Six Country Tour

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale

A tale of an epic trip

That started from this Schwabian port

At the Alps tiny tip

 The mate was a mighty drinking man

The driver brave and sure

Two people set off that day

For a six-country tour….a six country tour

Every now and then friends propose something so radical you can’t help but jump on the beer wagon. Such was the case when my friend Peter proposed a one-day car trip visiting six countries. Because I eat sleep and breathe beer I thought “Hey, what if we visited or purchased beer from each of those countries?”  Peters rationale was sound, “How many people can say they visited six countries in one day?”  You had me at hello. Trip planning began in mid-April with Peter doing all the heavy lifting, identifying routes and brewery stops along the planned route. In Peters expert opinion the trip could be completed in 10 hours with no stops. We estimated 12 hours with our “Quick” brewery stops.  As the launch date drew closer it became clear that many European breweries are inexplicably closed on weekends, forcing us to seek an alternative. Where breweries were closed we would purchase locally produced beer at stores near the brewery.

The Route

The route would have us driving from Germany through Austria into Northern Italy. From Italy we would backtrack into Austria crossing into Switzerland and on to Lichtenstein. From Lichtenstein back into Switzerland then into the Alsace region of France before finally returning to Germany. For those keeping track that’s six countries including Germany.

It’s a cold rainy morning when the navigator drops me off in front of Peters house. A little after 6:00 am on Saturday morning we strike off in eager anticipation of the adventure ahead of us. Travelling south through the Schwabian Alps the rain tapers off. Approaching the Austrian border the sun breaks through the clouds revealing the amazing snow-covered peaks of the Alps.

Approaching Austria

Austrian Alps

 At 9:00 am we make our first stop of the day, purchasing a vignette (Road Tax) at a gas station just across the Austrian border. Travelling through the Austrian Alps the sites are awe inspiring. At every hairpin turn snow-covered mountains kiss the sky as beautiful ponds fill the valleys. I nearly forget about our beer mission. 

Entering Italy we opt for an unscheduled stop at Reschensee, the largest lake above 1000 m elevation in the Alps. Reshcensee is also manmade. Completed in 1950 a total of 163 homes were submerged during its creation. Only the steeple of a 14^th century remains.  A stark reminder of the houses that were destroyed.

Reschensee Steeple

Leaving Reschensee it takes only a few minutes to reach Malles Venosta, home of Forsterbrau -Forst and our first beer stop of the day. Forsterbrau is the largest brewery in South Tyrol. They are also closed on Saturdays. Forsterbrau-Forst is a restaurant serving, you guessed it, Forsterbrau. Entering the smallish restaurant we ask the hostess if she speaks English, she does not. We also strike out with French and German. Fortunately a local diner offers translation services, explaining we can’t purchase bottled beer there, but we can find some at the grocery store down the street. Twenty minutes and 14 bottles of beer later we strike off back the way we came, next stop, Lichtenstein.

Leg Two

The rain returns as Italian sprinklers shoot across fields of dandelions; we don’t know why. The second leg of our journey has us briefly back-tracking north to Austria, then west into Switzerland, with a scheduled beer stop in Lichtenstein. Much like the first leg the second leg takes us through amazing scenery, not the least of which is the Arlberg tunnel. The Arlberg Road Tunnel is Austria’s longest at 13.9 kilometers long. At the time of its opening in 1978 it was the longest tunnel in the world.

Arlberg Tunnel

 Since our return route took us through Austria and Switzerland we decide to make our beer purchases on our return. Both Austrian and Swiss beer are heavily influenced by Germany, sharing many of the same styles. The same can be said of at least one brewery in Lichtenstein. The Lichtenstein town of Balzers is home to Prinzenbrau. Founded in 2010 Prinzenbrau adheres to the German Purity Law of 1516. They are also closed on weekends, which is why we found ourselves in a small locally owned liquor store. While the store contained all sorts of liquor there were only a few bottles of Swiss beer on the shelf. Inquiring about beer we are once again directed to a grocery store around the corner. Here not only did we find various styles of Prinzenbrau but also a wide variety of craft beer brewed by Lichtensteiner Brauhaus. Exiting the store with two large bags of beer we hit the road again. Next stop France.

The Third Leg

Leaving Lichtenstein we struck off northwest for France. The Alsace region of France is well known for its vineyards and wine. What most people don’t know is that the Alsace region is also home to many French Craft Breweries. In the Colmar region alone there are more than six breweries. Just northwest of Colmar is Brasserie du Vignoble, a nano brewery with a quaint tasting room. Unlike the rest of Europe French breweries are open on the weekend. Entering the tasting room I immediately order their BDA (Belgian Dark Ale). Unlike traditional Belgian beers BDA is stout-like with hints of coffee. Color me impressed. We leave Brasserie du Vignoble with a variety of bottles, tossing them in with the dozens of other beers we have purchased throughout the day.

Brasserie du Vignoble

 

Homeward Bound

As we drive from France back to Stuttgart we reflect on the days adventures. Mountains, tunnels, vineyards, and yes, let’s not forget the beer. SO much beer. So much so that it takes Peter and I a full 20 minutes to sort out. “One for you, one for me. Two for you, one for me”.  While most people don’t understand the intrigue and impetus for this trip I can some it up in one word, memorable. Not many people can say they travelled 15 hours, 650 miles, visiting six countries while buying beer along the way. Good friends+good beer=great memories.  Next year, seven countries!

Until next time,

Prost!

 

Dutch Treat

Keukenhof Gardens

As the Navigator and I prepare for what will likely be our last summer in Europe we are frantically compiling a list of places we have yet to visit. Therefore on Easter Monday we found ourselves hurtling down the autobahn toward Amsterdam. The impetus for the trip was not beer, but tulips?  Yes, you read it correctly, tulips. No this isn’t some new millennial slang term for a sour beer but rather one of the Navigators bucket list items. Like any good beer obsessed spouse, I did a little research before embarking the tulip express, identifying an actual brick and mortar homebrew shop along with a couple of breweries. All’s fair in love and beer.

 My tens of followers may not be aware, but Easter Monday is a holiday across many parts of Europe. As we hurtled through parts of Belgium into the Netherlands, we encountered not less than 15000 motorhomes and tag-along camper trailers on the highway. (I may be exaggerating). Approaching the southern suburbs of Amsterdam, the temperature continued to rise, approaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit by late afternoon. I selected accommodations strategically located in the North Sea waterfront area of Zandvoort, driving distance to both the world famous Keukenhof Gardens and a couple of breweries. Approaching Zandvoort it became painfully obvious that the warm weather combined with the holiday sent the entire Dutch population to the beach. One hour and 5 kilometers later we arrived at our hotel

After schlepping our luggage to our room and spending 30 minutes trying to lock our hotel room door the Navigator and I were in dire need of sustenance.  Wanting the full Dutch culinary experience, we opted for the first restaurant we encountered, an Italian café. Not surprisingly the café offered two beers on tap, Heineken and Heineken. With sparks flying from our cutlery we wolfed down our meal before taking a short five-mile stroll along the beach.  Admiring the sunset on the North Sea I dreamed of homebrew shops and breweries.

Zandvoort

The following morning we are awakened by the melodic shrieks of seagulls before we struck off for the day’s adventures, Keukenhof Gardens, a wool shop in downtown Amsterdam, followed by dinner at Jopen Brewery.  Unfortunately only two of these things would happen. As soon as we arrived at Keukenhof I had an epiphany. At least 13182 of some 15000 campers we encountered during our previous day’s drive were parked in the parking area. Camper mystery solved. Despite the plethora of campers the first 90 minutes of our visit were quite pleasant as we strolled comfortably around the world’s largest flower garden.  Suddenly, swarms of camper driving tourists surrounded us as they jockeyed for the perfect selfie. By noon we had our fill of both tulips and tourists, striking off for the wool shop in downtown Amsterdam. One down, two to go.

Entering the heart of Amsterdam, I’m amazed by the size of the streets. While narrow streets are perfect for the thousands of bicycles, not so much for a big American SUV. The city is busy with bicycles, mopeds and tourists scurrying back and forth. The smell of marijuana hangs in the air. I would smoke marijuana too if I had to live in this madness. Color me unimpressed. A mere 90 minutes later the navigator exits the wool shop with not less than 10 lbs. of yarn and assorted yarning books.  Next stop brewery!

Jopenkerk (Jopen Church) opened in 2010. Jopen is some of the best Dutch craft beer I have had. I quickly put their address in Garmin bitch. My heart races as I rapidly push the accelerator of my big American SUV. Thirty minutes later I find myself in a suburb in the middle of a construction detour. 20 minutes later I utter a few expletives, deciding to cut my losses on the narrow streets.  The brewery would wait for another time. I punch in the address for our hotel. Or so I thought. Thirty minutes later I found myself back where we started, in downtown Amsterdam. This has turned into a trip from hell. Two and half hours after leaving Amsterdam the first time we arrive at our hotel. Still no beer.

Our final morning in the Netherlands a sense of urgency falls over me. Today I’m finding beer. Brouwmaatje is a Dutch homebrew shop a stone’s throw from Schiphol Airport. We enter the shop shortly after their 0900 opening time and are immediately greeted by Whiskey and Guinness, the shop owners two cats. Despite the shops modest size, it contains everything a homebrewer could need and probably a few things they don’t. As John the owner boxed up my rather large homebrew supply purchase, he mentioned a new brewery some 4 kilometers away. John hurriedly walks back to his office returning with the brewery’s address and a bottle of homebrew from his homebrew club.  John is good people.

Brourij De 7 Deugden

Six minutes and 4 kilometers later we arrive at Brourij De 7 Deugden.  Brourij De 7 Deugden was created in 2010 and has occupied its current space for just over a year. Entering the brewery, we are greeted by one of the owners, Mrs. Haakma.  She eagerly shows around the facility explaining the new Czech produced brewing system occupying their new brewhouse. In their smallish tasting room lined with shelves of Brourij De 7 Deugden bottles Mrs. Haakma suggests I sample their spring seasonal dubbed Spring Tijm. A Pale Ale with just a hint of thyme its surprisingly good.

Spring Tijm

As I sipped my beer Mr. Haakma walked in, offering additional background on his brewery and his choice of beer styles. “Why would I brew an IPA? How would I make my IPA standout from the hundreds of others?” He makes a valid point which is driven home by his beer which include ingredients like thyme, cloves and others. In addition to their beer styles their employees make Brourij De 7 Deugden truly special.   As stated on the brewery’s website “We employ for whom a normal job is not self-evident”. Brourij De 7 Deugdens brew-master is deaf. The gentleman operating the bottling line has cerebral palsy. Mr. Haakma explained to us “We work until our employees need to go home, whether its 2 hours or 6 hours we stop bottling and begin anew the next morning.”  What a rarity in the age of the almighty dollar/euro. A business where the employees truly come first.

Despite the somewhat bumpy start to my Amsterdam visit my time at both the homebrew shop and brewery reinforced the common belief that beer brings people together.  A genuine “Dutch Treat”.

Until next time,

Prost!

A Visit to the Hoptometrist

I am unapologetically a Hop Head. I can’t get enough IPA. I brew IPA’s, I drink IPA’s, I dream about IPA’s. India Pale Ales are the number one selling craft beer style in the United States. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts there are in increasing number of craft breweries in Germany, but their IPA’s generally fall short of an American IPA. Entering my third year in Germany I can safely say German craft brewers are making significant progress and closing the gap with American breweries. I have had the pleasure of experiencing the German hop revolution first hand.

This weekend the navigator and I joined four of closest friends at the 4the annual Stuttgarter Craft Beer Festival.  Sponsored by the owner of Kraftapaule beer bar (A close friend) the Craft Beer Festival is a must visit for all craft beer aficionados in the Stuttgart area. We arrived at the crack of 12 noon to find at least 200 people had beat us to the punch. Not surprisingly my first beer was a farmhouse ale by Kesselbrauer. A quaffable saison type beer. Best to ease into things. Naturally my second beer was an IPA. Not just any IPA but a spruce tip IPA by Lost River Brewing. The only thing I love more than IPA is a SPRUCE IPA and this beer hit the mark!  At first sniff subtle hints of spruce and hops tickle your nostrils.  A quick taste tells me all I need to know, a well-balanced spruce beer rivaling many of the U.S produced spruce beers. Four hours and 12 beers later I returned to Lost River Brewing for a farewell glass of spruce tip IPA and perhaps a case of bottles to go. Unfortunately, Lost River doesn’t bottle their spruce tip beer. Not only that they had kicked their keg, NO SPRUCE TIP BERR FOR YOU! I cried as the brewmaster tried to console me. The brewmaster reassured me that they would brew another batch which should be ready in 6-8 WEEKS! Oh, the humanity

In contrast to American craft beer festivals German craft beer festivals allow you to choose the size of your tasting with sizes ranging from 100 ml to a full 500 ml pour. No tokens, cash only based on your sample size. Suffice to say my “Samples” were all “Adult-sized”. Another unique part of the Stuttgarter Craft Beer Fest was the introduction of every attending  brewmaster.

Here are my top five IPA’s :

1.       Lost River Spruce Tip IPA (See above)

2.       Hey Joe Double Trouble IPA- Amazing IPA only available on tap. A hopper stronger version of their Mad Dog IPA

3.       CAST Double IPA- A local Stuttgart craft brewery who seem to have it figured out. Their IPA’s have improved significantly since I first tried them 2.5 years ago/

4.       Hey Joe, Mad Dog IPA- A solid IPA and my annual “Go-To” and the craft beer fest.

5.       Brassiere Boum’R Imperial IPA- This brewery had five beers on tap, all IPA’s. I have had many sucky French craft beers. These guys stand above every French beer I have ever tried. Viva la IPA!

Nearly three years into German tour one thing is evident, Germans are rapidly figuring out the secret to IPAs and I for one am ecstatic!  As we enter the height of the European craft beer season I leave you with a hint of my next trip:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cheech+and+chong+amsterdam+song&view=detail&mid=F1EA9E14F4D97BB27778F1EA9E14F4D97BB27778&FORM=VIRE

 Until next time,

Stay Crafty my friends.

Craft Beer Circus

Since my arrival in Deutschland I have opted to spend the winters drinking my homebrewed beer and counting the days since I last saw the sun. If I restricted my beer drinking to sunny winter days, I would undoubtedly reduce the size of my bulbous midriff by 100 centimeters, like 2 inches in standard measuring terms. But hey, what fun is that? As all the cool kids like to say YOLO. A rare mid-January beer fest is just what the doctor ordered. Well, not my doctor, but I digress. When a few friends suggested we attend the Karlsruher Craft Beer Festival I jumped at the chance to imbibe on my version of liquid sunshine.

Karlsruhe is a lovely city. The second largest city in the state of Baden-Wurtemberg (Stuttgart is the largest) it is the seat of the Federal Constitution Court. Located a mere 80 Km’s (12 miles or so non-metric measurement) north of Stuttgart its an easy drive, which is why we opted for the train. We are nothing if not responsible. Arriving at the fest location we discover the beer tent is in fact a circus tent. As we all know its best to leave circus tents erected year around in case a circus without a tent wanders through town.

Entering the tent, I’m pleasantly surprised by both the temperature and the lack of elephant dung.  Several beer fest tables stood at center ring with nary a clown in sight. We quickly secured a table and struck off to experience craft beer under the big top. Most participating breweries were German, many of which I had sampled before. One German craft beer stood out amongst the others. Chilliero a chili pepper beer produce by Hofpfengarten brewery in Bamberg, Germany. This beer was shocking on two levels. One, most pepper beers are unbalanced, with the spice overpowering the beer. Chilliero however was well balanced. Second and more notably, Bamberg is the home of Rauch (smoked) beer. Ninety nine percent of the beer produced in Bamberg is smoked beer. I challenge anyone to enter any bar in Bamberg and asked for something that isn’t smoked……good luck.

Smoked beer aside I found myself returning again and again to the Browar PINTA booth, Polish craft beer at its finest. Their Vermont IPA was surprisingly juicy, rivaling many U.S. produced New England IPA’s. Somewhere around my third trip to the Browar PINTA both with a friend of mine he was told beer is free for brewery representatives. We shared confused glances before realizing the server had assumed my friends Guinness shirt meant he was also a vendor. I quickly began disrobing, removing my hoody revealing my Stone Brewery shirt. Alas I was to late as my friend informed the server that we are NOT vendors.

While the weather outside was frightful, craft beer under the big top is the epitome of the craft beer scene in Germany. Random beer fests in unusual locals are what makes my beer experience in Germany one for the ages. I look forward to next years Craft beer Circus during the height of European winter dankness, providing hope in the form of liquid sunshine that winter cannot last forever.

Until next time,

Stay Crafty my friends.

Forgive Me Beer Gods for I have Sinned

Forgive me beer gods for I have sinned. It has been seven months since my last beerfession. No, I didn’t quit drinking, nor have I stopped brewing beer. Neither back injuries (1) nor broken bones (At least 3) could prevent me from consuming the greatest beverage on earth. One look at my ever expanding waistline confirms my never ending quest for malt, water, and hops. In the following paragraphs please find my feeble attempt to summarize the past seven months of my ongoing beer adventure:

Hope Springs Eternal

Last spring was one for the record books, not because of temperature, but because of the countless number of beer festivals in Europe. Over a span of 14 days in April the navigator and I attended THREE festivals. We kicked off spring at Stuttgart’s annual fruhlingsfest. Think October fest but in the spring. What was initially supposed to be a short 2 hour visit with colleagues morphed into a several hour affair involving not less than three liters of beer and shots of schnapps. Needless to say I should have stuck with just the beer. 
Four days later, having just recovered from fruhlingsfest, I found myself at Stuttgart’s 2^nd annual craft beer festival. The Stuttgarter Craft Beer festival is sponsored and organized by my favorite local craft beer bar, Kraftpaule and contains hundreds of beers from breweries across Europe. From IPA’s to Belgians there is more than enough beer for even the most discerning beer snob. Over an afternoon I had the privilege of meeting several brewery representatives, including one in particular from Belgium after I knocked his popup display over, TWICE.  As I fumbled to fix the display, while heaping praise upon their beer, the brewery rep told me they would be serving their beer the following weekend at a festival in Leuven, Belgium.  Not surprisingly I already had reservations.

The Beer Capital

The weekend following Stuttgarter Craft Beer Festival the navigator and I struck off for the Zythos Beer Festival in Leuven Belgium. Having attended last year’s festival (http://www.wanderinghomebrewer.com/2017/04/belgium-im-leuven-it_29.html) Zythos festival has become my annual kickoff for spring. Arriving in Leuven on Friday evening we quickly checked into our room and struck off to rendezvous with our friend the “Philospher”.  After a quick meal the Philosopher suggested we visit the Beer Capital, a local beer joint with 20 beers on tap and more than 500 bottled beers. After several hours of pre-festing we parted company, took a short nap, reconvening the next morning for the 11 am opening of Zythos. Much like last year’s festival the 2018 Zythos contained 80 breweries with more than 500 beers. Suffice to say a good time was had by all.

In desperate need of some rest the Navigator and I took a three week hiatus from beer festivaling before striking off for Prague to attend the Czech version of spring fest over Meorial Day weekend.  Over the past few years the Prague beer festival has transitioned from a traditional “Big Czech Brewery” affair to a more regionally focused “Craft-Like” feel. Located in the Letna area of Prague it is within walking distance of downtown. Or at least that’s what we were led to believe. Striking off from the hotel Saturday morning we walked, and walked, and walked. Five miles later we arrived at Letna Park, well, the base of it anyway. The park sits atop what must be the tallest point in Prague. A 30 minute climb and one sunburned head later we arrived at the fest. The Prague beer fest is somewhat small with various breweries and food vendors arrayed beneath a series of tents with a central table area. Much to my dismay many of the breweries did not send representatives but instead fest employees, who knew little or nothing about the brewery, served beer from a wall of taps only accepting beer requests by the beers number vice the name. Nevertheless I quenched my thirst with some amazing Czech beer although I couldn’t tell you which one was best. (Number 17 was delicious).

So there you have it three countries and four fests in six weeks. Only five more months to catch up on!

Until next time,

Prost!

Age is Just a Number…..

Tap Room

Age is just a number, at least that’s what they say. Age also equates to experience leading us to the “age old” question, youth versus experience. The same holds true for beer. Would you choose beer from a new startup brewery or one that is well established and has a history? Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery was founded in 1829. In contrast Germany’s oldest brewery Weihenstephan was founded in 725. While I have yet to visit America’s oldest brewery I did seize the opportunity to visit Germanys. 

A mere two hour drive from Stuttgart, 20 minutes from the Munich airport lays the town of Freising. With a population of approximately 45000 Freising is the home of the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University which is where I found myself the day before Thanksgiving, sort of.  Freising is also the home of the Weihenstephan brewery, adjacent to the university. In early November the Navigator and I paid a visit to Weihenstephan, embarking on a two hour tour of the brewery. Naturally, beer samples were included.

Weihenstephan operates at maximum capacity year around. Despite their obvious need for expansion, and an offer from the town to provide the land, the brewery remains true to its roots remaining at their original location where they have brewed beer for more than a thousand years. In so doing Weihenstephan places history and tradition ahead of profits, a rarity in this day and age.

Brewery

As the state brewery of Bavaria, Weihenstephan beers are generally considered by beer enthusiasts to be among the best in Germany. Weihenstephan strictly adheres to the

Weihenstephan strictly adheres to the Reinheitsgebot or “German Beer Purity Law” using only water, barley and hops in their production process. Their beer offerings include a hefeweissbier, weizenbock, hefeweissbier dunkel, kristallweissbier, dopple bock, and pilsner. As an American, lover of all things big, I gravitated toward their bock both for its flavor and the 7.4% ABV.

Weihenstephan may be short on variety, but they are definitely rich in history. As the saying goes, “If It Aint Broke Don’t Fix it” and Weihenstephan definitely aint broke. Age is just a number however in the German beer scene; it’s a really BIG number.

Until next time

Prost!

Black Forest Brew

With falling leaves and falling temperatures the end of beer garden season is upon us here in Germany. This is by no means the end of beer drinking but rather a change of venue from outside gardens to a more climate controlled environment. Finding ourselves at the seasonal crossroads our friends, “J” and J”, asked us to join them on a trip to a beer museum in the Black Forest.

Approximately 40 miles southwest of Stuttgart on the eastern edge of Germany’s Black Forest lays the village of Alpirsbach. Nestled in a valley Alpirsbach is typical of most villages in the area with one exception, Alpirsbach is the home of the Alpirsbacher Klosterbrau brewery. Founded in 1880 by then 18 year old Carl Albert Glauner the original brewery, serving primarily as a museum, sits adjacent to The Alpirsbach Monastery.

We arrived around noon, ensuring we could get tickets for the 2:30 museum tour. Fortunately “J” and “J” made lunch reservations at Zwickel and Kaps, a local burger/ steakhouse specializing in Nebraska beef. A quick scan of the menu revealed that “Imported” beef is not cheap, with some of the steak prices tickling 100 euro. Traditional German food it is! I quickly ordered a Jager Schnitzel, which in hindsight could have fed at least two people. If it weren’t for the occasional “Belly Rub” from our waitress I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish my meal!Returning to the brewery after lunch we met up with our tour guide along with a dozen other people. The original Alpirsbacher brewery is a traditional German brewery

complete with copper mash tuns. The brewery and monastery have always been separate institutions, according to our tour guide. After the reformation circa 1530 the citizens of Alpirsbach were forced to take on the same religion as the ruling Duke, which was protestant. As a result all of the Benedictine monks departed with the exception of one, Ambrosius Blarer, who converted to Catholicism. The brewery has named their “Ambrosius Barley Wine” in his honor.   Having been replaced with a larger facility in 1970 the original brewery with its belt driven pumps, remains fully operational and is still occasionally used! The brewery currently employs more than 80 people and uses Black Forest spring water from their privately owned spring to produce their beer.

At the conclusion of the tour the “Tourists” are ushered into the cellar where they are given two .330L samples of beer of their choosing. Thanks to  an extra token from the navigator  I tried three of their beers the Dunkel, Export, and Zwickel, an unfiltered cellar beer that was surprisingly good. Following the beer tasting we made our way to the gift shop where a variety of trinkets and all of their beers are available for purchase. Additionally, depending on your tour ticket the gift shop provides complimentary beer mugs for every member of the tour. For approximately 10 euro tour participants receive a guided tour, two beer samples, and a complimentary mug. Furthermore I purchase eight of their half liter bottles racking up a whopping 15 euro bill. The tour and the beer purchase combined were significantly less than the cost of our lunch! A bargain for an afternoon beer adventure.

While many, including myself, complain about the lack of German beer variety compared to the craft beer revolution in the States there is no substitute for the rich history that is German beer. If not for these early pioneers we wouldn’t have the privilege of enjoying the wide variety of beer available in the world today.

Until next time,

Prost!