility, Zum Ureige, is only pouring the special Sticke Alt, not the normal one, starting at 10 am this morning.

Speaking of which…

Sticke Day Eve in Düsseldorf
Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 1:46 PM

“Tomorrow Sticke.”

Then it’s on to another Alt brewery/restaurant, Füschen. where the beer, like at Schumacher was not as hoppy as Uerige’s. The food was all German-style and mostly meat, so I hadda please my pescetarian palate with a baked potato covered in North Sea micro-shrimp.

Walk by the river. And decide to hit the Zum Uerige restaurant (we were at the across-the-street patio earlier) for another of their regular Alt, as tomorrow only the Sticke beer will be available. The banner on the Uerige sign in the window silently and subtlely says it all (in German, of course): “Tomorrow Sticke”. It’s a low-key mostly Locals Only thing.

Yes, tomorrow is Sticke Day, the impetus for all us Pacific Gravity folks to be in Western Europe at this time. Stay tuned.

Sticke Warriors unite!
Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 5:15 AM

An Alt bier toast at Schumacher.

A gorgeous day when we arrive in Düsseldorf. After checking in, we walk a couple blocks to the famous Brauerei Uerige, brewers of the great Düsseldorf Altbier.

There we meet about a dozen friends on their annual Sticke Warriors tour, beer fans who are in town for the semi-annual one-day only release of Sticke (means “secret” in a local dialect), a special version of the Alt, which happens tomorrow. Many of the folks are also members of our Culver City Homebrew club, Pacific Gravity. We walk over to the webcam at a nearby Platz, to pose for a live portrait, visible to East at 6 pm (9 am California time). Then on to Schumacher, another Alt brewery/bar.

Trans-Europe Express (mit bier)
Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 2:13 AM

Lest you think all French beer sux…

Up early for breakfast, then to train station to make reservations for our train to Düsseldorf (3 trains), the last leg of which we have reserved seats.

The sun is shining as we train alongside the Rhein from Manheim, steamrolling on to our final destination whilst listening to D-dorf’s favorite Techno sons, Kraftwerk, perform “Trans-Europe Express,” “Autobahn” and other Krautrock klassix on the iPod nano as we munch on homemade sandwiches and share the can of Belzebuth (11.8%, lest ye forget). To accompany our brownie dessert, we have the great Swiss brewery, Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes’ La Torpille, a fruity and spicy Brune with an abv of 7.5%.

A French Beer Cocktail
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 11:18 PM

Picon, left, and Grimbergen Blonde.

Earlier on Sunday, we took a tram to the Strasbourg Cathedral and then a boat ride tour thru the canals. Hey, it can’t ALL be about bière, can it? Well…

After the boat ride, we stop at the Cafe Monmartre for a light lunch. Grimbergen Blonde is on tap (a pression), a seldom found opportunity in the States. So we have one. Also order a draught Picon, which I’ve seen signs advertising around town.

An orange-hued brew, it is very fruity — additively so — and somewhat herbaceous; wouldn’t exactly call it tasty. A little Googling reveals that Picon is the name of a popular (at least in northern and eastern France) orange bitters that is drunk alone, or mixed in a light-bodied lager. It is also the name of a beer pre-mixed with the bitters, which is what we were served. Glad I tried it but…i didn’t need 50cl of it. Leave it to the French to come up with their own beer cocktail!

Mondial de la Bière part 5
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 10:50 PM

The new Italian-American collaboration coming soon.

And that’s not all: Leonardo went outside to fetch a special beer not yet released: My Antonia, a continuously hopped imperial pilsner that is a collaboration with… Dogfish Head! According to Leonardo, he will brew the beer for European distribution while paisano Sam Calagione will brew it at Dogfish for the US market. Wonderfully dry-hopped it was too.

And while I’m still on Italian beers (don’t worry, this is the last post on them), I mentioned to Leonardo, as well as to Baladin’a Teo and Chico and others, about the Italian Craft Beer Dinner I am helping Gabriel Gordon of Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach put together for early December. They expressed interest in attending if scheduling permits. Stay tuned on this one; it should be pretty amazing…

Mondial De la Bière part 3
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 6:14 AM

Birra del Borgo brewmaestro Leonardo Di Vincenzo.

Back to the Italian Pavillion on my second day at the fest. Other Italian beers that impressed me were Birrificio Bruton’s Lilith, a well-balanced pale ale, and 10, a US-style hoppy barleywine; Rodersch, a Kölsch style from Birra Bi-Du, based in Roder in Como province, hence the appelation; and Bastarda rossa, a reddish ale made from Bastarda chestnuts from Birra Amiata in Tuscany (according to brewmaster Claudio Cerullo, they also do a stronger version, called Doppio Bastarda — or Double Bastard! Attention, Stone Brewing).

Most amazing were the beers of Birra del Borgo, outside of Rome. Brewmaster Leonardo Di Vincenzo had over a dozen beers represented, each one a unique brew. Among them were ReAle. A US-style IPA, and ReAle Extra, an imperial version; Genziana, made with a bittering radish of the same name indigenous to the region; Duchessa, a saison made with spelt, and Duchessic, the Duchessa blended with a 1-year-old lambic from Cantillon, and Enkir, basically the same as Duchessa except made with the ancient wheat instead of spelt, giving off a citrusy flavor.

Mondial de la Bière, part 2
Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 11:46 PM

Winning brewmaestro Allessio Selvaggio from Croce Di Malto and his Platinum Award and 1st place beer.

…funny you should ask. Croce Di Malto, a one-year-old (wait for it) Italian brewery from the Piedmont region snagged the 1st prize Platinum medal for its TripleXXX. According to winning brewmaestro Allessio Selvaggio, it’s his own take on the style. Made with barley, wheat and oat malts (hence the 3 Xs), this 7.8% brew was definitely related to the Belgian Tripel style, only with a more complex malt profile.

Croce Di Malto was also pouringthe 5.9% Acerbus, a “powerful bitter,” and the 7% Magnus, a take on a Belgian Strong Dark Ale that tasted a wee bit off to me.

Back to the awards for a moment. As in the original Montreal Mondial de la Bière, there is one Platinum 1st place, and 10 ties for Gold/2nd. So technically, birra Baladin shared its award with 9 other beers, among them Ontario, Canada’s hoppy and dry seasonal Beau’s All Natural Festivale, Montreal’s Dieu du Ciel’s Rigor Mortis Abt, France’s Brasserie L’Abreuvoir’s Bière de Nöel, and the lone US medalist, Rogue Chocolate Stout.

A smattering of US craft breweries were represented at the Etat-Unis Pavilion booth, overseen by Tony Forder, the editor/publisher of Ale Street News outta Northern New Jersey. ASN’s Beer Sensei columnist Warren Montiero was also on hand. Aside from Rogue, also included were Weyerbacher, Blue Point, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn Brewery, Goose Island, Magic Hat, Sam Adams, Harpoon and the sole California representative, North Coast.

As previously mentioned, I spent most of my time at the Italie Pavilion.
More to come on those beers…

Mondial de la Bière, Part 1
Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 11:58 PM

Birra Baladin’s Teo Musso, left, and Chico Farinelli celebrate their 2nd place win for Nöel at Mondial de la Bière.

Spend the day at Mondial de la Bière. Not all that crowded for a Saturday, the second day of the festival. But with our press passes allowing for unlimited pours, it was easy to do some damage.

An aficionado of The Italian craft beer scene, I was delighted to see almost a dozen birrificios represented, only 1 (Baladin) I was familiar with. And they had a couple beers I hadn’t tried yet: Super Baladin Sour Edition (a tart take on their flagship which tasted of sour cherries, but included no fruit in the brewing process) and Mama Kriek (which obviously did, but had its own peculiar Baladin spin, using their own developed yeast.

It was great to see Baladin’s superstar brewer Teo Musso and his top marketing guy Chico Faranelli again, and I give them a copy of the Celebrator article I did on them recently. They had not seen it! Attention, Celebrator mailing department!

Also gratifying to see that Baladin’s Nöel tied for second place (Gold medal) in the competition as results were announced midday, making Baladin’s booth even busier.

The first place winner? Stay tuned…

Finally get to Strasbourg
Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 5:57 PM

Bella Mirella and her Faro in its unique glass.

We crash upon finally reaching our room at the Strasbourg Hilton, a whole 24 hours after departing LA. This is the hotel for the participants and attendees of the Mondial de la Bière festival. I awaken after about 5 hours, but Danise is down for the count — and the night. I head down to the lobby where the Mondial de la Bière s having the “Discover North America” reception with select bottles of Canadian and US beers available for €3 each. Nice to see Dogfish Head 90 Minute, but I grab a Brune au Miel from Micro Brasserie du Lièvre from Quebec. Kinda Belgiany.

Strike up a conversation with a guy next to me at the bar, Jörgen from Sweden, who owns the Oliver Twist beer bar in Stockholm and heads up a Swedish import company, Great Brands. With him is his friend and employee Niklas. Soon, multi-lingual Canadian beer expert and occasional Celebrator contributor (whom I have never met) Mirella Amato shows up with two Italians from Birrificio Bruton in Lucca, Tuscany: Jacapo (owner) and Andréa (brewer).

And before I know it, the 6 of us are cabbing downtown to Strasbourg to visit the city’s only brewpub: Micro Brasserie de la Lanterne, a tiny space very crowded with young revelers, it being Friday night. The bar and brewhouse share the same space. Aside from French, German and Belgian guest beers, they have 4 of their own brews on tap:

Fender Blonde 5.6% (the hoppiest)
Strato Amber 5.2% (okay)
Anäelle Blanche 5.6% (served w/ lemon — faux pas!)
Boucaniére Rouge 5.8% (actually a rauchbier, best of the lot) I order a pint.

Next: Les Berthom. Strasbourg’s best beer bar, allegedly.otsa Belgian Beers, and all the proper glassware Have a few hard to get Belgians (Dubuisson’s Cuveé des Troll and Lindeman’s sweet and sour Faro, the latter the rarest beer there). We Finish off with a Goudon Carolus Cuveé van de Keizer to split with 2 more Italian beer guys who show up Nino and Andréa. Nino owns the Sherwood pub outside Milan

Close the place down at 2 am. Sometimes jetlag is your friend.

En Route Zurich -> Strasbourg
Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Our traveling partners.

Before catching our train to Strasbourg, I find this liquor store in the station called Drinks of the World. Lotsa Swiss, German, French and English beers for sale. I pick up a mixed six pack of the former, (plus a can or France’s 11.8% Belzebuth — in a can! — to take along to stock our hotel fridge.

En route. Danise and I enjoy a couple brews. First was the Appenzeller Hanfblüte, one of many Swiss hemp lagers I found and the one recommended by the clerk. At 9.2%, it packs a little punch with it’s spicy and cannabanoid nose (and mouth): reminiscent of a bag of dry, Mexican seeded pot! Much hempier than hemp ales I’ve had in the States. The light flavor profile of the lager really lets the hemp smell/taste dominate. From Brauerei Locher.

Next, we washed down our frommage et tomato baguette with a 5.6% pale monastery lager: Trseer Kloster-Urtrunk. Can’t discern much more info from its elaborately scripted label (in German). But it is a medium-bodied, pleasantly malty brew. Like an über-Helles, I guess. Other notes from the label: Ur-belassen, Irsee IM Allgäu. I drink German but don’t speak/read much of it… Prost!

Good morning from Zurich
Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 1:53 AM

Breakfast of Champions.

Awaiting our train to Strasbourg at Zurich Banhof. None of the cafes serve food till 11 am, so it’s beer and cappucino for us.

Halden Gut is a mediocre Swiss lager, with the additive notes of maize, brewed in Zurich, I’m told. The classic German Erdinger is better, but short on the esters normally found in a weissbier. The cappucino is great, however.

Guten tag!

Europa Beer Trip: Toronto Layover
Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:30 PM

Beer Trip Europa starts with a 4-hour layover in Toronto. eh?

Danise and I grab some lunch at an airport restaurant, Casey’s Grill. Molsen and Coors are prevalent, as expected. But we try something I haven’t heard of: Alexander Keith’s Indian Pale Ale.

CA$8.39 for a 22 oz beer in a hard plastic glass. Golden color. Malty nose? Turns out this beer is more of a medium-bodied, decent, lager from this New Bruswick brewery. Hopefully one of the most mediocre beers of this trip.

But i found another one, tho not as bland. Spot another bar — the Bacardi Rum Bar — that has another brew I never heard of: Rickard’s Red. I’m told it’s a Molsen product. Not bad considering. Caramelly orange color Malty, a litlle biscuity and melanoideny. But body is on the light side.

The bar takes US$, but with a 6% surcharge for non-Canook currency (I learn after the fact). This 22-ozer sets me back $US11.28. Extra cash probably goes to fund their national health care…

Tomm Carroll is a feature writer and the L.A. correspondent for the Celebrator Beer News, the oldest beeriodical in the United States. He has also written about beer for the Ale Street News, Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Today, and is an experienced Beer Judge in homebrew and commercial competitions. An avid beer drinker, enthusiast, collector, writer and traveler, he drinks locally and globally. He can be reached at beerscribe@earthlink.net.