2025 in the Rearview: All the Fine Beer Folks
Every year of beer travel is special in its own way, and 2025 was no different. The past year is a mosaic of beloved places I hadn’t visited for decades, like Japan. Old friends like Munich for Oktoberfest or Bamberg for Bock. Cities I hadn’t yet visited, like Coburg, and a few I haven’t visited recently, like Bratislava. Regions I know well, but got to know a little better, like parts of eastern and northern Franconia (Hersbruck, Seßlach). Countries I’d never been, like Slovenia.
After spending nearly every moment of my free time in Europe these past several years burrowing ever deeper into the wonders of German beer culture for my book (it’s coming along nicely, in case you’re wondering!), I’ve been taking time to return to other beer regions. It started with a return to Belgium in 2024 for the first time since 2019. This year the Czech Republic figured prominently in my wanderings. I went not once but four times this past autumn, revisiting old faves in Prague, Pilsen, and České Budějovice, and exploring new beer spots. And then there’s Brno, which wins this year’s prize for “most underrated beer city in Central Europe” hands down.
Called to the Bar
These places are one thing, but as I’m sure you know from your own travels, it’s the people that animate those places. The people who brew beer or work in breweries. The people who lead beer tours, write about beer, or run taprooms. And the people you meet in those taprooms, chance meetings that turn into an evening drinking Maximator in Munich-Haidhausen a few weeks back with the guy who asked me what I was writing in my notebook. (I’ve met dozens of interesting folks over the years because they struck up a conversation with me on account of the fact that I was drinking beer somewhere and putting literal pen to literal paper.)
My first prost today goes out to Joachim, the arbitration lawyer with whom I had a few too many Maximators, to Mikela and Peter, architects from Creussen whom I met at a Gasthaus in Lindenhardt, to the lads from the Netherlands with whom I shared a table at Oktoberfest, and all those other tavern denizens who took the time to strike up a conversation.
And then there’s all the other fine folks who have been on this beer ride with me over the years, either in person or virtually. I had the good fortune this year of meeting up with fellow travelers I hadn’t seen in some time, met people with whom I’d long had a virtual friendship, and shared beers with old friends. An even heartier prost goes out to them. And for those of you I didn’t see in 2025? Here’s to crossing paths in 2026.
Ein Prosit!
The remainder of this post may or may not be particularly captivating to some of you. It’s neither fish nor fowl, a post that’s zwischen Nacht und Nebel (between night and fog), as the Germans say. I did something similar last year as a Facebook post, and really enjoyed writing it — but at 1500 words, it’s a bit too long for that platform. So I’m posting these shout-outs here. At the very least, it gives you a sense of the characters that fuel my beer adventures.
And so, in chronological order of appearance in 2025:
Gregor Fransson, the illustrious erstwhile owner of HopDog in Munich (RIP HopDog). I had my first beer of the young year with him at the Augustiner Bräustuben just after 10:00 a.m. on the First of January, two-oh-two-five. Fine way to kick things off!
Hidehiro and Chie Yamada, owners of Pigalle, a tiny 10-seater in the Sangenjaya neighbourhood of Tokyo. If the vibe is old-school Tokyo, Hide and Chie have seen to it that the beer selection is a mix of international classics and Japan’s cutting-edge breweries. A gathering place for Tokyo’s craft brewers and “beer geeks.” And a world-class beer bar in its own right.
Jun Arai of Living Craft Beer Bar in Yokohama. When I was studying Japanese in Yokohama way back when, I used to spend my afternoons cramming kanji at Café Flower, which was presided over by the affable Arai-san. Ten years ago he closed down Flower and opened up Living. The beers that grace his twelve taps are nothing short of stellar, and rotate regularly.
Will and Joe Quinlan of Big Friendly in OKC. What started as a springtime session talking about autumn lagers eventually bore fruit in November as Lazy Leaves Märzen. The Big Friendly is among my favourite breweries in Oklahoma, so being included as a collaborator on this tasty beer was an absolute highlight of 2025. The beer has long since sold out, but maybe I can convince them to brew it again. Or maybe a Bock in 2026!
Jack Anderton, the man behind the European Bar Guide, an indispensable resource for any aspiring bar fly. Jack is among the most knowledgeable people I’ve met when it comes to all things pubs, beer cafes, Wirtshäuser, you name it. Seriously, this guy’s been practically everywhere in Europe. Our paths finally crossed this past September in Brno. And what a two-day session it was!
Evan Rail, whose work many of you have probably read, whether it’s about beer for numerous publications, train travel and architecture in Europe for the NYT, or absinthe. Evan’s another one of those folks with whom I’ve been in contact for ages (we also share a common interest in food studies and literature), but with whom I’d yet to share a drink in person. That changed this past autumn in Prague, where we met up on a few occasions at his favourite haunts. Cheers for all the insider tips!
Jeff and Susan Rankert, one of whom is an illustrious homebrewer, both of whom are aficionados of all things Franconia. We missed each other at the Fässla Bockbier tapping, but caught up at Bamberg’s fabled Catwheezle’s Castle for a downpayment on future beer sessions.
Manuele Colonna, with whom I’ve been virtual friends for ages. I finally got to tip a few back at Catwheezle’s Castle with Rome’s “beer pope” this past October. Here’s to more beers together!
(For those of you keeping score at home, that’s two mentions of Catwheezle’s Castle. I haven’t written about this cozy nook at length just yet, but know that it’s worth seeking out. It’s somewhat of a cult institution among Franconian beer lovers — and a place where you’re almost as likely to bump into someone you know as you’d be at Schlenkerla or Spezial.)
Rich and Doreen Carbonara. All of our plans to meet up in 2025 fell through for some reason or other. But we did manage to share an Urbock at Schlenkerla after bumping into each other randomly while we were out with separate groups for a Sunday Frühschoppen session.
Christian Fiedler, who zoomed past on his bike in Bamberg as I was heading to the station with a friend to catch a train to Salzburg. Here’s to a longer session in 2026!
Stan Hieronymus and Daria Labinsky. The last time I saw Stan was in 2017 in St. Louis. This time around, he and Daria were on a Christmas market tour of Central Europe. What better place to visit than Vienna for Christmas markets? And what better place for an extended evening of Viennese Wirtshaus charm than Gasthaus Quell? And their stories about their road trips around the US and Europe decades back? Epic! Beer travel before it was a thing.
Stu Stuart, who runs Belgium Beer Me! and Bamberg Beer Me! tours, and his partner, Katrien Martin, who runs Topic Tours in Belgium. They arrived in Vienna the day before R and I headed to Slovenia, just enough time to take in a symphony and follow it up with a few beers at some of my favourite neighbourhood watering holes, including Zur Eisernen Zeit on the Naschmarkt.
To My Compadres and Fellow Travelers
Cheers to my Tokyo friends Pedro Erber, David and Wakana James, Kiyomi Kushida, Makiko Ohashi, Christian Dimmer, Ben Middleton, and Sam Schumacker, some of whom I hadn’t seen in well over a decade. Great catching up with all of you over beers or saké, and thanks for letting me drag you out to all those far-flung Tokyo taprooms!
And a toast to Josh Pontrelli for putting me up again (and putting up with me again) this year in Munich. To Jeff Alworth for the virtual conversations about beer and publishing. To Mārtiņš Mašulis for the ongoing beer and wine adventures. And, of course, to Ryan Parsons, who has accompanied me on many a beer hike through sleet and sunshine. And to R, my partner in crime, who refuses to let me post any images of her on the blog or social media. Rest assured, she’s often just out of frame.
Related Posts
If you’ve stayed with me all the way to the end, here’s the series I wrote last year about the Wirtshaus (inn). It’s in these kinds of places (and their analogues across Europe) where I keep meeting the most fascinating people.
At the Pub, German and Austrian Style
The Origins of the Contemporary Wirtshaus
The Wirtshaus: Beer, Taverns, and Everyday Life
Prost to everyone who has read along over the course of 2025! It’s you who keeps me writing.
© 2026 Franz D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.
Interesting how closely our beery travels overlapped this last year Franz. I imagine I could have bought you a Maß at Oktoberfest had we both known ahead of time. That said, our visits to Pigalle didn’t overlap, as I was last there in August of 24 (although your comments were spot on). I think we may be two of the only beer lovers/writers from the US regularly writing in English, German, and Japanese, so let’s try and actually overlap in 2026! Prost! 乾杯!
Let’s do try to share a beer sometime in 2026. I’ll be in Vienna (and traveling around Europe) at my regularly appointed time (autumn).