BEERS

[hermitical]

I need a notebook....

[phes]

nice that Left Handed Giant appear to have made a beer in memory of Serge

[pancreas]

This is my favourite brewery right now



Unfiltered. Solid flavour. Not over-hopped. Tend towards the session ales and stronger black things so it would be nice to see some more malty offerings from them. But I'll always order it if I can find it. We're doing very well for breweries up this way.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

On Naylor's Velvet, a dark mild. Can only imagine how badly beers like this are getting squeezed for pump space.

They haven't even changed the branding to a moody watercolor or anything. DEAD SOON

Still, I'll take it over those dank, sick-coloured "juicy" beers or the umpteenth peanut butter stout anyday.

[pancreas]

Wot is best Croat laqer, pls? Asking for a family member.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Easy answer: Staropramen

The standard Croatian lagers are pretty gross. Whether you go for Pan, Ozujusko, Karlovacko, Velebitsko, it isn't good news.

If they are in Zagreb they will find Pivnica Medvedgrad beers which are a notch better. Zmajska Pivovara and Nova Runda are good craft brands to look out for, but their beers are just US copies, there's not much effort to make traditional Eastern European styles.

The best widely available beer is Tomislav, a 7.7% dark lager.

Split is the best city for beer, there's two breweries nearby, craft venues, better pubs and some with nice Europe wide selections.

Mostly though, the bar scene and beer scene remains shite.

[pancreas]

Thanks. We are just about to head into Split. Your website is telling us we should go to Leopold's. Does this remain real news?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Thanks. We are just about to head into Split. Your website is telling us we should go to Leopold's. Does this remain real news?

Yeah Kobaje, Leopolds, To Je To (if that's reopened) are all good. Ask Leo about some prsut and syr to go with your beer and have a try on the swing if that's still there.

Sanctuary in the centre is bland but friendly and sells very good beer.

There's a bar near Solin (on the guide) which looks great and could be combined with an afternoon trip to the expansive roman ruins.

[Emma Raducanu]

Just had one of these. Best I can describe it as Germany's answer to Fosters.

Also had



Aside from the image url being the longest in history, after initial suspion, I got on rather well with this. Like a blonde lady. Not my usual type but she did the job.

[bgmnts]

Currently drinking 4 pound Echo Falls, diluted with water.

Hard. Core.

[pancreas]

Currently drinking 4 pound Echo Falls, diluted with water.

Hard. Core.

Christ. There is more honour in Baileys.

[bgmnts]

Christ. There is more honour in Baileys.

I am well aware, I have made this glass last over an hour.

In my defence, I bought it for a hookup that cancelled so just want to get rid of it because the sight of it in my fridge depressed me.

[Hecate]

Who was it, Jilly Goulding?

I like to get a bottle of red wine, drink half, and then top it up with water, that seems to help a bit, takes you longer to get to the second bottle anyway.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Get. Out

[Hecate]

Your breath smells of farts, I was leaving anyway.

[Cuntbeaks]

After singing the praises of Beerwulf i have now completely dropped using them in favour of Belgium In A Box.

Delivery is based on weight and their first tier is 11.50 euro for up to 30kgs which equated to about 45 bottles.

Much, much better selection and crucially,  much better prices. I reviewed an order i made in June with Beerwulf and if I had reordered the same beers it would have cost me 40% more.

They also had the difficult to obtain Westvleteren, a beer I've  never actually tried,  and in fact i got a six bottle gift box with two glasses. They also have cheeses, chocolate etc.

Delivery was quick and very well packaged, much better than Beerwulf, all in all A++, would order agin.

[Hecate]

Please tell me it all just goes in a trough, I can't bear the thought of you sipping an individual bottle of some obscure, elitist ale, marking the subtle difference in flavour down in your journal and calling it a night.

"Tasted like a fizzy fart"
"Tasted like a flat fart"
"Quite sweet, tasted like a brussels sprout, or how I'd imagine one of Kylie Minogue's farts to taste"
"Nice, quite farty"
"Dog farts with refreshing pissy high notes"

[Cuntbeaks]

It's beer mate, lots of variation. Like food or music, but it gets you pissed.

[Hecate]

Fair enough, your breath does smell of farts though.

I had some beer last night, actually, it has a sort of narcotic effect on me, makes me tired, is it the slow and steady low alcohol dose slowly building up over time or is there stuff in beer that can make you feel sluggish? Maybe my body doesn't like the hops or something.

Like whiskey gets me adrenalin drunk and wine is a nice mix between the two. Beer just makes me feel bloated and fat and tired.

[alan nagsworth]

Was on the Lech last night, boys and girls. They've changed their can design, it's got a nice matte texture now. I care more about that than the contents to be honest.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

After singing the praises of Beerwulf i have now completely dropped using them in favour of Belgium In A Box.

Delivery is based on weight and their first tier is 11.50 euro for up to 30kgs which equated to about 45 bottles.

Much, much better selection and crucially,  much better prices. I reviewed an order i made in June with Beerwulf and if I had reordered the same beers it would have cost me 40% more.

They also had the difficult to obtain Westvleteren, a beer I've  never actually tried,  and in fact i got a six bottle gift box with two glasses. They also have cheeses, chocolate etc.

Delivery was quick and very well packaged, much better than Beerwulf, all in all A++, would order agin.

Convincing recommendation. I will check them out.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I did a dummy run and loaded about 60 euros worth up. Worked out after postage at about £3.40 a bottle, which is no better than Beers of Europe who are UK based and give you free delivery after £60.00. I wasn't choosing the most expensive stuff either.

I think BeerWulf still works out cheaper, the range is nowhere near as good but some of the individual bottles are too good value to worry about that.

[Cuntbeaks]

Yeah, i went the whole hog and loaded right up to the first tier limit, which made it a bit better value. All the beers i bought were cheaper than on Beerwulf, some significantly,  and then there were various ones that Beerwulf didn't carry, such as Liefmans Cuvee Brut. It was great having the increased selection, including various Ltd Ed versions. Being a Belgian site it didn't carry Aventinus unfortunately, apparently Beerwulf will get this back in stock sometime in September.

Getting 45 beers in one go will certainly sate my thirst for a while as I tend not to hammer the good ones and normally have some normal beers for sessioning.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Tbh the main problem I have lately is not being in during the day to sign for packages - BeerWulf used Yodel so they wouldn't leave my box with a neighbour or anything - eventually had to buy a bus ticket to the outskirts of the city and haul it from an industrial estate depot back to the bus station. A good hour and a half that took.

It was all good when I lived with someone who was indoors most of the day but eh... feels like I'm chaining myself to an unpredictable outcome.

But yeah, nice selection, it makes up for Saveur Biere not delivering to the UK anymore.

I trust you know about Belgibeer which does 'brewery showcase' packages?

You get 8 - 2 of  each usually - of a small Belgian brewer's wares, along with an glossy pamphlet about each one, and often some goodies thrown in - bottle openers, miscellaneous merch, chocolates and cheese sometimes. I did a 3 month run and that was fucking enjoyable.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://www.bieresgourmet.be/en/

Just about to give these guys a look

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Fuck that shit, a small number of zeitgeisty and frankly overrated Belgium craft brands. 2 bottles in the Dubbel section!!

[pancreas]

Can't you get it delivered to work? Always good for a laugh when the secretary asks you what's in it.

[Cuntbeaks]

Belgium in a box use DPD, who normally drop off at a Sainsburys, but I think my package was too heavy, so it wasn't an option. Leaving in a safe place or with an neighbour IS an option though.

Yeah, although Yodel were a bit shit, their Saturday delivery was a boon.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Fruh Kolsch

La Trappe

Kolsch is one of those styles that bottles really, really badly. I'm not a fan of Fruh Kolsch in bottles, and to be honest it's far from the best make of Kolsch anyway - for all I can work out they just have the best brand and the brauhaus is about nearest the cathedral, but the same bready, easy to nail character just isn't there.

Pro-talk:
Lots of people went on about Paffgen but I didn't really get that one either. Thin, reedy pale/blonde ale. Different from Sion/Gaffel/Fruh definitely but not in a great way. Malzmuhle, Schreckenskammer and Gaffel are probably my faves - good luck finding them, mind.

La Trappe blonde, a pretty decent Belgian blonde, nowt more to add - I'd always be happy being served one.

[Cuellar]

This is timely, I'm off to Antwerp on Thursday.

Do you have any tips for bars/beers?