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Knut Albert's beer blog (18 unread)

Bavaria – A beer for the baby?

Posted: May 31st, 2011, 10:56am CEST by knutalbert

Sometimes you find examples of big gaps between cultures. (Don’t worry, I’m not going into any discussions about political Islam here.) I tend to have a fairly liberal outlook towards beer and beer drinking – if not I would have been blogging about something else. But I have to admit that there are regulations that I [...]
Single hops from BrewDog

Posted: May 30th, 2011, 5:27pm CEST by knutalbert

I like single hop series of beers, though the current Mikkeller lineup of 19 varieties is perhaps a bit too much. For once, BrewDog is a bit more moderate. (Who thought I’d write that in the same sentence?) Four single hop beers, brewed to the same recipe. Sold as a set. Which is not allowed in [...]
Oslo updates

Posted: May 27th, 2011, 12:37am CEST by knutalbert

There is talk of a lawsuit over a brewery name. Ringnes (Carlsberg) is the result of a number of merges and aquisitions, and one of the brand names of old breweries in their portfolio is Schous. They have sold the real estate where the old brewery used to be, all that’s left is really the sign [...]
Hard words in Denmark

Posted: May 25th, 2011, 1:48pm CEST by knutalbert

Denmark has been at the forefront of the beer revolution in Europe. They have a hundred micro breweries in a fairly small country, a consumer’s organisation with a large number of members and local associations, good shops and bars. There is even a broad press coverage of beer and brewing, probably because it is a major [...]
(The new) Ølbutikken, Copenhagen

Posted: May 24th, 2011, 4:31pm CEST by knutalbert

I try not to read too much of the advance buzz about the Copenhagen Beer Festival this weekend. Sure, I know that Three Floyds are in town. That there will be a Zillion new beers from Mikkeller. That Nøgne Ø have some real rarities. But I’m not going this year. but at least I can make a [...]
Bishops Arms, Copenhagen

Posted: May 23rd, 2011, 8:29pm CEST by knutalbert

I think I have mentioned before that the Swedish pub chain Bishops Arms (their spelling) were planning to expand to neighbouring countries. I don’t know about Norway, but at least they are open for business in Copenhagen. The interior is very much buy it by the yard and by the container type of English pub. [...]
Byens Kro, Copenhagen – smoke gets in your eyes

Posted: May 20th, 2011, 10:01am CEST by knutalbert

Byens Kro. The Inn of the Town. Copenhagen. I have known about this pub for some time, as the Svaneke brewery used to brew a special beer for them. As I had business in the neighbourhood, I decided to visit, but it is not far from the main tourist drag anyway. It is like entering a [...]
Food halls in Oslo

Posted: May 16th, 2011, 2:48am CEST by knutalbert

When Norwegian foodies travel abroad, we drool. When in Florence, the central food market is just as impressive as any works of Renaissance art. In London the main attraction is Borough Market. We envy our Swedish friends in Stockholm and Gothenburg who have well established food halls where they can stock up for the weekend. There have [...]
Podcasts on pubs

Posted: May 13th, 2011, 3:15am CEST by knutalbert

The British National Archives, which I wisited some eyars ago in connection of their display of printed material connected to beer, has a good range of podcasts. Some of them have pubs as their theme, like The pub and the people. Worth a download. This podcast was recorded in connection with a seminar of the Pub [...]
Ægir brewery – Bringing it all back home

Posted: May 11th, 2011, 5:08pm CEST by knutalbert

If I were to dream up a perfect location for a brew pub, it would probably be where the Ægir brewery is already located. At the end of one of the most picturesque fjords in Norway. The last stop an a narrow gauge railway packed with tourists during the saison season. At the end of scenic walks [...]
Berlin XXIII – some sobering thoughts

Posted: May 10th, 2011, 2:41pm CEST by knutalbert

So, I had, once again, a great time in Berlin. Good food, good company, interesting things to see and do. And I am sure most citizens and visitors find the city rewarding. But the united city is still a city of contrasts. It is a city where you find discreet elegance and stark poverty. It [...]
Berlin XXII – an airport full of beer

Posted: May 6th, 2011, 6:12pm CEST by knutalbert

Airports. Some of them have adjusted to modern times, and if the airlines let you check in beforehand and they don’t make a fuzz about your suitcase being a wee bit heavy, they can be all right. Some are wastelands for beer – Oslo is a prime example, some are pretty decent. Munich has a [...]
Berlin XXI – A beer club

Posted: May 5th, 2011, 6:58pm CEST by knutalbert

Apost I forgot to publish – but hardly the most significant one from Berlin. Just around the corner from the Hirsch pub is Ambrosius Bier Club, which have 3-4 beers contract brewed for them. I tried their Schwarzbier, which was a bit too sweet for my liking, but the prices are decent, the service is [...]
Berlin XX – KaDeWe

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 7:19am CEST by knutalbert

KaDeWe - Kaufhof des Westens – a department store that used to be a temple of luxury goods in the heart of West Berlin. Sure, it is still a place for serious shopping if your credit card is up to it, I did not bother to explore in any detail, but they claim to be the [...]
Berlin XIX – A beer shop around the corner

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 11:45pm CEST by knutalbert

Strolling around the streets near my hotel one morning, watching people on their way to work and school, I saw a sign for a bottle shop, a Getränkemarkt. I know that this type of shop is common in Germany, but I have not been to one before. I did not have any desperate need for more [...]
Berlin XVIII – Potsdamer Kulturcafe

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 5:38am CEST by knutalbert

Potsdam is more than castles and gardens. It is a university town and home to the parliament of the state of Brandenburg. And it has a splendid pedestrianised centre with small shops and cafes. The most charming part of that is the Dutch Quarter, which narrowly escaped the bulldozers in the final days of the [...]
Berlin XVII – Gasthausbrauerei Meierei im Neuen Garten, Potsdam

Posted: May 2nd, 2011, 6:23am CEST by knutalbert

Potsdam. Less than an hour by suburban train from Berlin. If you want a comparison, you could say this is the German Versailles, full of stately houses, parks and palaces. In nice weather, it is a perfect day out, if you want to really get into all the historical buildings, you should spend a week [...]
Berlin XVI – a bike ride and a few beer gardens

Posted: May 1st, 2011, 2:09am CEST by knutalbert

Across the entrance to the Berlin Zoo, to the right of the railway station, there is a bike rental place. It gives a splendid opportunity to explore the Tiergarten park, which covers a large area, much of it crisscrossed with paths. It is also easy to cross into the central areas of the Mitte, the reborn central [...]