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Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! In this, our final blog article, we say our goodbyes and share with you a few of the best German beers we’ve enjoyed over the years on our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours. Time to Say Goodbye Due to the expanding Covid-19 health crisis, and with no discernible end in sight, it is with mixed emotions we’ve decided to permanently shut down our tour operation business. The past 5 years have been an incredible experience and we’ve had the opportunity to meet many great people on our tours who share our passion for beer and travel. However, the global health crisis along with an uncertain timeline for resuming safe travel have convinced us that it’s time to move on to new adventures. This has not been an easy decision for us, but the one constant in life is change and we're ready to embrace it. PLEASE NOTE: Our website will be available through January 10, 2021 so feel free to browse it if you love beer and are looking for ideas for a future trip to Bavaria. Our email (gene@originalgravitytours.com) will also be functional until Jan. 10th, so if you’d like some tips about breweries and beer-related activities in Bavaria, shoot us an email and we’ll try to help you out. Best Beers of Bavaria We couldn’t just say goodbye and leave you empty handed, could we? Of course not! So as our part of our farewell, we’ll share with you a few of our favorite German beers (Bavarian actually) that go well beyond the typical German Lager and which you’ll want to try before your beer drinking days are over. Of course, there are many other exceptional beers we could have shared with you, but we wanted to share a variety of different beer styles that are generally available in the U.S. A few may require a trip to Bavaria to find, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? Note, these beers are listed in alphabetically order by brewery name and not in order of preference. Prost!
Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche (Oak) Doppelbock and Märzen  Kloster Andechs Bergbock Hell and Doppelbock Dunkel
Augustiner Edelstoff and Maximator
Mahrs "U" and Weisser Bock
Schneider Weisse Aventinus and Hopfenweisse
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissebier Dunkel and Vitus Weltenburger Kloster (The world's oldest monastery brewery, in Kelheim, founded 1050)  Weltenburger Anno 1050 Auf Wiedersehen und die besten Wünsche
In parting, we want to say thank you to all of you who have joined our tours over the years, and we wish everyone the best for staying healthy and safe. Goodbye and best wishes!
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Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! If it weren’t for the global health crisis, we’d be in Munich right now enjoying the spectacle of Oktoberfest, but alas we’re stuck at home just like you. So, we put on our thinking caps and determined the best way to overcome those old “Missing Oktoberfest Blues” was to conduct an informal taste test of as many Oktoberfest-related beers as we could get our hands on. For our taste test we assembled nine Oktoberfest Biers from Munich and a few other German cities; basically, all we could get our hands on. We didn’t include any American “Oktoberfest” beers because it would be a very different tasting experience due primarily to the American proclivity for hops. But the beers we assembled represent a nice range of breweries from within Munich as well as a few notable German breweries. In this article we’ll share:
 Beer Tasting Lineup. Brief History of Oktoberfest Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival and funfair and is held annually in Munich, Germany. The festival runs for 16 – 18 days from mid-September to the first Sunday in October, and is locally known as the Wiesn (“Veez-in”) after the name of the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese (Therese’s meadow). Oktoberfest kicks off each year in the Schottenhamel tent (total capacity 9,030 people) at exactly noon on the first Saturday of the festival when the mayor of Munich taps the first keg of Spaten and proclaims “O'zapft is!” (It has been tapped!). At that point the beer starts flowing in all of the tents!  Front entrance to the Schottenhamel Tent. Image © 2020 Sebastian Lehner. First held in 1810, Oktoberfest has been held every year since except for twelve years when it was cancelled due to war (Napoleonic, Austro-Prussian, WWI and WWII) or disease (Cholera (twice) and now Coronavirus). We are indeed living through historic times. Had it not been cancelled this year, the festival would have begun on Saturday, Sept. 19th and ended on Sunday, Oct. 4th. In 2019, 6.3 million people visited Oktoberfest and consumed 7.3 million liters of beer. In addition to 17 large tents and 21 small tents the festival also includes numerous amusement rides, side stalls and games, along with a wide variety of traditional foods. According to the official Oktoberfest Tents page the largest tent is the Hacker-Festzelt with a total seating capacity of 9,378 (inside and in the outdoor beer garden). Oktoberfest Bier: Märzen or Festbier... or Both? Only beer conforming to the Reinheitsgebot and brewed within the Munich city limits can be served at Oktoberfest. Beers meeting these criteria are designated “Oktoberfest Bier” although the name also denotes two distinct beer styles: the traditional Märzen style lager and a paler “Festbier” that’s more commonly served at Oktoberfest today. The descriptions of the Märzen and Festbier beer styles presented below in this section are courtesy of the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, © Copyright 1999 – 2020, Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. MÄRZEN “History: As the name suggests, [it is] brewed as a stronger “March beer” in March and lagered in cold caves over the summer. Modern versions trace back to the lager developed by Spaten in 1841, contemporaneous to the development of Vienna lager. However, the Märzen name is much older than 1841; the early ones were dark brown, and in Austria the name implied a strength band (14 °P) rather than a style. The German amber lager version (in the Viennese style of the time) was first served at Oktoberfest in 1872, a tradition that lasted until 1990 when the golden Festbier was adopted as the standard festival beer. “Overall Impression: An elegant, malty German amber lager with a clean, rich, toasty and bready malt flavor, restrained bitterness, and a dry finish that encourages another drink. The overall malt impression is soft, elegant, and complex, with a rich aftertaste that is never cloying or heavy. “Appearance: Amber-orange to deep reddish-copper color; should not be golden. Bright clarity, with persistent, off-white foam stand.  Typical Oktoberfest Märzen appearance. Image © Copyright Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe GmbH & Co. KGaA. All rights reserved. “Flavor: Initial malt flavor often suggests sweetness, but finish is moderately-dry to dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a bready, toasty aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and the hop flavor is low to none (German types: complex, floral, herbal, or spicy). Hops provide sufficient balance that the malty palate and finish do not seem sweet. The aftertaste is malty, with the same elegant, rich malt flavors lingering. Noticeable caramel, biscuit, or roasted flavors are inappropriate. Clean lager fermentation profile. “Comments: Modern domestic German Oktoberfest versions are golden – see the Festbier style for this version. Export German versions (to the United States, at least) are typically orange-amber in color, have a distinctive toasty malt character, and are most often labeled Oktoberfest. American craft versions of Oktoberfest are generally based on this style, and most Americans will recognize this beer as Oktoberfest. Historic versions of the beer tended to be darker, towards the brown color range, but there have been many ‘shades’ of Märzen (when the name is used as a strength); this style description specifically refers to the stronger amber lager version. The modern Festbier can be thought of as a pale Märzen by these terms.” FESTBIER “History: Since 1990, the majority of beer served at Oktoberfest in Munich has been this style. Export beer specifically made for the United States is still mainly of the traditional amber style, as are US-produced interpretations. Paulaner first created the golden version in the mid-1970s because they thought the traditional Oktoberfest was too filling. So, they developed a lighter, more drinkable but still malty version that they wanted to be “more poundable” (according to the head brewer at Paulaner). But the actual type of beer served at Oktoberfest is set by a Munich city committee. “Overall Impression: A smooth, clean, pale German lager with a moderately strong malty flavor and a light hop character. Deftly balances strength and drinkability, with a palate impression and finish that encourages drinking. Showcases elegant German malt flavors without becoming too heavy or filling. “Appearance: Deep yellow to deep gold color; should not have amber hues. Bright clarity. Persistent white to off-white foam stand. Most commercial examples are medium gold in color.  Typical Festbier appearance. Image © Copyright Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan. All rights reserved. “Flavor: Medium to medium-high malty flavor initially, with a lightly toasty, bread dough quality and an impression of soft sweetness. Medium to medium-low bitterness, definitely malty in the balance. Well-attenuated and crisp, but not dry. Medium-low to medium floral, herbal, or spicy hop flavor. Clean lager fermentation character. The taste is mostly of Pils malt, but with slightly toasty hints. The bitterness is supportive, but still should yield a malty, flavorful finish. “Comments: This style represents the modern German beer served at Oktoberfest (although it is not solely reserved for Oktoberfest; it can be found at many other ‘fests’), and is sometimes called Wiesn (“the meadow” or local name for the Oktoberfest festival). We chose to call this style Festbier since by German and EU regulations, Oktoberfestbier is a protected appellation for beer produced at large breweries within the Munich city limits for consumption at Oktoberfest. Other countries are not bound by these rules, so many craft breweries in the US produce beer called Oktoberfest, but based on the traditional style described in these guidelines as Märzen.” Beer Tasting Lineup & Results As mentioned above, we had the pleasure of tasting nine beers across two similar beer styles – Oktoberfest Märzen and Festbier. These beers are listed below and pictured beneath that in the same order (L-R):
 Our view of the beers prior to tasting. Note the varying colors; our first clue regarding the beer style. This was not a “blind” test in that the tasting cups were not covered to prevent us from seeing each beer, but the bottles were hidden from view. Our methodology - if you want to call it that - was confined to observing the color, the body, the finish and our personal preferences. Not wanting to waste beer (duh!) and unlike in real beer competitions, we drank each beer as we tasted it and didn’t cleanse our palates between beers. Our final ratings (each beer was given a rating from 1 to 10) are therefore likely to be biased and definitely not “expert” opinion, but rating beer (like many things in life) is probably more subjective and less scientific than some BJCP judges would be willing to admit. Finally, all of the beers that are allowed to be served at Oktoberfest München were included in our taste test except for Löwenbräu and Augustiner Bräu because these breweries don’t distribute their Oktoberfest beers to the United States.  * The five beers identified with asterisks in the table above are official “Oktoberfest biers” and thus allowed to be served at Oktoberfest. ** Based on the BJCP style guide, the Bitburger Festbier color - amber orange – doesn’t fall into desired appearance for a Festbier. The Winners Unlike real beer tasting competitions, we wound up with a tie in each category.
That said, the biggest surprise in our tasting was the Dinkelacker which is brewed in Stuttgart, about 140 northwest of Munich, in Bavaria. Dinkelacker is an exceptional brewery and we particularly recommend their Schwaben Bräu Keller Pils which is an uncommon unfiltered pilsner. The other beer worth discussing is the Weihenstephaner Festbier. This beer is brewed by the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei (Bavarian State Brewery) Weihenstephan in Freising which is just outside of Munich proper. Weihenstephan is both the oldest brewery in the world (founded in 1040) and is associated with the Technical University of Munich which has the most prestigious brewing school in the world. So, it should come as no surprise that they brew an exceptional Festbier. Of course, Paulaner (Festbier) and Spaten (Märzen) should be given the respect they deserve. Being 386 years old (Paulaner, founded in 1634) and 126 years old (Spaten, founded 1894) one can assume they’ve figured out how to brew beer by now!  With my better-half inside the Schottenhamel tent. Notice that we’re drinking the Spaten Festbier and not their Märzen which is what we get here in the U.S. Original Gravity Tours We hope this article inspires you to dream up your next beercation, be it in Germany or elsewhere. We also hope you’ll consider joining one of our future Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours. For a virtual tour, pop open your favorite German beer and check out our Photos, Videos & Reviews page! We tour the oldest breweries in the world, meet local craft brewers, enjoy the finest beer gardens, follow the Franconian breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! We also offer a Week Before Oktoberfest Tour that allows you to attend the granddaddy of all beer festivals after our tour! AHA Member Discount! AHA members always get a discount on our tours. If you’re an AHA member, Contact Us with us your AHA Membership number, and we’ll send you a special link that allows you to take advantage of this discount. "We’ve taken plenty of “beer-cations” over the years (mostly self-led), but this was by far the best!” Jack & Michele P., Colorado Springs, CO Jack is a Certified Cicerone®, BJCP Beer Judge, and American Homebrewers Association Member Since 2012 "This tour surpassed our highest expectations!” Tom & Debbie F., Pensacola, FL "Original Gravity Tours' Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tour was a dream come true for this home-brewer and beer lover!” Frank R., San Juan Bautista, CA Frank has been an American Homebrewers Association Member Since 2006 "Gene is perhaps the best tour guide I have ever met. He knows Munich and Bamberg inside out and will introduce you to the best beers these cities have to offer.” Jonathan R., Huntsville, AL Jonathan has been an American Homebrewers Association Member Since 2017 "Best trip ever. Tasted 73 different German beers over the course of the trip, many of which could only be sampled on a trip like this...” Bob & Lori D., Wamego, KS 2019 “I am an avid homebrewer and although my wife is not a beer drinker, she is a beer culture enthusiast, and this tour was just a phenomenal fit for both of us.” Mark & Kris M., Lake Saint Louis, MO Mark has been an American Homebrewers Association Member Since 1995! All content © 2020 Original Gravity Tours except as noted.
Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! Visiting 1,000 year-old breweries isn’t something most Americans do often. So if you love travel and you love beer, you might be interested in reading about our Bucket-List Beercation – German Style! What is a Bucket-List Beercation? To us it’s about enjoying the ultimate beer-lover experience by visiting the oldest breweries Germany (and the world!) has to offer, sampling the best beers in Bavaria, and digging into the German craft beer scene. It’s also about experiencing enough cultural/scenic activities to satisfy partners who may not share the same passion for beer. It’s not easy to put together, but we think we do a pretty good job at it... and so do our customers! In this article we’ll walk you through the ultimate Bucket-List Beercation – German Style! "We’ve taken plenty of “beer-cations” over the years (mostly self-led), but this was by far the best!” Jack & Michele P., Colorado Springs, CO  Dinner at Augustiner-Keller - The 3rd largest beer garden in Munich (5,000 seats) DAY 1: The World’s Oldest Brewery & Munich Historical Walking Tour! Our adventures get off to a fast start with a tour of the World’s Oldest Brewery – Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (the Weihenstephan Bavarian State Brewery). The Weihenstephan monastery was founded by St. Korbinian in the year 725 on Nährberg hill overlooking what is now the town of Freising. It’s assumed brewing started about the same time, but in 1040 the brewery was granted an official license from the city of Freising to brew and sell their beer. Lucky for us, several Weihenstephaner beers are available here in the U.S., but if you want to taste it fresh, you need to visit the brewery in Freising! Beer tasting after the tour, and aging tanks on-tour Beer makes people do "interesting" things, and lunch in the beer garden "Original Gravity Tours' Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tour was a dream come true for this home-brewer and beer lover!” Frank R., San Juan Bautista, CA We wrap up the afternoon with a historical walking tour of Munich followed by dinner in one of our favorite historic brewery restaurants. Munich was officially founded in the year 1158, however the first human settlements date back to around 100BC. With this kind of history, there’s no shortage of sites to explore and stories to hear. Outside the Hofbräuhaus München, and the Viktualienmarkt farmers market and beer garden   Historical walking tour on the Platzl, and outside the Theatinerkirche (church) DAY 2: Brewery on the “Holy Mountain” and Alpine Craft Brewing! A very scenic and flavorful day is in store for the second day of our tour as we head south into the Bavarian Alps. Our first stop is the town of Andechs where the Kloster Andechs Monastery & Brewery is located at the top of “The Holy Mountain”. Benedictine monks founded the monastery and started brewing back in 1455, and when sipping a beer with a view of the Alps and surrounding hills, you’ll definitely feel a little closer to heaven. It’s worth noting that the beer here is pumped directly from bottling tanks to the taps in the Bräustüberl and then into your glass. Hard to get any fresher than that! Kloster Andechs beer garden/terrace, and view from terrace What one wise local has to say about Kloster Andechs! "This tour surpassed our highest expectations! Tom & Debbie F., Pensacola, FL After that nice warm-up at Kloster Andechs we continue our journey south to the town of Bad Tölz. With a modern day population of about 19,000, Bad Tölz has a brewing tradition dating back to the 15th century. Once it was home to more than 20 breweries that were all connected by underground tunnels that led down to the Isar River. Today, there’s just one remaining – Tölzer Mühlfeldbräu – a craft brewery that was built in 2008 on the foundation of the old Grüner Bräu brewery (founded in 1709). We’ll take an intimate tour of Tölzer Mühlfeldbräu followed by a tasting of their extensive craft beer line-up. Non-beer drinkers have the option to take a stroll through the historic town center instead. Bad Tölz "skyline" from the banks of the Isar River, and open air fermentation tanks on tour 300 year-old lagering cellar, and the Tölzer Mühlfeldbräu tasting line-up DAY 3: Hallertau Hop Heaven, Bavaria’s Oldest Wheat Beer Brewery, Danube River Ferry & The Oldest Monastery Brewery in the World! A very full day awaits us and our first stop is at Hopfenhimmel (Hop Heaven) in the Hallertau hop-growing region north of Munich. Hallertau is the largest hop-growing region in the world and if you’re a homebrewer, you’ve likely brewed with Hallertau hops at some point. The Hopfenhimmel is a platform that sits about 30 feet high and above the surrounding hop fields. It provides a spectacular view of the area.  "Stairway to Heaven"!  View from the top We then continue our way north to the Oldest Wheat Beer Brewery in Bavaria, the Schneider Weisse Brewery in Kelheim. The Schneider Weisse brewery was built by Duke Maximilian I in 1607 when he decided to expand production and brew wheat beer for sale to the general public. Then in 1872, Georg Schneider purchased a license to be the first private brewer of wheat beer along with a brewery located at site of the Schneider Bräuhaus in central Munich. After outgrowing that space, Georg Schneider IV purchased the brewery in Kelheim in 1928 and his family has been brewing here ever since with Georg Schneider VI at the helm today. Note: If you think you don’t like wheat beer, wait until you try Schneider Weisse, especially the “holy grail” of their line up, Aventinus (Tap 6). Aventinus is a wheat doppelbock and we have yet to meet a customer who doesn’t immediately fall in love with it’s smooth, deep flavor! Schneider Original and Aventinus, and two new Aventinus lovers   Guided tasting at Schneider Weisse, and the "hard stuff", Aventinus Eisbock, ABV 12% "Best trip ever. Tasted 73 different German beers over the course of the trip, many of which could only be sampled on a trip like this...” Bob & Lori D., Wamego, KS 2019 Next, we jump on a ferry that takes us up the Danube River to the Oldest Monastery Brewery in the World – Weltenburger Kloster. The monastery dates back to the year 617 and the first record of brewing was in 1050. In addition to brewing exceptional beers, the monastery and brewery are beautifully situated on the banks of the Danube River. For an eye-popping experience, walk into the beautiful Church of St. Georg. This baroque style church was built in 1739 by the Asam brothers, and in gratitude, the monks named one of their beers, Asam Bock (a rich doppelbock) after the brothers. Approaching Kloster Andechs by ferry, and enjoying a hearty Asam Bock  Chillin' in the Weltenburger Kloster beer garden DAY 4: Bamberg Historical Walking Tour & Weyermann Malts Plant Tour! The Franconia region is located in northern-most Bavaria, bordering the Czech Republic to the east. Franconia is actually broken into three “sub-regions” called Upper Franconia, Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia. Upper Franconia is where we spend our time because it has more breweries per capita than anywhere in the world! In particular, we spend a few days in and around the city of Bamberg. Bamberg is even older than Munich having been founded in the year 1012. Bamberg was the capital city of all of Franconia when the region was an independent German state prior to the Second World War. During the war, Allied bombing thankfully spared the town and today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bamberg is also home to the most famous smoked beer (Rauchbier) in the world, Schlenkerla, brewed by Brauerei Heller-Trum (founded 1405). Not everyone warms up to smoked beer immediately, so we recommend following the advice of locals. They say that when trying smoked beer for the first time, you should drink at least 3 beers and then you’ll fall in love with it forever. Sounds like a good strategy to us, no?  The Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) in Bamberg The Schlenkerla taproom & restaurant (inside & out) in central Bamberg   Old town Bamberg at dusk, and lunch in the Mahrs Bräu beer garden "Gene is perhaps the best tour guide I have ever met. He knows Munich and Bamberg inside out and will introduce you to the best beers these cities have to offer.” Jonathan R., Huntsville, AL After a relaxing lunch over a few beers, we make our way to the Weyermann Malts plant (founded 1879) for a tour of their production facilities. If you’re a homebrewer, you’ve probably used one or more of their malts in your brewing activities. And it’s pretty interesting to see how they source and test the raw grain, convert it into malt, and distribute the finished product worldwide. Weyermann delivery truck, and on tour Tasting in the Weyermann taproom, and post-tour DAY 5: Bamberg Countryside Village Beer Tour! As mentioned above, Upper Franconia has more breweries per capita than anywhere in the world with more than 200 breweries for a population of about one million. For comparison, Delaware has about the same population but has just 27 breweries at last count. Most of the breweries in Upper Franconia are small, family run operations that have been around for 300 years or more and are located in small villages outside of Bamberg. With this many breweries it’s hard to decide which to visit on each tour, but here are a few of our favorites. The specialty of most of these breweries (and the region) is Kellerbier, also sometimes called “Ungespundet”, which is a delicious unfiltered lager. Brauerei Hönig Dating back to the year 1478, Brauerei Hönig is a small, family brewery in Tiefenellern run by Peter Hönig who is also the braumeister. One thing that’s really cool about visiting these breweries, besides the beer, is that the owners are usually pouring the beer, very friendly and happy to talk to you to the extent their command of English allows.  Peter Hönig, owner and braumeister at Brauerei Hönig  View from the Brauerei Hönig beer garden Brauerei Neder Dating back to the year 1554, Brauerei Neder is a small brewery in Forchheim that also brews an excellent Kellerbier. You might wonder why their logo contains a ship since they’re located in the middle of Germany? It’s because the boats that used to cruise up and down the Regnitz River delivering supplies had a regular stop at Forchheim. and stopping for a cold Nederbräu was a regular occurrence.  Nice cold Nederbräu kellerbier Brauerei Grasser Brauerei Grasser dates back to 1516 and is located in the town of Huppendorf. They distribute their beer into Bamberg, so if you come across a “Huppendorfer” tap handle, ask the server for a “Hoopy”. They’ll know exactly what you’re talking about!  Prost from Brauerei Grasser! Griess Keller Griess Keller is a beautiful beer garden located in Strullendorf. It’s part of Brauerei Griess, run by the Griess family since 1872, and today, Peter Griess is the third generation owner and braumeister.  The "taproom" is open at Griess Keller!  Protected from rain in the Griess Keller beer garden Brauerei Hölzlein Last but not least is Brauerei Hölzlein. All of the breweries you’ll find in Upper Franconia are excellent, but Brauerei Hölzlein in Lohndorf is probably our favorite. Founded in 1781, Heinrich Hölzlein and his son are 7th and 8th generation owners/braumeisters and are super friendly! They make the best Kellerbier we’ve ever tasted and it wasn’t “the beer talking”... or maybe it was?  Heinrich (right) and his son are always happy to talk beer What one smart couple has to say about Brauerei Hölzlein! “I am an avid homebrewer and although my wife is not a beer drinker, she is a beer culture enthusiast, and this tour was just a phenomenal fit for both of us.” Mark & Kris M., Lake Saint Louis, MO AHA Member Discount!
AHA members always get a substantial discount on our tours. If you’re an AHA member, Contact Us with us your AHA Membership number, and we’ll send you a special link that allows you to take advantage of this discount. Original Gravity Tours We hope this article inspires you to look for your Bucket-List Beercation, be it in Germany or elsewhere. We also hope you consider joining one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours next summer. For a virtual tour, pop open your favorite German beer and check out our Photos, Videos & Reviews page! We tour the oldest breweries in the world, meet local craft brewers, enjoy the finest beer gardens, follow the Franconian breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! Prost! Happy New Year Beer & Travel Lovers! In our last blog post – Italian Craft Beer - Now That's Amore! – we introduced the Italian craft brewing scene. This month, we have a few things to share: 1. Beto’s Bavarian Beer Diary – First, we’ll introduce Beto Zuniga who joined us on our August 2018 tour, and we’ll share the journal he kept of all the breweries he visited and beers he tried on our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tour. If you’re curious about the brewery/beer experience in Bavaria (and Belgium) you'll like this section. 2. Beer History 101 – Next, we’ll share a brief history of beer from the “beginning of time” to modern day Bavaria, in Southern Germany, including a few surprises. 3. Blue Oak Brewing Company – Finally, we’ll introduce you to our favorite Bay Area craft brewery – Blue Oak Brewing – where founder Alex Porter offers an array of well-crafted beer styles for every taste. BETO’S BAVARIAN BEER DIARY Beto Zuniga is a beer expert, enthusiast and connoisseur, and a pretty interesting guy. He and his wife Anne accompanied us on our August 2018 Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tour and he posted his beer journal from this tour on his website, Secret Biere Society. Beto began brewing after college while working as a research assistant at a biochemistry company in Houston. One of his jobs was to grow yeast, and to extract and purify a particular protein from that yeast. Around this time he started brewing with liquid malt extract. Eventually he joined one of Texas’ largest homebrew clubs (Foam Rangers Homebrew Club) and learned to brew all-grain with a 10-gallon HERMS system (Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash) system that he built himself.  Anne and Beto at Brauerei Grasser in Königsfeld, Germany He eventually moved to Oregon where he joined one of the oldest homebrew clubs in the nation (Heart of the Valley Homebrewers) and at the encouragement of the club, become a BJCP Certified Judge. After leaving Oregon, Beto started a journal to track his beer tasting adventures. Whenever he and Anne travel (including trips to Belgium and Germany) they always visit local brewpubs and breweries, and in 2018 he created a website to make it easier to keep track of all of his beer tasting.  Beto and Anne (right) at the Altes Hackerhaus in Munich Beto now lives in Connecticut and occasionally lectures to an Ethnobotany class at the local college. Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other uses. The focus of his lectures is on the impact beer has had on human civilization. Finally, as an AHA member, each year he sponsors a “Learn to Brew Day” at his house. Learn to Brew Day is an annual AHA national event that takes place on the first Saturday of November. We’re impressed with Beto’s brewing/beer knowledge, and we think you will be as well if you visit the Secret Biere Society! BEER HISTORY 101 In the Beginning... Until recently, historians thought that brewing dated back 5,000-6,000 years to ≈3,000-4,000 B.C., and that brewing originated in the area then known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia encompassed an area centered around the Tigris–Euphrates river system in modern day Iraq, and spreading out in all directions into Eastern Syria, Southern Turkey, Northern Kuwait, and Northern Saudi Arabia. The development of brewing was generally equated to agricultural societies that first learned to grow grain, then how to bake bread, and then eventually stumble upon beer. No one knows for certain, but perhaps some grain was left in a vessel, somehow got wet and was inoculated by wild yeast ultimately resulting in the first beer. Archeological findings indicate that beer production and consumption eventually became wide-spread, and that beer was important enough that the Sumerians, who lived in southern Mesopotamia, even had their own patron Goddess of Brewing named Ninkasi. Archeological findings also indicate the presence of an important brewing culture in ancient Egypt, occurring roughly at the same time as in Mesopotamia. In Egypt, beer was important enough that the royal court eventually levied taxes on brewing. Further evidence of beer’s importance to the Egyptians comes from beer containers that were buried with the dead and images of brewing and drinking activities on the walls of ancient tombs. The Egyptians also had a Goddess of Brewing and Beer named Tjenenet.  Egyptian servant pouring beer for her master But hold everything! Last year, a research team led by Li Liu, Professor of Chinese Archeology at Stanford, published findings that indicate brewing likely dates back to between 9,000 and 12,000 B.C. or about twice as long as previously thought. Professor Liu’s team analyzed residues from 13,000-year-old stone mortars found in a cave near what is now Haifa, in northern Israel, and discovered evidence of extensive beer brewing. Their findings suggest that beer production actually came before the domestication of grains, and not vice versa as previously believed. No doubt there will be further discoveries about early brewing, but suffice it to say that beer has held an important place in society throughout human history. Fast Forward to Europe During the Roman period, beer consumption became common throughout the empire and is thought to have been introduced to Northern Europe in the first century B.C. Although the Romans conquered most of Northern Europe, the Germans put up a good fight and the Romans were stopped west of the Rhine and south of the Danube River. So they only managed to conquer and inhabit the area roughly equating to modern day Bavaria. The oldest known evidence of brewing in Germany comes from vessels found near the small town of Kulmbach (in northern Bavaria) that date back to around 800 B.C. Like bread baking, brewing in the early centuries was the work of women, and it wasn’t until sometime in the first millennium that monasteries took up the practice.  Monk brewer checking the color & clarity of his beer At this point, brewing transitioned from being home-based toward a more organized and commercial activity. The leaders of the pack were the Benedictine Monks for whom beer was an important part of their diet and had great spiritual value (duh!). It also helped them get through Lent (40-days of fasting leading up to Easter) as it was the only “food” they could consume during this period. The Monks also understood that beer was popular outside the monastery and that by selling it, they could help support their monastic activities. This led to the birth of Kloisterschenken (taprooms) where Monks sold beer to go.  Monks enjoying the fruit of their favorite “hobby” Eventually the nobility of the day figured out that due to the popularity of beer it could be a lucrative source of tax income. As such, many heads of state banned monasteries from selling beer, and without the income, many monasteries could no longer survive. Our favorite German monasteries (or former monasteries in the case of Weihenstephan) that continue to brew and sell beer are listed below. Please note that we visit, tour, eat and/or drink at all of these on our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours. All dates shown are A.D.
BLUE OAK BREWING Blue Oak Brewing is a 7-barrel brewery located in San Carlos, California (a San Francisco suburb). Blue Oak is fairly unique in the craft beer industry in that instead of focusing on high IBUs, they focus on making well-balanced, true-to-style beers including Belgians, lagers and a wide variety of flavorful ales. In our opinion, Blue Oak is a model for other craft breweries in how to brew beers with character and depth that appeal to the broadest set of beer drinkers. We recently had a chance to sit down with Alex Porter, founder and brewmaster at Blue Oak Brewing to ask him a few questions.  Alex Porter, founder and brewmaster at Blue Oak Brewing Company Question: Are you still a "7-barrel" microbrewery as stated on your website? ALEX: “Yes, we are still a 7-barrel brewery as this is dictated by the size of our brew house. However, we’ve added more fermentation tanks, which increased our overall capacity from ~200 barrels up to 400 barrels per year.” Question: What got you into brewing and when did you start? ALEX: “My early experience in fermentation science began while working at a biotechnology company in Palo Alto named Genencor. I first participated in their annual "Brew-Ha-Ha" back in 2001 and I've been hooked ever since. I went on to work at major pharmaceutical companies in process engineering and tech transfer roles, and worked with a variety of fermenters up to 20,000 liters.”  Blue Oak Brewing Company brewery and tasting room Question: When did you open Blue Oak? ALEX: “We started Blue Oak in 2014 after I attended a small business course for entrepreneurs through the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center in San Francisco. They’re a non-profit organization that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and optimize their businesses, and also help them connect with the SBA and other sources of funding. We then ran a successful crowd funding campaign in 2015 that helped us get off the ground (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/blue-oak-brewing-company). Unfortunately, we suffered a setback related to our lease, which caused about a ten-month delay. But we had beers on tap through guest taprooms back in November 2016, and were finally able to open our first tasting room in February 2017.”  Flight Time – IIPA, Belgian Dubbel, Stout, and Porter – Something for everybody! Question: Can we assume that Belgian Ale is your favorite beer style? ALEX: “My personal beer ethos is Belgian style beers. That region has a broad offering from classic old world open fermented clean ales to the lambic-gueze barrel primary fermented wild sour beers. My personal favorite is the Belgian golden strong ale (http://www.bjcp.org/style/2015/25/25C/belgian-golden-strong-ale/) for its classic flavor profile and the broad variety of the style depending on the region.” Question: Which of your currently available beers is your favorite? ALEX: “My favorite beer is always our newest on tap. Unfiltered beers have an amazing ability to change their character over time, from IPAs being the best right out of the carbonation tank, to lagers that have had a couple weeks to lager.” Question: What are your goals for the next 12-24 months? ALEX: “Our primary goal for the next 12-24 months is to reach our production capacity. This means more rigorous inventory management, production planning and scheduling, distribution logistics, hiring and training new staff, and achieving a steady state to reach our business goal of becoming self-sustaining.”  Offering everything from a Belgian Quad, to Imperial Stout, IPAs, Sours & German Lager! Original Gravity Tours
We hope this article inspires you to plan your next beer adventure. We also hope you consider joining one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours this summer. For a virtual tour, crack open your favorite German beer and check out our Photos, Videos & Reviews page! We tour the oldest breweries in the world, meet local craft brewers, enjoy the finest beer gardens, follow the Bamberg breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! ATTN: AHA Members! Save now through Feb. 28th on our July 29th – August 2nd tour! Look for our upcoming Member Deal email, or visit the AHA Website and look for our ad, or send us an email and we’ll share details. Until next time, as Beto would say, “Great minds drink alike”! Ciao Beer & Travel Lovers! In our last article - Craft Brewery Crawling in Hawaii - we tasted our way through the craft breweries of Oahu. This month, we travel in the opposite direction to Italy where we spent several enjoyable days discovering what the Italians are up to when it comes to craft brewing. Craft Brewing in Italy When you think of Italy, what comes to mind – food, wine, romance, art, culture, la dolce vita? Now there's another thing to add to that list – beer! As you might expect, most Italian craft breweries have taken that love of style and beauty and applied it to their beer making. And most Italian brewers don’t just copy existing beer styles. Instead, they create their own unique styles resulting in flavors that spring from local ingredients and, in some cases, centuries old winemaking methods. They also brew with food in mind, naturally assuming that like wine, good beer will be consumed with good food. The results are beers that are subtle and well balanced and generally not as intense as some American craft beers. [Image Temporarily Removed] Piedmonte – Famous Italian wine region and home to many Italian craft breweries Consider this description of “an oxidized barley wine” from one of the oldest Italian craft breweries, Birra Baladin, which in my mind epitomizes the Italian craft beer philosophy: “Xyauyù is a living, top-fermented beer which – after being exposed to the air of the Langhe area and resting for a long period of time – becomes a new and unique product. When poured, it has no head and no gas; it has a clear, full amber, brownish color with copper reflections. When initially inhaled it is very intense, with aromas of dried and candied fruit and strong and harmonious notes which bring Madeira wines to mind.” This may come as a surprise, but there are more than 800 craft breweries in Italy to explore including a few of my favorites – Birra Baladin, Birra Montegioco, Birra Karma, and, solely because of their name, LoverBeer! Most craft breweries are located in northern Italy, which also boasts several exceptional wine producing regions such as Piedmonte, Lombardia, and the Veneto. And the larger breweries have their own brewpubs in major Italian cities making it more convenient to check them out (such as Open Baladin Roma). In this article, we’ll introduce one of the oldest craft breweries in Italy, winner of numerous beer awards, and one of our favorites, Birra Baladin.
Baladin Open Garden in Piozzo (brewery, visitor center, beer garden). Images © Selezione Baladin S.r.l Birra Baladin Birra Baladin was founded in 1996 in a small village (population 998 according to Wikipedia) in northwestern Italy named Piozzo by Teo Musso who still serves as brew master and chief innovator/spokesman. Piozzo is located in the heart of the Piedmonte region, not far from the town of Barolo, which you may recognize as one of several famous Piedmontese wine producing areas. Being the son of a winemaker, Teo grew up understanding the link between the earth and wine, and he wanted to extend that to link another product of the earth, beer. Teo’s dream became a reality when opened his brewery, and extended even further with the creation of the “Baladin Cellar” series, which we’ll explore a little further on.  Teo Musso, founder of Birra Baladin. Image © Selezione Baladin S.r.l. A Brief History Teo got started when he opened Le Baladin Pub in Piozzo in 1986. He was especially drawn to Belgian beers and stocked the pub with 200+ beers from Belgium and other exceptional beer producing countries. Ten years later, in 1996, the pub became an actual brewpub when he began brewing and serving his own beer. And in 1997 he released his first bottled beer, an amber ale called Super. Also in 1997, Teo released the first of several spiced beers named after family members starting with Isaac, which is a Belgian inspired wheat beer dedicated to his son. In 2000, Wayan, a Saison dedicated to his newborn daughter was released. Also in 2000, Nora was released. Nora is an “Egyptian ale” that’s dedicated to the mother of Teo’s children.
Isaac; a Belgian-inspired wheat beer (on the left) and Wayan; a Saison. Images © Selezione Baladin S.r.l. In 2004, Xyauyù was first released. Xyauyù is an oxidized barley wine that’s part of the Baladin Cellar – Teo Musso Reserve series. It’s fun to mention that Xyauyù was named after an imaginary friend of Teo’s daughter when she was a small child. It’s also fun to mention that this beer is off-the-charts exceptional!  Xyauyù 2014, Baladin Cellar – Teo Musso Reserve Sort of Interesting Side Note Teo, and Italian sensory analyst and beer expert, Lerenzo Dabove (who goes by the nickname Kuaska) designed a glass specifically for beer. It’s call the Teku 3.0 (first two letters from each of their names) and is manufactured by German glassmaker, Rastal, a high-end glassware manufacturer. As stated on the Rastal website: “The angled bowl captures the aromatics for the nose and palate. The slim lip of the glass feels just right when imbibing and the stem creates an elegant visual presentation while keeping body temperature from warming the beer prematurely.” According to one source, this glass is the official glass used in all Italian beer competitions. Might be the perfect Christmas gift idea for the beer lover in your life?  The Teku 3.0 Glass Tasting at Open Baladin Roma When in Rome, I highly recommend a visit to Open Baladin Roma. Not only do they have 35 taps serving their own creations, they also have a wall of other beers from top Italian producers. Note: You can purchase bottles to go, but if you’re interested in doing so, Italian law requires that you make your purchase before 10:00PM. Open Baladin also has a kitchen serving quality bar food ranging from hamburgers to salads and vegetarian options.  Easy-to-miss, non-descript entrance to Open Baladin Roma  What awaits you inside the Open Baladin Roma taproom When we visited, Gabriele Galiffi and Dario Nigro very graciously talked us through our tasting of several Baladin beers. It was immediately obvious that their beer was flavorful, subtle, complex and delicious, but I believe the friendliness and helpfulness of Gabriele and Dario made our evening especially exceptional. We only scratched the surface, but of the beers we tried, the ones that earned a “Wow!” in my tasting notes were: Nora (Egyptian Ale) “Nora tells of ancient history, nomadic people and pyramids, spices and Kamut®, which means “the soul of the earth” in ancient Egyptian. Its warm, orange-amber color is complemented by a tall head which releases notes of Eastern aromas, ginger and citrus fruit.” ABV 6.8%, IBU 10-12. Nazionale (Italian Ale) “The first 100% Italian beer made with Italian ingredients. An intentionally simple beer: Italian water, barley malt, hops, yeasts and two Italian spices (bergamot and coriander) which combine to create harmony and originality.” ABV 6.5%, IBU 30-32. Note: At 30-32 IBU, this beer is part of Baladin’s “Hoppy Beer” series, which highlights a key difference between Italian and American craft brewing. Open Amber (American Pale Ale) “A beer which combines the features of caramel and amber malts with the aromas of American hops. The result is an explosion of well-balanced taste, where the biscuit flavor coming from cereals and the notes of dried fruit blend perfectly with the bitterness and aromatic scents of hops and of the orange peel from Calabria.” ABV 7.5%, IBU 43. Xyauyù (Baladin Cellar – Teo Musso Reserve, 2014) (barley wine) “Xyauyù is a living, top-fermented beer which – after being exposed to the air of the Langhe area and resting for a long period of time – becomes a new and unique product. When poured, it has no head and no gas; it has a clear, full amber, brownish color with copper reflections. When initially inhaled it is very intense, with aromas of dried and candied fruit and strong and harmonious notes which bring Madeira wines to mind.” ABV 14%, IBU 13.  Look for Gabriele (left) and Dario when you visit Open Baladin Roma Original Gravity Tours
We hope this article inspires you to plan a trip to Italy next summer? We also hope you consider joining us on one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours before or after your time in Italy. We’ll experience das süße leben, German style... plus we’ll tour the oldest breweries in the world, meet local craft brewers, enjoy the finest beer gardens, follow the Bamberg breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! Suggestion: Crack open your favorite German beer and check out our recently updated Photos & Reviews page for a virtual tour! Until next time, Arrivaderci and Prost! Aloha Beer & Travel Lovers! In our last article - An American Woman at Braukraft - we caught up with Kirsten Rhein at the Braukraft Brauerei just outside of Munich. This month we head west about 7,500 miles to the Hawaiian island of Oahu to visit several of the craft breweries on the island. Craft Brewing in Hawaii In general, the craft-beer scene in Hawaii is a few years behind the mainland, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t several breweries worth checking out on each of the major islands. Last month we visited the island of Oahu and had the good fortune to stop in at the following local breweries:
My only regret is that we didn’t make it to Beer Lab Hawaii. As they say on their website, “The brewery was built on the idea of continual change, experimentation and small batch brews to provide beer lovers a unique experience with each visit.” This has my attention and they should be high on anyone’s list to check out. HONOLULU Waikiki Brewing Company Our first stop was at the Kaka’ako location of the Waikiki Brewing Company (their original location is in Waikiki, about 2 miles away). Kaka’ako is an industrial section of Honolulu that seems to be regentrifying, at least when it comes to beer as all three of the craft breweries we visited in Honolulu are located here.  Waikiki Brewing Company Kaka’ako location Waikiki Brewing Co. has a very friendly and down to earth vibe, and it was one of my two favorites out of the five breweries we visited on Oahu. As depicted below, we tried several of their beers, all of which were excellent, but especially notable was the Black Strap Molasses Porter (ABV 6.48%, IBU 37). It’s no surprise because this beer earned a silver medal (out of a total of 7,923 entries) in the Robust Beer category at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival.  Sampler boards at Waikiki Brewing Co. Everyone at Waikiki Brewing Co. seemed to go out of his or her way to make sure we were well taken care of. At one point, Adam Golish, manager of the Kaka’ako location, came by our table and after a friendly conversation offered to give us a tour of the brewery. It was on the ceiling of the brewery that we discovered how divine intervention seems to inspire their brewing activities!  Divine intervention above fermentation tanks at Waikiki Brewing Co. Honolulu Beerworks Our next stop was just around the corner at Honolulu Beerworks, also located in the Kaka’ako district. These guys definitely offer some interesting beers, including two limited releases that were on tap when we visited – Pussy Grabs Back (Extra Pale Ale, ABV 6%, IBU 15) and Terminus Saturn (Barrel Aged Cassini (Stout), ABV 8.5%, IBU 35). The rest of the line-up offered enough variety to satisfy most beer lovers’ interests.  Honolulu Beerworks Taproom That said, the vibe here was only so-so. I think it’s because the taproom was a bit over-commercialized with more merchandise on display than beer, and the people working that day didn’t seem too excited to be there. However, because of their beer quality and selection I’ll definitely give them a second shot if I find myself back in Honolulu... perhaps I just caught them on an off day?  Terminus Saturn and Maggie's Rose Tatoo Irish Red Ale Aloha Beer Company Aloha Beer Company was the smallest of the three breweries we visited in the Kaka’ako area and it offered a cool, urban kind of vibe. Everyone there was friendly and helpful and it definitely had the most unique feel versus any of the breweries we visited.  Taproom at Aloha Beer Company They offer a broad line-up of beer styles that should satisfy most beer lovers’ interests. But the two that stood out for me were the Jefe-Weizen (Bavarian-style Hefeweizen brewed with blue agave syrup and lime, ABV 5.7%, IBU 12) and the Portlock Porter (ABV 6.2%, IBU 28). The other thing that makes Aloha Beer Co. unique is that they also have a full bar. This gave it a different feel from any craft brewery I’ve ever visited.  Brewery at Aloha Beer Company Aloha Beer Company was the favorite stop for several people in our group and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in Honolulu and looking to try some interesting beers. They also offer food that looked pretty tasty from an “in-house” food truck.  The front lanai at Aloha Beer Company EAST SIDE OF THE ISLAND Lanikai Brewing Company On our second day of “crawling”, we headed over to the east side of Oahu and our first stop was in Kailua at the Lanikai Brewing Company. My first impression was that their specialty seems to be brewing sour and fruity beers. Of the 12 taps flowing that day, half of them were pouring sours or fruit-inspired beverages – four sours, one saison, plus one cider. So if you’re a fruit beer fan, you’ll probably really enjoy visiting this taproom.  Lanikai Brewing Company Taproom On the positive side, for non-fruit beer fans like myself, the Lanikai Pillbox Porter (ABV 6.5%, IBU 45) and the Lanikai Momona Imperial Stout (ABV 10.8%, IBU 70) were both well balanced and quite enjoyable. These guys are definitely talented brewers; you just need to appreciate their sour tendencies if you plan to visit.  First round at Lanikai Brewing Co. Inu Island Ales Also located on the east side of the island in Kaneohe, Inu Island Ales was the smallest of all breweries we visited on Oahu and the other of my two favorites. In case you’re wondering, Inu is pronounced ‘Ē-nu’ and is Hawaiian for drink... so translated, their name would be “Drink Island Ales”. Pretty cool, huh?  Open for business at Inu Island Ales Keaka is one of the founders of Inu, and when you visit, you’ll most likely find him behind the counter pouring beer and engaging with customers. In addition to Keaka, there’s a good chance you’ll run into Kyle, their master brewer. Regardless of who’s working that day, you’ll feel like you’re hanging out in a friend’s garage, as both Keaka and Kyle are happy to talk beer with you to your heart’s content! Keaka and Kyle started assembling brewing equipment in late October 2017 and they officially opened the doors in January of this year. It’s hard to tell that the brewery is so new because they’re already producing some exceptional beers. Prior to joining Inu Island Ales, Kyle was brewing at Mraz Brewing Company just outside of Sacramento, California. His time there was obviously well spent because he’s brewing some very interesting beers at Inu.  Taproom at Inu Island Ales - Keaka pouring beer, and Kyle testing the finished product :-) My two favorites were the Inu Island Punch (Island Sour w/peaches and apricots, ABV 4.2%, IBU 0) and the Inu Island Stout (Imperial Stout w/coconut), ABV 13.5%, IBU 51). I typically don’t like fruit/sour beers so it’s saying a lot that the Inu Island Punch was one of my favorites, but the flavors came together nicely and it was quite enjoyable. And the Inu Island Stout, in my humble opinion, is medal worthy should they ever decide to enter it into a beer competition.  "Steal Glass Catch Cracks" If you’re ever on Oahu, I encourage you to take a drive over to Kaneohe to visit Inu Island Ales. But don’t even think about stealing the glasses unless you want to “catch cracks”. Ask Keaka or Kyle what that means and I think you’ll agree!
Original Gravity Tours We hope this article gives you a reason to visit our 50th state? We also hope it makes you consider joining us for one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours. If so, we may not be sipping beers in paradise, but we will tour the world's oldest breweries, experience the finest beer gardens and halls, walk the Bamberg breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! Until next time, Mahalo and Prost! Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! Last spring we published an article titled, An American Woman in Deutschland in which we introduced Kirsten Rhein, an American woman who was doing some impressive things in the German brewing industry. In that article, we wrote “No doubt you can expect to hear a lot more about Kirsten in the years ahead!” As expected, Kirsten continues to charge ahead and a lot has happened in her life in just nine short months. So in this month’s article we’ll catch up with Kirsten again and we’ll introduce Braukraft, a Munich area craft brewery in which she has become a co-owner along with its founder, Mathias Lottes. Catching Back Up When we first met Kirsten, she was in the thick of a brewing credential program, which she hoped to complete last summer. At the same time, she was working full-time at the Tölzer Mühlfeldbräu brewery in Bad Tölz, Germany, helping them brew their impressive line of craft beers as well as helping them sell/distribute those beers. Prior to that, she worked for the Schneider-Weisse brewery doing export sales. Schneider-Weisse is very highly regarded in Germany, as it was the first commercial brewery to be licensed to brew wheat beer back in 1872, and while there, Kirsten made some great connections throughout the industry. The Braukraft Connection Kirsten and Mathias’s relationship goes back 4 years to when they started brewing together in Mathias’s basement. Although Mathias started brewing as a side project (his day job is as a Lufthansa pilot) his long-term goal was to build Braukraft into a successful, independent brewery.  Kirsten (center) and Mathias (right) in Mathias' basement in 2013 In the ensuing years, Braukraft started to gain traction, but since Kirsten was still studying and had a paying job at another brewery, her and Mathias’ brewing activities tapered off. However, they were very close friends and thought there might come a day when their brewing paths would cross again. As the months passed, Mathias occasionally approached Kirsten with the idea of coming to work at Braukraft. But Kirsten was no longer interested in working for someone else; she was looking for an opportunity that offered more potential for personal and professional growth. Then in late 2017, Mathias approached her once again as he had recently acquired space to build his own physical brewing facility and needed help to take the company to the next level. But Kirsten stood firm in her need for an ownership stake and eventually Mathias agreed. As she puts it, “I wanted to invest in my future and to tell you the truth, once I saw the brewery with my own eyes, I fell in love immediately. Owning your own brewery is very difficult and exceptionally rare in Munich, and I knew this opportunity wouldn't likely come again!” So the two of them worked out a deal for Kirsten to invest in Braukraft and they’re back in business again! And they’re pretty confident in this partnership because, as Kirsten puts it, “We know each other very well, and we both recognize the strengths each of us brings to the partnership.”  Kirsten and Mathias in January 2018 Initially, Kirsten will be the only person working full-time at the brewery and will be involved in all aspects of the business including brewing, operations and sales/marketing. It’s going to be busy, as they need to finish building out the brewery, tasting room and beer garden, all of which should be completed in the spring. At the same time, Kirsten will be marketing to create demand at both the brewery as well as thru retail distribution. It’s worth noting that the German brewing industry is male-dominated and it’s not easy for a woman to advance herself. But Kirsten is, if nothing else, strong-willed and has persevered to become one of the very few female brewery owners in Germany and the world. How to Find Braukraft The brewery is located about 30 minutes west of Munich at Münchener Strasse 20, 82205 Gilching, and is easy to reach from the center of Munich using the S-Bahn system. Take the S8 train towards Herrsching (name of the final stop that appears on the signs and train) and get off at the Geisenbrunn station. If you’d like to visit the brewery, reach out to Kirsten at kr@braukraft.de and she’ll find a time to meet you and introduce you to all things Braukraft. FYI, she’s originally from Cincinnati so she definitely speaks your language!  Lautering and boiling tanks in place as the brewery gets built out Braukraft 2.0 Mathias and Kirsten are steadfast in their goal of building Braukraft into a successful and independent brewery; so don’t expect them to be selling out to Heineken or AB InBev anytime soon. They intend to offer an interesting assortment of beers ranging from traditional styles to some that your grandparents definitely never tried. And whereas some favorites may be available year-round, Kirsten has considerable experience creating new and interesting recipes as well as brewing collaboratively with other breweries. So you can always expect to find an interesting assortment of beers on tap at Braukraft. Braukraft P.Oter (left) and Max-Q logos (right) Speaking to the traditional aspect, Kirsten hopes to someday install open-air fermentation equipment that will allow them to ferment the way it’s been done for hundreds of years at award-winning breweries like Schneider Weisse, and Weihenstephan which has been brewing since the year 1040. On the flip side, two of their recent creations are a New England Style IPA (cloudy, hazy, juicy) and an ale called “Strawberry Shortcake Cream Ale with Pink Pepper”. You may wonder how they get around the Reinheitsgebot (German Purity Law of 1516) and produce a beer that includes and/or tastes like strawberries and pink peppers. All I can say is that they came up with a way of doing it, and you’ll have to ask Kirsten when you visit the brewery!  Five (out of 700 and counting) members of “The Beer Tasting Social Club: Life is too Short for Bad Beer” at Braunkunst 2018 Original Gravity Tours
We hope this article whetted your appetite for a trip to Germany? We also hope you’ll join us on one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours. If so, you’ll definitely get to meet Kirsten and the rest of the folks at Braukraft. You’ll also tour the world's oldest breweries, experience the finest beer gardens and halls, walk the Bamberg breweries trail, explore the 1,000 year-old cities of Munich & Bamberg, ferry the Danube River, and more! AHA Members: As a reminder, members of the American Homebrewers Association are entitled to a discount on our 2018 tours. Please look for the Feb. 6th “New AHA Member Deal Near You” email in your inbox for details. And please visit us at Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours for more information about our tours. Until next time, thank you and Prost! Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! Now that the holidays are behind us, do you have those old back-to-work blues? If so, there’s nothing better to lose those blues like planning your next summer vacation. So to help spark your imagination, read on to learn about our exciting Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours summer tours! 2018 Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours What exactly do we do on our tours? Well, our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours include 2 full days in Munich, 1 day in Kelheim, and 2 more days in Bamberg. Along the way we take in 3 brewery tours plus 1 malting plant tour, visit several other breweries, beer halls and beer gardens, small and large, old and craft, and we take a ferry up the Danube River to visit the world’s oldest monastery brewery. If that wets your appetite, keep reading for day-by-day details. MONDAY Weihenstephan Brewery Tour We start the day with a short trip to the oldest brewery in the world – Weihenstephan – where we’ll tour the brewery, learn about its history, taste their award-winning line-up, and have a relaxing lunch in their Bräustüberl (brewery restaurant). Officially known as the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, it is the official brewery of the State of Bavaria. Its origins date back to the year 725, but in the year 1040, the monastery’s abbot obtained a license from the city of Freising to brew beer, and the Weihenstephan Brewery was officially founded. Today, they produce several award-winning beers including my two of my favorites, Vitus and Korbinian.
In the Weihenstephan lagering cellar (left) and in the tasting room (right) Historical Munich Walking Tour Back in Munich in the afternoon, we’ll meet one of our local partner guides for a historical walking tour of central Munich. We’ll learn about the city’s 900-year history and get a great feel for the city center in case you want to go out later and explore on your own. Later we’ll wrap up the day with dinner at one of the many historic brewery restaurants within walking distance of our hotel, including Augustiner, Hackerhaus, Hofbräuhaus Munich, Schneider Bräuhaus, and Wirtshaus Ayingers.
In front of the Höfbräuhaus Munich (left) and the Schneider Bräuhaus beerhall (right)  The Viktualienmarkt biergarten on a typical summer afternoon TUESDAY Lunch at Kloster Andechs Late Tuesday morning we'll head out to visit the Kloster Andechs monastery brewery – founded in 1455 – for lunch and beer on the terrace which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding Alp foothills. In addition, the pilgrimage Church of St. Nicholas and St. Elizabeth, built in the Rococo style in 1427, is definitely worth a peak while at the monastery.
In the Kloster Andechs beer garden Bräukraft Craft Brewery Tour After lunch, we’ll travel back towards Munich and stop in the town of Gilching for a tour and tasting at the Bräukraft craft beer brewery (founded in 2013). This will be an opportunity to get a taste for what the German craft beer industry is brewing while staying within the confines of the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516. Back in Munich late afternoon, you’ll have some time to explore the city center on your own and/or relax back in your hotel room. We’ll then wrap up our stay in Munich with dinner at another one of the historic brewery restaurants. WEDNESDAY After an early checkout, we'll take a 90-minute trip up to the town of Kelheim, our destination for the day’s activities. Schneider Weisse Brewery Tour Our first stop is Bavaria’s oldest wheat beer brewery – Schneider Weisse – founded in 1607. Even if you don’t normally like wheat beer, you’ll be impressed with Schneider Weisse because you’ll see and taste how wheat beer is supposed to be made! Their styles range from a traditional, unfiltered and unpasteurized wheat beer (Schneider Original, 5.4% ABV, 14 IBU), to one of the granddaddies of all double bock beers (Aventinus, 8.2% ABV, 16 IBU). After our tour, we’ll have a hearty lunch in the beer garden or bräustüberl while being led through a tasting of the entire Schneider Weisse beer line-up. The Schneider Weisse bottling line (left) and tasting in the beer garden (right) After our tasting, we’ll take a short stroll to the Kelheim docks to catch one of the ferries that take us up the Danube River to Weltenburger Kloster. This scenic ferry ride takes about 40 minutes and provides plenty of photo ops including when we pass thru the Danube Gorge, which is formed by cliffs that rise up to 400 feet above the river.  Passing through the Danube Gorge approaching Weltenburger Kloster Weltenburger Kloster Brewery Our ferry ride ends at the world’s oldest monastery brewery – Weltenburger Kloster – founded in the year 1050. The monastery itself dates back to the year 617 and is beautifully situated on the banks of the Danube. Our time there is fairly unstructured so we’ll grab a table in the beer garden and tour members are free to explore as they wish, by:
 In the Weltenburger Abby beer garden After a couple hours at Weltenburger, we’ll continue on to Bamberg, arriving early evening. After settling into our hotel, we’ll take a short walk to one of the literally dozens of brewery restaurants available to us in Bamberg, such as Schlenkerla, Spezial Keller, or Mahrs Bräu.
Drinking Mahrs "U" in the beer garden (left) and outside the Schlenkerla tap room (right) THURSDAY Historical Bamberg Walking Tour Mid-morning we meet another one of our partner tour guides for a historical walking tour of Bamberg. We’ll visit several historical sites within the city center such as the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), the Old Royal Residence, Michaelsberg Abbey and more. Then, after working up an appetite, we’ll grab lunch at another one of the brewery restaurants in the city center. The Old Courtyard in Bamberg (left) and the Old Town Hall (right) Weyermann Specialty Malts Tour After lunch, we’ll head over to the Weyermann Specialty Malts processing plant. Malt is one of the four basic ingredients in beer and we'll see how Weyermann, founded in 1879, produces it from raw grain (barley, wheat, etc.). We’ll also learn how they make smoked malt, which is used by Schlenkerla and other breweries to brew their famous Rauchbier (smoked beer). Weyermann also has an experimental brewery and we'll finish our tour by tasting a few beers that highlight their different malt products. In the Weyermann Malts courtyard (left) and grain germination room (right) After some free time in the afternoon, we’ll wrap up the day over dinner at another one of the many brewery restaurants available to us in Bamberg. FRIDAY The Franconia Brewery Path Late morning we set out for a true bucket-list experience – a day-trip through the Upper Franconia countryside, home to more breweries per capita than anywhere in the world!  View from the Brauerei Hönig beer garden in Litzendorg We'll stop in several small villages such as Aufseß (population 1,300, 4 breweries), Waischenfeld (population 3,200), and Buttenheim (population 3,400) to enjoy the locally made, small-batch beer. We’ll have lunch at one of the breweries, and weather permitting, we’ll trek part(s) of the Franconia Brewery Path with short hikes from one town/brewery to the next! We’ll return to our hotel late afternoon and later get together one last time for dinner and to talk about our experiences from the week!  At the Brauerei Grasser in Huppendorf Original Gravity Tours
We hope this article sparked your imagination and helps you lose your back-to-work blues. We also hope you’ll join us on one of our Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours this summer. If so, we’re confident you’ll have a great time, learn a lot about German beer, and come home with a trunk full of memories. But if you’re still on the fence remember, you’ll never be this young again! Please visit us at Munich & Bamberg Brewery Tours for more information about us, and our tours. Until next time, thank you and Prost! Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! In our last blog post we shared a few Oktoberfest Survival Tips. This month we travel in the opposite direction to the island of Maui to catch up with Garrett Marrero, founder and CEO of the Maui Brewing Company, the largest independent craft brewery in Hawaii. Paradise in the Pacific: Maui is one of eight main islands that make up our 50th state. In addition to being home to an active volcano (Haleakalā) and fantastic beaches, Maui is also home to a world-class brewery – Maui Brewing Company. Maui Brewing Company is an innovative, independent, and environmentally conscious brewery that produces a slew of well-crafted beers guaranteed to keep any beer lover happy during his or her time on the island. If that weren’t enough, the brewery is lead by the most accommodating and genuine CEO I’ve ever met. It quickly became apparent that Garrett is a firm believer in treating people and the environment right, and his approach explains at least a bit of how Maui Brewing Company has enjoyed the success it has. If you have the chance to visit the brewery, I’m confident you’ll pick up on this aloha spirit in everyone you meet.  Garrett Marrero, Founder and CEO of Maui Brewing Company Maui Brewing Company: Most people who visit Hawaii fall in love at first site, and Garrett was no exception. Garrett first visited Maui in 2001 on a break from his financial services job in San Francisco and immediately contracted a case of “Maui Fever”. Over the next few years Garrett made it back several times and eventually decided he needed to make Maui his home and to open a brewery on the island.  Just one of the things Garrett fell in love with on Maui Interestingly, brewing wasn’t Garrett’s passion – he’d only brewed twice before starting the brewery – but he liked good beer and he liked the idea of creating a local brewery that operated in harmony with the environment and with other local businesses. So in 2004, at the age of 26, he quit his day-job and moved to Maui to set up shop. Soon after, with the help of their families and a few private loans, Garrett and his then girlfriend Melanie Oxley took over a small brewpub in Kahana (just north of Lahaina Town) which had a full line of brewing equipment along with a brew master who was ready to join them. And on Friday, January 28, 2005 Maui Brewing Company officially opened its doors!  Garrett working the canning line in the early days In that first year, Maui Brewing Company produced around 300 barrels and Garrett and Melanie were both actively involved in all aspects of the company. For perspective, 300 barrels is equivalent to about 74,000 U.S. pints. Fast-forward to 2017 and you’ll find them in Kihei on the southern part of the island in a gleaming 42,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. With 12 fermentation tanks working around the clock (and 6 more on order) they expect to produce more than 50,000 barrels this year, so it appears that Garrett’s vision has manifested itself in a spectacular way!  Maui Brewing Company's state-of-the-art operations in Kihei Maui Brewing Company’s best selling beer is Bikini Blonde (ABV 5.2%, IBU 18) followed by Big Swell IPA (ABV 6.8%, IBU 82), both of which you’ll find in stores and bars on the island as well as in their taprooms in Kahana and Kihei. And if you visit the brewery, you’ll find as many as 24 beers on tap with names such as:
 The brewery's year-round line-up Garrett clearly enjoys his life at the helm of Maui Brewing Company and, unlike some other craft breweries, he has no intention of selling his company to one of the global mega-brewery companies like AB InBev or Heineken. He likened the concept to selling your soul to the devil and stated, “When you trade your independence for a check, and your ownership for a job, things are going to change. That’s OK but it’s just not a choice for us.” Favorite Beer?: I asked Garrett about his favorite beers by framing the discussion around being stranded in different locations for a few days and having to pick one beer to bring with him. On a South Pacific Island - Garrett would choose Bikini Blonde (5.1% ABV, 18 IBU) or Pau Hana Pilsner (5.5% ABV, 25 IBU) because they’re both relatively light and would provide much needed hydration in the heat. In Siberia - He would choose one of two limited releases – Imperial Coconut Porter brewed with toasted coconut chips (9.4% ABV, 30 IBU) or Black Pearl Imperial Coconut Porter which is also brewed with toasted coconut chips but then aged in local rum barrels (12% ABV, 30 IBU). Either one would make a great “liquor jacket” in any cold climate.  Maui Brewing Company Imperial Coconut Porter For more information on Maui Brewing Company limited releases and specialty beers, please visit: http://mauibrewingco.com/limited-release-sales-sheets/ What’s Brewing Today?: Garrett indicated they’re having fun with their limited release program and toward that end they’re building a 2,000 square foot barrel aging room. If that weren’t enough, they’re also:
 The brewhouse The Hawaii Craft Beer Scene: So you might ask... are there any other Hawaiian craft breweries worth checking out when you’re over there? The answer is yes! Although Maui Brewing Company is by far the largest independent brewery in Hawaii, you can find other great breweries on each of the major islands, such as: Maui: Kohola Brewery. Located in Lahaina, Kohola welcomes you in an industrial style taproom with 10 taps pouring their year-round and limited release beers. Kohola is conveniently located for anyone staying on the northwest part of the island near Lahaina. Oahu: 1. Lanikai Brewing Company in Kailua 2. Honolulu BeerWorks in (you guessed it) Honolulu 3. Stewbum & Stonewall Brewing Co. in Kaneohe 4. Waikiki Brewing Company in Honolulu Kauai: 1. Kauai Island Brewing in Port Allen 2. Kauai Beer Company in Lihue Hawaii (the big island): 1. Hawai’i Nui Brewing in Hilo 2. Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea  The Maui Brewing Company tap room in Kihei Garrett – Up Close & Personal: To finish up our time together, I asked Garrett a few personal questions to help our readers get a feel for him as a person versus the businessman. Q: What’s your favorite thing about living on Maui? A: “Maui is a great place... your soul can rest here. As soon as I land after being away and I step outside and see the palm trees, it’s like “ahhh, OK I’m home again. I felt that way on my first trip here, this is where I need to be, my soul wants to be here.” “I live right up the hill here, it has such a beautiful view and it’s quiet in the country. I got to spend time in the water this weekend with some friends and it’s great to just sit on the beach with a six-pack of beer, or go paddle boarding, or whatever.” Q: Where were you born/raised? A: “I was born and raised in San Diego, went to UC Davis and graduated with a degree in finance. I got my first job in San Francisco in investment consulting and was the youngest licensed consultant in the firm. But being fresh out college it was hard to sit across from someone older than me and tell that person how to manage their money, so I mostly sold the expertise of the firm and did very little investing.” Q: What do most people not know about you? A: “Most people don’t know that I love to cook. I don’t do it as much as I used to but it was definitely an influence on building the restaurant here (in Kihei). Food is such a part of my life. One of the reasons I started the brewery was to identify and learn about a culture thru food and beverage. I’m a big fan of Anthony Bourdain (popular chef, author and TV personality) and I agree with his philosophy that when you travel to other places, the best way to learn about a culture is to experience what they eat and drink. I think that’s absolutely true. I also love adrenaline but that’s probably not a secret.” Side Note: Until their restaurant opens, Maui Brewing Company relies on food trucks to meet the demand for food. When I visited them, I tried the Liliko’i pizza which I ate in the tap room. It was delicious and true to Garrett’s philosophy on food and culture, it had Hawaiian style pork and passion fruit toppings, both local staples. Q: What’s your favorite thing in life besides your family and MBC? A: “Travel, definitely. I have lists upon lists of where to eat and where to drink in different cities. It’s like Chicago, it’s not just go see the bean in the park, it’s where to eat and where to drink. So my wife does all the planning on where we’re going to go, and I say OK we’re going to hit this winery, this brewery, and this restaurant. I think that’s my favorite part, just seeing how the rest of the world does it. You come back with recharged batteries and hopefully some new ideas. You get reminded that you’re part of something much bigger than just the small world you live in.” Side Note: Two days after this interview, Garrett and his wife left for a month in Africa. Q: Hobbies or passions outside of beer and MBC? A: “I enjoy scuba diving, paddle boarding, or anything related to the water. I also shoot. I love to shoot targets, but I don’t hunt. Although I have thought about learning to hunt deer and pigs because there are so many of them here and they’re causing problems for local agriculture. So they’re hurting farmers, and we're big supporters of local agriculture. Plus the meat is fantastic.” Q: What are you most proud of in your life? A: “Outside of personal accomplishments, it’s the team we’ve built here at Maui Brewing Company. Ten years ago my wife and I were doing everything. Today there are 400 people that make Maui Brewing Company work. Many of them have adopted the same passion that me and my wife have, and many are proud to work here.” Q: Do you believe in Mana and if so, how have you been impacted by it since being on Maui? A: "I do believe in Mana which basically means courage, spirituality, soulfulness, etc. If we didn’t have the Mana, Maui Brewing Company wouldn’t be what it is today. The reason we started the brewery was to give Hawaii, specifically Maui, a beer of its own and to celebrate the idea of Hawaiian craft beer instead of just profiteering from the name Hawaii." "How do we give back and pay respects to the county of Maui and to the people by doing them proud, and making beers of the highest quality, and winning awards all over the world and remaining true to our principals of local production and supporting the environment. So Mana has to be in everything we do. Our original motto was “handcrafted ales and lagers brewed with Aloha”. The Aloha Spirit is alive in everything we do. I’ve never been very religious, but I’ve always been very spiritual, more so in the last 10 or 15 years... as I’ve gotten older maybe?”  Livin' the life on Maui! Original Gravity Tours
If you’re able to join one of our Munich & Bamberg Tours next summer, you may not be sipping beer and watching beautiful sunsets on the shores of Maui... but you will be able to 1) tour the oldest brewery in the world, 2) visit an award-winning Bavarian craft brewery, 3) sample beers from a 1,000 year old monastery brewery on the banks of the Danube, and much more! We just added our 2018 tour dates on our site so please visit our Munich & Bamberg Tour page for details. We hope you enjoyed this newsletter and if so, please consider sharing it with your beer-lover friends. Until next time, and as always, thank you and Aloha! Greetings Beer & Travel Lovers! Last month we introduced An American Woman in Deutschland. This month we look ahead to the granddaddy of all Oktoberfests and offer a few tips for surviving a night in the tents. Oktoberfest Munich 2017 It’s only June, so why are we talking about Oktoberfest already? Because if you’re going, it’s time to start thinking about your trip as you’ll be visiting Munich at the same time 6 – 7 million other people make their way to the Theresienwiese to celebrate Oktoberfest! History: Oktoberfest dates back to October 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen at the site of today’s event. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the old city gates, and were entertained with horse racing, food, beer, and wine. The celebration was so successful that Ludwig decided to make it into an annual event. Today, Oktoberfest traditionally starts on the third Saturday of September and ends on or shortly after the first Sunday of October. The Oktoberfest grounds, called Theresienwiese, or "Theresa's Meadow" gets its name from the Princess, but today most locals simply refer to it as the Wiesn (“vee-zin”). [Images Temporarily Removed] Assorted Facts:
[Image Temporarily Removed] Imagine being in a tent with thousands of other people, each feeling absolutely no pain, who are standing on their benches with their Maß in the air singing “Take Me Home Country Road” along with the “oompah” band. It’s impossible to not have a crazy fun time... it’s also pretty easy to have too good of a time! [Image Temporarily Removed] For those of you who may be interested, Oktoberfest attracts its fair share of celebrities. Past years’ attendees include Katy Perry, Richard Branson, Usain Bolt, Samuel L. Jackson, Paris Hilton, assorted Kardashians, and a regular favorite, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In case you’re hoping to catch a glimpse, they tend to hang out in the Hippodrome and Winzerer Fähndl tents. Speaking of California’s former “Governator”, Arnie knows how to have a good time. Last year, the police stopped him for “weaving” his bike thru the Munich train station. According to the police, Schwarzenegger accepted the warning but explained, "that he couldn't walk well"! [Images Temporarily Removed] Oktoberfest Basics It’s worth repeating that if you’re going to Oktoberfest this year, it’s important to get your plans sorted out soon, particularly if you have large group of people. Other than that, here are some tips for enjoying and surviving a day/evening at Oktoberfest. Getting into the Tents:
[Images Temporarily Removed] Other Suggestions & Survival Tips:
[Images Temporarily Removed] Broaden Your Oktoberfest Experience Tent Owners and Breweries Parade: Starting at 10:45am on the first day of Oktoberfest, the tent owners and breweries conduct a parade that winds its way through Munich and into the Theresienwiese to officially kick-off the celebration. It’s free and I highly recommend it. Just find a spot along the parade route and enjoy the spectacle. [Images Temporarily Removed] The Traditional Costume Parade: The traditional costume parade happens on the second day, starting at 10:00am. To me this isn’t as fun as the tent owners and breweries parade, but it’s certainly worth checking out if this type of thing interests or if you’re staying near the parade route. [Images Temporarily Removed] Original Gravity Tours
If you’re able to join one of our Munich & Bamberg Tours this summer, you may not attend Oktoberfest, but we should be able to get a taste of it at one of the many Munich beer halls and gardens. We’ll also introduce you to the the Munich “Big 6” breweries along with a few up-and-coming craft breweries. We hope you enjoyed this blog post and as always, thank you and Prost! |
Gene LopezGreetings! I'm a passionate beer and international travel lover. Other than craft beer, I mostly go for German & Belgian beers and if you share the same interests, you may enjoy my blog. Prost! Archives
December 2020
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