Braustelle-Helios Weizenier

Braustelle, is the smallest brewery in Cologne, and we discovered it on a vlog while researching things to do in Cologne, and it really was quite a find. When we walked in, it was not very busy, and the bartender was able to read us the menu in English, but within 10 minutes, the small brewery and restaurant was bursting at the seams. People were everywhere, most ordering their version of the Kolsch, but others trying some of their other beers, including an Alt and a fruit beer brewed with hibiscus as well called the Pink Panther.

Of all the options, I decided on the wheat beer and was not disappointed. This overflowing pour into a weizen glass was a light gold color, opaque with the suspended yeast. It has a phenolicy aroma and had a slightly sweet malt smell too. What it was absent of though was the typical banana ester aromas for the style. It had a very wheaty taste, almost like soft dough, but was again absent of the typical yeast flavors for the style, but this did not retract from this refreshing brew. It had a nice medium-light body and mouthfeel that finished very nicely. Additionally, it paired well with the sauerkraut in my meal, making me very happy in my choice at this small brewery.

After Cologne, we made our way to the beautiful Lucerne, although we almost missed our first of three trains for the day leaving Cologne and jumped into the car with the doors closing behind us. We honestly would not have made it, had it not been for a helpful German lady on the street informing us that the train station we were looking for, a different one than the central station, was in fact the way from which we had just come. In light of the near miss, we arrived in Switzerland happy and excited. With heavy rain forecasted for the next day, we changed around our itinerary a bit in order to summit Mt. Pilatus in the sun and warmth.

A cable car is the easiest way to the top, although you can hike most of the way before having to take an additional gondola to the top when it gets too steep. Because of time constraints and not wanting to spend 5 hours hiking to get there, we took the car directly to the top, and while the 40 minute ride was frightening, the views were breathtaking and you got both views of the lakes, the foothills, and the imposing mountain in front of you. Once we reached the top, we got out and walked around on the well established paths to different lookouts. The views here were just as spectacular if not even more at the top, but be sure to hold onto your hat because it is very windy up there. Again, on the gondola down, the views are just as impressive, but nearing the second to last stop, we got out and decided to take the hour-long walk down the rest of the way. With our legs burning from the steep descent for much of the way, we made it to the bottom tired, but really glad we got out and enjoyed the scenery up close, and we can kind of say we hiked on a mountain.

When we made it back into Lucerne, we decided to also take a cruise of the lake because that too would be much nicer today when the weather was gorgeous. Luckily here too, we just made it on board the last cruise of the evening as it was getting ready to pull away from the docs. The lake was incredibly tranquil with the Alps providing a stunning backdrop to this amazing place. The cruise lasted about an hour and pulled in just as it was getting dark. While the mountain was amazing, I enjoyed the cruise more on account of the the peacefulness of the lake as opposed to the rugged mountain.

Before heading to our AirBnB for the night, we walked through one of the city's two covered bridges and picked up some dinner. Luckily for us, our accommodation was fantastic with the apartment actually being inside a hotel, so we were practically living in a hotel room.

The next day, as predicted, it poured, but we made the best of it. There was a farmers market along the river in the morning, and I bought some local cheese, which may have been some of the best I've ever had. Although the flavor was a little odd, a bit oniony, the intensity of the flavor and the freshness of the cheese is like nothing else. We then made our way through the old town along cobbled streets, and stopped to wander along the old wall. We stopped into a few chocolate shops, but were shocked at the high prices compared to the much more affordable Belgium. We also stopped by the Lion Monument before, being cold and wet, relaxed in our AirBnb for the afternoon.

Lucerne was an incredible city and the views cannot be topped, but if I were to do it again, I'd make sure I had the financial resources to really enjoy the city as opposed to scrapping by on chips and salsa from the grocery store.

Brauhaus zur Malzmuhle-Muhlen Kolsch

After Belgium, we made our way to Cologne and had dinner at a traditional German restaurant and brewery, serving the local specialty in the traditional way, 200ml glasses repeatedly brought out to you until you indicate that you want no more. I was very excited for this not only because of the fun serving tradition, but also because Kolsch style beer is one of the styles that got me into craft beer, so I had to pay homage to it in its homeland. The restaurant was unbelievable and felt very authentic. It was mostly filled with locals and the interior looked exactly how one would imagine a German beer hall to look. On top of that the food was exceptional. That night I had a sausage in a gravy, red cabbage, and potatoes to complement this fantastic beer.

This beer poured brilliantly clear with a moussey white head. It has a malty sweet, grassy aroma. The taste has a mix of both munich and pilsner malt character that comes together in an extremely refreshing slightly malty beer. The body is light, the finish is very dry and almost a little watery, but the malts do support it well. It is my belief that if this kind of beer were available often in America, people would have absolutely no reason to drink mass-produced lager anymore, and anyone seeking to make a refreshing, tasty, summer beer should look to this style for inspiration.

We arrived in Cologne to some amazing weather, and given the location of the train station next to the Cathedral, your mind is immediately blown. After we dropped our bags at the hostel and got a massive cheese covered pretzel to eat, we made our way to the Chocolate Museum. This museum is fantastic and has something for everyone. It goes into detail on the cocoa plant, the chocolate making process, molding, marketing, and so much more. On top of that there are a few opportunities for free samples, helping to satisfy your growing appetite for chocolate as you walk through the museum. They even have separate signs and some interactive components for kids, making this place enjoyable for anyone, young or old, and who doesn't love a little free chocolate.

On account of the weather, we strolled along the Rhine, enjoying the sun and the warmth and walked along the massive love lock bridge in Cologne. It was crazy to see the entire bridge gate covered in locks from people around the world looking to toss their key, cementing their love in the Rhine.

The next day, we went to the Cathedral and made the lengthy ascent to the top. Unfortunately, Cologne is not a particularly impressive city from the sky and the view is covered in protective chicken wire, making the top not as impressive as one would hope, but the sheer magnificence of the cathedral is enough to make you stop and stare. Afterwards, I made my way to the Roman museum adjacent to the Cathedral, which boasts an impressive collection of glassware from Roman times as well as an tiled floor from Roman times, still fully intact. For dinner that night we made our way to a craft brewery in Cologne for some delicious beers, which I will talk about in the next installment, and another tasty German dinner.

Delirium Cafe-Rochefort 6

I had this beer at the famed Delirium Cafe in Brussels, that has thousands of beers available at any one time. Hearing this, I was very excited about getting the opportunity to go there. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to my expectations. The place was extremely crowded to the point where it took about 10 minutes to even order. On top of that, the claimed massive amount of beers on tap is only in the lower bar. To clarify, the Delirium Cafe has 3 or 4 different bars all down this alleyway, so it took a lot of searching to find the one with all the options. While my expectations may have been high, this place failed to even come close to living up to them and I would much rather go back to a good bar like Moeder Lambic again than here if return to Brussels.

This Trappist Dubbel pours a coppery color with a thin dissipating white head. The aroma is very odd. There is some cherry, a little bit of a rootbeer smell, a lot of cough syrup smell, which all combined makes this beer smell like a bad rum and coke. When taking a sip, it enters the mouth very lively with high carbonation. It is very phenolicy, a little boozy, slightly grainy, and sweetens near the end. Essentially, it ends up tasting a bit like a rum and coke too, which given some of the other Dubbels I have had the privilege of trying, disappointed me a lot. I was expecting a much better taste from a brewery as famous as this. Overall, this beer, like the bar fell short of my expectations. While others may enjoy this brew, I did not and would unlikely order it again.

Upon arriving in Brussels, we quickly learned that you can see the city pretty quickly, and as a result shouldn't spend more than a day at most here. The Grand Place is absolutely incredible and is probably the most ornate of the Belgian Squares we visited. Other than that there is lots of chocolates, frites, and waffles to satisfy your appetite for simple carbs. Another popular site is the Manneken Pis (peeing boy water fountain), but be warned, it is life size so he is very small. Given his size, you will find the tourist shops very surprising in Brussels. Practically everything is Manneken Pis. From t-shirts to key chains to corkscrews and bottle openers, you can find this little guy everywhere. Brussels is a fine place, but given the lack of things to do, you could probably squeeze both Ghent and Brussels in to the the same day.

Moeder Lambic-Orval

Given that the only beers Becky likes are fruit lambics, when we found this amazing beer bar in Brussels, I knew we had to go there that night. Moeder Lambic was one of the best craft beer bars I visited during the trip because they were so knowledgable and had some more experimental options than most other places, including extensive offerings of all types of sours. Even though I was tempted by some of those, including an Oud Bruin (sour brown ale), I ended up being unable to resist giving this Trappist brew a try, and I am glad I did.

Orval pours a slightly hazy apricot color with a big creamy head. It has a nice bready, fruity aroma with a little bit of liquorice spicyness too. Additionally, it has a slightly sour funky aroma almost smelling like pungent cheese. The beer enters the mouth very softly and is much less carbonated than many of the other Trappist brews I've had. It has a very crackery malty flavor, bordering on bready. Furthermore, it finishes on a slightly sweet note, but still maintains a fair amount of dryness for high drinkability. This is by far one of the best beers I had on the entire trip, and I am thrilled to have been able to try it at such a great beer bar as Moeder Lambic.

Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant-Saison Dupont

After Bruges, we made our way to Ghent and this beer bar with a bit too long of a name. Despite the name, it was an excellent place to get a beer with a pages long beer book and riverfront view of the historic part of the city, making it a great spot after a long day of walking.

Saison Dupont pours a hazy pale gold with a voluminous rocky white head. It had a slightly funky barnyard yeast aroma. Additionally, it smelled slightly white grapey and had some pilsner malt grainy malt character too. This effervescent beer has a nice soft malt character mixed with a bit of funk on the aftertaste. The best way to describe this beer is as being almost like champagne because of the carbonation, mouthfeel, and grapey aromas. This was a very enjoyable beer, and I think this one would go especially well with foods like pizza.

Ghent was an interesting city, but there is not much to do there. It is the kind of place where you can spend a couple hours like we did, but not an entire day. It has pretty architecture similar to Bruges as well as an imposing castle called the Gravensteen. On top of that we checked out the local belfry, featuring a dragon on top and sampled some local cone shaped gummy fruit candies.

De Halve Maan Brewery

While in Bruges, Becky and I took a tour of the De Halve Maan Brewery, and at the end of the tour had the pleasure to try out 3 of their 4 beers. On the left is the Belgian Blond Bruges Zot, their Dubbel is in the middle, and on the right is Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel. If ever in Bruges, I absolutely recommend the tour. The basic tour is only about 10 euro and gives you a Bruges Zot in the bar, but the XL tour, costing 20, gives you the opportunity to try the 3 beers I mentioned in a private tasting room, and the tour is a bit more in depth than the standard one.

Bruges Zot had a strong banana nose coming off it with a hint of maltiness as well. The taste was similar but much more on the pilsner malt side and a bit less on the banana side. It does have a slightly bitter finish, more so than most other Belgian beers, but this is by no means unpleasant. It had a much larger body than I expected and overall was medium bodied.

The Bruges Zot Dubbel had an aroma of bananas foster or even a somewhat rotten banana. The banana was mixed with strong caramely aromas, giving it that distinct dessert smell. This one had a slightly boozy flavor, but most of the taste was dark fruits and caramelized malts. This beer was pretty big and very enjoyable.

While the first two were maybe a little bigger than I expected, the quad blew them both away. While I knew quads were strong, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one. The aroma is liquorice, dark fruit, and booze, to the point where it smells like an alcoholic fruit cake. It had an extremely intense flavor, very similar to the aromas, but unfortunately the strength of this beer got the best of me, and it was almost hard to drink because of its intensity.

We arrived in Bruges after leaving Antwerp, and it soon became the most incredible place I have ever visited. The combination of the cobbled streets, canals, and gabled houses makes you feel like you are living in a fairytale. Additionally, the sheer number of chocolate shops on every street for very affordable prices is a very delicious component of everyday life here. Like most of Belgium, Bruges is centered around their main square, easily identifiable from the massive Belfry. Becky and I waited in line quite a while to get to the top, but it was well worth the wait as the views of this amazing town can not be topped. Additionally, being there at 12 noon we heard the bells ring out right next to our heads. Although it was loud, it was an experience I will never forget. After the bell tower and some frites we took a canal tour. Like in Amsterdam, this city is not complete unless you see it from the water. Everything about Bruges is incredible, and I know that I will be back some day.

Paters Vaetje-Hoegaarden Wit

Our first stop in Belgium was Antwerp due to its close proximity to the town of Malle. That night we decided to head to a beer bar close by the main square and were not disappointed. Paters Vaetje had a very old time feel to it with its plaster walls and wood beams running across the ceiling. Additionally, their beer book with over 100 options leaves some options for any palate.

This classic witbier pours a hazy straw color with a thin white head. As soon as your nose gets close to this beer you can easily tell it is a wit with the classic yeast phenolic and coriander aroma. Additionally, it is slightly citric on account of the bitter orange peel. This beer has a very distinct wheat taste that sticks out sharply on the palate. The yeast phenolics, hint of banana, and spice tastes also come through cleanly. This beer has a thin light body that at times almost feels a little watery. A great summer beer and Hoegaarden especially is a classic example of this Belgian style.

Upon arriving in Antwerp, most often first see Central Station, one of the grandest train stations in all of Europe and it absolutely amazed me. A short walk from the station, we arrived at our hostel, which had a very modern, clean feel, and the rooms were exceptionally nice for a hostel. We then made our way onto the main shopping street in the city. What stuck out most to us here was the height of the city. Most buildings were fairly tall, not skyscrapers by any means, but still towering overhead. At the end of the street we turned toward the main square, the Grote Markt, and as soon as we hit it, we were blown away. Golden gables, impressive statues, and massive churches with ornate bell towers lay before us. People everywhere, chocolate shops, beer stores, and a variety of restaurants complement the area completely and it is hard not to stand there dumbfounded for a few minutes, taking in every detail. Antwerp set the bar very high for Belgium, and with some frites and chocolates we settled in for the night, eager for the days ahead.

Cafe Trappisten-Westmalle Tripel

Well, I am back now from a mind-blowing two weeks of backpacking around Europe, and in the next few posts, I hope to be able to share every detail with you all. The first beer I had was at the Cafe Trappisten in Malle, Belgium. On account of the brewery being within the walls of the monastery, you are not actually able to see where those monks brew these impressive beers, but must settle for the cafe across the street. Although the crowd is a bit older than I (by about 50 years at least), it was still an honor to enjoy this incredible beer as close to the source as one can get.

It was poured into the goblet with a hazy light gold color and two finger fluffy, rocky white head. The Belgian yeast character really pours out of this beer with strong aromas of banana and peppery phenolics. The taste is very effervescent and pilsner grainy upfront but turns to a strong creamy banana flavor shortly thereafter. It has a nice dry, but slightly alcoholic finish. At 9.5% ABV this beer is not for the light of heart, and does taste strong and powerful, but is not too much to enjoy this amazing beer. For the listed ABV, the monks hide the strength pretty well. Overall, this "mother of all tripels" lived up to the hype and made an excellent first beer of the trip.

Although I had this beer on my first day in Belgium, we first started our journey in the Netherlands with some time in Amsterdam. Our travels started on a great note with me receiving a job offer for the summer and a smooth flight to land easily in Amsterdam. After we found our hostel, we ventured out into the city this first night, but because of the timing of the flight were starving and needed a good bite to eat. To satisfy our stomachs we had the Dutch treat, poffertjies, miniature doughy pancakes covered in toppings like powdered sugar and nutella. After we made our way into the Red Light District and experienced the packed, tourist filled streets, which make up this notorious part of the city.

The next day, refreshed from a long previous day, we made our way along the canals in the Jordaan area. The beautiful morning made us truly realize how romantic a city Amsterdam is, with cute townhouses flanking the canals with pretty arced bridges and house boats making for a picturesque scene. On top of being romantic, the city is also extremely vibrant with people buzzing all over the place, making the whole day exciting. Late in the morning we took a canal cruise, offering a mix of sites and history throughout the whole city. A trip here is not complete without experiencing it from the water. We then walked through the Red Light District during the day, which has a much different vibe than later in the night, but the sheer number of tourists remains about the same. We sat for awhile in the Dam Square, watching people fight through flocks of pigeons for an opportunity to snap a photo of the impressive palace. Later in the afternoon, we tried to go to the Anne Frank House, but with the line stretching down the block and around the corner. If you want to make it here, just buy the tickets online about a month or so in advance and you will not have these same troubles. Defeated, we made our way towards the Reijksmusuem to see some Dutch Golden Age art. Unfortunately, here too we were defeated, but this time not by the crowds but by the clock. Becky and I then wandered around the Vondelpark to kill some time before meeting my Aunt Karen for an Indonesian dinner. The coolest part about this was the format of the dinner. Instead of ordering an entree and appetizers you order an assortment of different dishes, numbering anywhere from 10-18 different items and you get to try a bit of each one. The experience was amazing, but get ready for some spice on a few things and if you like coconut, you will absolutely love Indonesian.

Sadly, we had to leave Amsterdam wishing we had an additional day to see the museums we wanted, but Belgium, its chocolate, beer, frites, and waffles were calling.

Home-Independent Connemara Black IPA

This beer pours a pitch black with  a greyish brown head, to the point where this might be the darkest head I've ever seen on a beer. The aroma starts with a hint of coffee before developing into a punchy hop aroma of floral grapefruit and pine. The flavor of this beer is extremely complex and has intense depth. Starting sweet, it turns toward punchy grapefruit notes, interwoven with earthy coffee and burnt notes before rounding out with a stiff bitter end that sticks in the mouth. It has a sticky, long lasting flavor, combined with a full body, making this beer powerful, but to the point where it is no longer quaffable. It is a crazy beer, but loses its drinkability amidst all the action. While still an intriguing beer, probably not one I'd bother trying again. It is unfortunately great example of how a beer can be taken too far.

Tomorrow we leave for our incredible two week trip around Europe. Given the need to pack light, I won't have my computer and will resultantly be unable to post about my journeys until I return back to Dublin. Goodbye for a couple weeks, but when I return I will have plenty of amazing beers, stories, and photos to share with you all.

Cheers!

The Crown-St. Austell Proper Job

Yesterday, while back in Belfast for the Black Cab Tours, which show you around the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods at the epicenter of the Troubles back in the later half of the 20th century, I had the pleasure of making it to one of the most famous pubs in Northern Ireland. It dates back to Victorian Times and has one of the most beautifully decorated interiors of any pub I have seen. It boasted a wide selection of beers and specializes in gin based drinks too, but as you can probably guess I opted for a nice cask-conditioned brew.

St. Austell's beer, poured on cask, is a nice golden color with a half finger, dense, white head. It has a decently strong aroma of hay, grass, mango, and sweet marshmallow, which combine to make an interesting mix of old school and newer hops. Like the other cask brews I've tried it enters the mouth very softly with the standard low carbonation. The taste is very piney, but does have a hint of tropical flavors like mango. Soon the resiny pine character takes over completely, but a hint of maltiness finds its place at the end before a decently bitter, medium dry finish. It left a beautiful lacing on the glass and was a nice enjoyable pint, fairly similar to some of the other IPAs I've had recently.

Home-Lindeman's Kriek

This lambic pours a murky dark red color with a pink head. The aroma is very distinctive and is nothing like I have ever smelled in a beer before. It smelled distinctly like cherry pie filling. Additionally, there was a haylike funk smell to round out the aroma. This beer softly enters the mouth with a sticky sweetness and tartness followed by a wheat like taste with just a hint of bitterness to make it taste somewhat like beer. The best way to describe this beer is as a cherry jolly rancher or maybe a cherry tootsie pop. What was most surprising about this delicious kriek is that it is the first beer Becky has ever liked and she said that she could probably order this in a bar and drink the whole thing. Finally, I found something she liked, and just in time too as now we now what she should order as we drink our way through Belgium. Overall, this was a tasty lambic, but it was very sweet and almost syrupy, which would make it hard to drink too much of this beer.

Oil Can Harry's-Foxes Rock IPA

Finally had the opportunity to make it out to Oil Can Harry's again, and it had a decent feel for a Thursday night. Last time we sat in their library section, but this time that area was pretty full with a 30 year old crowd. It wasn't too loud or crazy, but was at least a little livelier than last time.

This beer from a Northern Irish brewery poured hazy to the point where it kind of looked like apple cider. It was dark gold in color with a dense and lasting 1 finger head. The aroma on this beer really jumps out at you and is very exciting. It smells like super sweet citrus and tropical fruit. It is like candied mango, pineapple, and marshmallow all put together for a beautiful aroma. Given the aroma, I figured this would be a sweeter IPA, but I was mistaken. It has a nice light body and dry taste starting with crackery malt, but quickly turning to grapefruit and sticky resin with a bitter finish. The further you get into the beer, the flavor turns into the "green" flavor you tend to get with heavily dry-hopped beers like this one, but it is not unpleasant at all. I really enjoyed this IPA and would recommend it anyone curious about the aroma or someone looking for a nice bitter beer that won't knock your socks off as it sits at 5.2% ABV.

Home-Fruh Kolsch

Surprise, surprise, another beer enjoyed under my own roof, but I promise I'll try to make it back out to a pub soon. I decided to pick up this beer from my local bottle shop in preparation for my visit to Cologne.

It pours a crystal clear light golden color with a 1 finger white receding head. It smells very grainy with a hint of malty sweetness and yeast to finish out the aroma. The taste follows along those lines very closely with most of the flavor being your classic pilsner malt flavor. Additionally, there is a little bit of light fruitiness on the palate which is pretty pleasant in a beer like this. The beer has a very clean light crisp finish making it almost the perfect summer beer. This seasonality is compounded by the reasonably high carbonation of the beer making it a great one to relax with on a summer night and perfect for summer food. I can't wait to try this regional specialty again in a couple of weeks.

Yesterday, Becky and I also went back to the Wicklow Mountains for some hiking. Although it takes a bit of transport to get there if you don't have a car, it is still definitely worth the trip out there for the day. It was a little chilly yesterday, but what made the conditions especially difficult were the wind and the rain. At one point when we were on top of the mountain the wind was whipping past us so fast it burned our faces and our pants were completely soaked by the time we made it back down. In light of the weather, the views were spectacular and breathtaking. The rain also helped form some extremely vivid rainbows throughout much of the early afternoon, and a one point we saw the faint glow of a double rainbow arcing above the first much stronger one.