What is it about real ale that evokes such unrestrained passion among beer lovers? In a word: flavor. Beer that is brewed and served following classic real ale techniques has an unmatched depth of flavor and softness of palate.
No one knows when and where primitive man took his first sip of alcohol. But most likely, it was a mead—a fermented honey beverage—that provided that first sensation of warmth and sense of euphoria.
Denmark may be a land of lager, but paradoxically it’s also the land from which the word “ale” made its way into the English language. The route was explained by Niels Buchwald, the head brewer for Ceres, a brewery located in Denmark’s second largest city, Århus.
You’ll Never Walk Alone. One of the best beer bars/cafés in Denmark is in the small, quiet provincial city of Kolding in mid-Jutland. Owned and operated by Torben Matthews, the bar, named after the slogan from the Liverpool Football Club, is a perfect English pub set in the middle of Denmark. Matthews has perfectly captured... View Article
English Mead, Lurgashall Winery, Petworth, West Sussex, England (12.5% ABV) Intense honey aroma; sweet, candyish taste is balanced somewhat by an alcohol bite A smooth, pleasant, straightforward example of the beverage. My drinking companion, Martin Morse Wooster, remarked that it’s not a far leap from a sherry or other sweet, fortified wine. The 375-ml clear... View Article
Although beer and wine have replaced it in the West, mead remains the national drink of one African nation. “Ethiopia is the largest producer of honey in Africa,” asserts Araya Selassie, a native of Addis Ababa who has been a United States resident for the past 20 years. “We have 5 to 6 million wild... View Article
Jon Hallberg, who runs the Smokehouse Winery in Sperryville, VA, has upwards of a million coworkers. Fortunately, they don’t demand health insurance, paid vacations or stock options. They live in two or three hives at the meadery and several dozen hives off premises. They’re honey bees.
Aged beer? The very concept of deliberately aging a beer contradicts everything we hear and see in beer ads. One megabrewery touts its “born on date” to encourage people to buy its beer. Local micros stress that fresh beer is the best beer.
Belgian cafes: Afspanning ‘t Waagstuk, Stadswaag 20, Antwerp. Tel: (03) 2250219, fax (03) 2263370. Open 10 am-2 am Mon-Thur, 10 am-4 am Fri, 2 pm-2am Sat, and 2 pm-2 am Sunday. About 80 beers. Le Bier Circus, Rue de l’ Enseignement/Onderwijsstraat 89, Brussels. Tel:(02) 2180034. Open Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm and 6 pm-midnight, Sat 6 pm-midnight. More... View Article
