Beer Travel Adventures by the Bucket

It’s been awhile since I’ve put pen to paper and said hello to all of you. Well over a month now, which is way too long.

But oh what a crazy beautiful past few months it has been. I celebrated a milestone birthday surrounded by friends and family in Salzburg, and even got to tap my own wooden cask of Augustiner beer. A smaller group of us carried on to Bavaria, where we toured the hallowed precincts of Aecht Schlenkerla, walked in the footsteps of pilgrims to Kloster Andechs, and stuffed ourselves like so many geese on the hearty Bavarian foods that go so well with beer.

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Even before all that, one of my closest friends from way back showed up in early December for the pre-party: among other things, a trip to Zoigl Land and the Christmas markets of Munich. And then came the usual mad scramble of packing up my stuff in Vienna and heading back stateside. All’s more settled now, and I’m ensconced here in Oklahoma for the next six months before I head back to Vienna to teach during the fall semester.

Which means it’s time to write. And write lots.

[Drumroll.]

A Guidebook to Germany’s Contemporary Beer Scene

In retrospect, it’s not surprising that my increasing focus on Central Europe would lead here at some point: I’m turning all those months spent crisscrossing Germany into a book! Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

Beer culture meets travel guide in Germany: A Beer for All Seasons, with just enough history to keep it interesting for the casual reader. A Beer for All Seasons introduces readers to the best of German beer culture and guides them to Germany’s iconic breweries, taverns, and beer gardens. It recounts the story of Oktoberfest along with the myriad local and regional festivals that add spice to the seasons in Germany, from Munich’s Starkbierzeit (the Lenten strong beer season) to Erlangen’s Bergkirchweih. It also immerses readers in German beer traditions ranging from the Stammtisch (locals-only table) to the ritual of Frühschoppen (a morning beer and Weisswurst).

But tradition isn’t the only force animating contemporary German beer culture. Cities like Leipzig and Hamburg have given birth to vibrant craft beer scenes, while Berlin, with its flood of brewery openings in the past decade, has emerged as a mecca of craft beer consumption. In short, Germany offers something for every palate in every season. This timely book answers an acute need on the part of North American beer enthusiasts on a quest for experiences in one of beer’s venerable heartlands — all at a time when the German beer scene has never been so exciting!

The title is just one working title among many that are floating around, including Germany: Land of Liquid Bread. Do you have any ideas for catchy titles? Send them my way! If your title ends up on the cover of my book, you’ll get a free copy. And the next round’s on me.

Most importantly, I’m in the process of looking for an agent and a publisher, so if you happen to know any agents who deal with food and beverage publications, I’m all ears.

Facebook and Photos

I’ve amassed a treasure trove of photos of my beer travels over the past several years. Starting next week on Monday, I’m going to post one photo every week with a brief vignette. If you don’t already follow me on Facebook, now’s a perfect time to head over and do just that: https://www.facebook.com/tempestinatankard/

On the Horizon

Some of the following topics will end up as blog posts, while some will end up as chapter drafts. Either way, what’s below is a partial preview of what will be in the book.

Before I go any further, I’d like to ask you a favour: Glance through the list below and tell me what you’d most like to learn more about. (This will also help me gauge what folks would like to see in the book.)

Longer pieces:

• Zoiglbier and the Oberpfalz. Okay, I’ll admit it: I’ve become smitten with the region since first visiting this past autumn. Nowhere have I found such a combination of beer tradition (coolships, open fermentation, and wood-fired kettles!), lush and verdant wooded surroundings dotted with ancient rock outcroppings (perfect for hiking), and warm conviviality. It’s an oft-repeated truism in Zoigl Land: You’ll never drink alone. And nowhere have I encountered so much enthusiasm on the part of locals who give so generously of their time in introducing folks like me to the traditions that make the region tick.

• Munich. Munich truly is a beer city for all seasons. Expect a post on what to do in Munich during the winter months, along with one on how to keep yourself hydrated during the summer.

• Hamburg. A vibrant craft beer scene second only to Berlin. If you haven’t yet heard of Kehrwieder or Buddelship, get your local North American bottle shop to pester their distributors.

• Berlin. I started a series on Berlin a few years back and then got sidetracked. I’ve been back to my second home in Europe several times since then, and will have updates aplenty. Aside from stellar offerings from local breweries like Schoppe Bräu, BRLO, Heidenpeters, and Vagabund, it’s the taproom scene in Berlin that really shines. I’ll fill you in on the likes of Protokoll, beereau (where you can sample most if not all of Scheeeule’s intriguing lineup of Berliner Weisse), Hopfenreich, Muted Horn, Kaschk, and Foersters Feine Biere.

• Beer gardens. I love them. Nothing beats the smells, sounds, and sensations of a beer garden at the height of summer. I’ll focus on Munich in one piece, Franconia/Bamberg in another, and Upper Bavaria/Munich’s environs in yet another.

• Cologne/Düsseldorf. A resident of Düsseldorf wouldn’t be caught dead drinking a Kölsch, nor would someone in Cologne stoop so low as to drink an Altbier. But these top-fermented hold-outs in a sea of lager have more in common than the rivalries would have us believe. I’ll take you on a tour of the best taverns in both places so you can get your fix of Altbier and Kölsch and drink like a local.

• Beer hiking. Let’s just say that I’m hooked on this eminently delightful way to experience the history and culture of German brewing up close. Franconia’s the best bet for beer hikes, especially given its dense concentration of breweries and its network of well-marked beer hikes connecting one village with the next through fields and forests. But other parts of Bavaria are worth the walk as well, especially in the highlands of Upper Bavaria where the plateau abruptly gives way to the Alps.

Shorter posts on some of the engaging stories I’ve come across:

• Stärk’ Antrinken. Drink your starches, folks! This Franconian fest rolls around every January around the Feast of the Epiphany, but also has linkages with Twelfth Night. Tradition holds that you fortify yourself for the year to come by drinking twelve beers on 6 January (5 January in some locales): one for every month of the year to get your starches. The catch: the beers are Bockbiers, and the measure is a half-liter.

• Broyhan. Gose and Berliner Weisse have had their time in the spotlight, and beers like Grätzer/Grodziskie and Lichtenhainer pop up from time to time on taproom lists and at homebrew competitions. But Broyhan? In this post, I’ll talk about my trip to Hannover to speak with a young brewer who has painstakingly recreated a contemporary version of this old Weissbier classic from northern Germany. And I’ll discuss why this Weissbier isn’t a wheat beer, but simply just a “white beer” (light-coloured beer).

• Museum stories: beer transport by horse and carriage. The sound of hooves and the creaking and clanking of wagons over cobblestone streets were long a feature of Europe’s urban scene, right up into the 1970s in some places. This piece will look at how museums use parts of the horse’s equipage (in this case, its yoke/collar) as an opportunity for storytelling, and as a means of shedding light on the ancillary industries that beer brewing once supported.

• Museum stories: the ice harvest in the days before refrigeration. Black and white photographs can have the effect of romanticizing what was, in reality, an extremely dangerous job performed by those occupying the lowest rungs of society. As with the case of beer transport above, a good beer museum can use the implements that have come down to us as a means of telling a story with contemporary relevance.

• Museum stories: hops as cultural history. Nowadays hops are harvested with mechanical pluckers. Not too long ago, though, the hop harvest was a labour-intensive affair that drew workers and families from miles around. The best museums tell the stories of the back-breaking work involved in the planting and harvesting of hops, and recount tales of the dances and festivities of harvest time, all the while placing hop production within the context of migrant labour history.

That’s quite a bit about Germany. But I’ll also write a few pieces on Belgium, a beer paradise I’ve had the good fortune of visiting every year since 2016. Here are a few sketches:

• Cycling in Belgium. I’ll tell you how you can visit the hop fields of Poperinge, the WWI battlefields of Ypres, Rodenbach in Roeselare, and everyone’s favourite Trappist brewery, Westvletern — all in one cycling trip. I’ll also recount my adventure getting out to Brasserie à Vapeur, the world’s last steam brewery situated on the outskirts of the village of Pipaix in Wallonia, the French part of Belgium.

• City spotlights. I’ve deepened my acquaintance with Ghent and Antwerp, traveled to Mechelen — birthplace of Beethoven’s grandfather — for the first time, and stumbled upon a few more gems in Bruges.

• Beer café highlights. Emanating a totally different kind of vibe than a German Wirtshaus, Belgium’s beer cafés are an absolute treat for any serious beer traveler. I’ve visited dozens of them by now, and have more than a few must-visit spots to share with you.

And Vienna! Enough has changed since I introduced a few of my favourite spots in 2017 to warrant a longer post on where to find a beer garden or taproom that suits your drinking fancy. Though the beer scene isn’t quite as vibrant as it is in Berlin, Vienna (and Austria) remains an underrated European beer travel destination.

It’s a Wrap

Looking back on the past few years of beer travel from the vantage point of this windswept late January afternoon, it’s been quite a ride, especially 2019. Whether you’re a relatively new visitor to my site or an old hat, I raise my glass to you in the hopes that we get to share a beer in person someday. It’s all of you — long-time readers and new readers alike — who keep me inspired to write about my experiences with the history and culture of beer. Prost, and cheers!

Related articles

Berlin Calling: Beer in the Capital of Germany

Munich’s Beer Gardens East and West of the Isar

Gose: A Beer Worth Its Salt

The Setting Sun: Five of Vienna’s Best Spots for a Late Summer Beer

Where the Wild Beers Are: Brussels and Flemish Brabant

All images by F.D. Hofer.

© 2020 F.D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.