Hic!
I know Oktoberfest happens around the end of September, but sending out an emailer centred around beer in October shouldn't hurt, methinks.
|
|
When I travelled around Germany in 2014, drinking good beer was my top priority. I collected labels and had a beer book for crowns and whatnot. Of course. that was over 5 years ago.
And now other things like homemade kombuchas and vinegars interest me. Good beer, however, will always continue to hold the #1 spot.
|
|
|
|
|
What's the weirdest beer you've had? These guys in Australia were brewing beer using navel lint as long back as three years ago.
|
|
|
And Icelandic folks thought it was cool to make whale testicle beer. Now, I've heard of fermented shark urine in Iceland, but this is a-whale-nother level.
|
|
|
|
It doesn't help that someone in Gurugram thought it was okay to brew a fruity beer for women in August 2019 - amidst all the talk of equality and sexism (anti-sexism, if that's a word)!
|
|
|
It's not the first time something like this has happened. There is a Pink Boots Society in Yakima, Washington, USA. <pukes glitter and unicorns>
|
|
|
There are many other ways one can use beer - not necessarily made for or by women.
Many years ago, I learned of Regrained Super Bars in San Francisco, USA - using beer mash to make snacks. In fact, making spent grain is extremely easy, albeit tedious. I've done it myself on a couple of occasions and have used the flour to make cookies, crackers and breads.
There's also Toast Ale in the UK which is made with surplus bread.
And then, of course, there is cooking with beer - stout cakes, beer-can chicken, steak grilled with beer, beer-battered fries and onion rings, marinades, and the like.
Though, I wouldn't ever think of using a speciality brew to cook with. Of course.
|
|
|
Belgium and Norway have a good number of brews that are opened around Christmas.
In 2016, my husband got me an American beer that only 500 bottles had been brewed of. They've moved on to brewing it more regularly, so correct me if I'm wrong.
|
|
|
And the Marzen is a speciality beer that is brewed in March (Marz is German for March) and opened only during Oktoberfest. I bought one at Schlenkerla in Bamberg a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised when I put my powers of Googling to use.
|
|
|
I can't help but mention Trappist monasteries at this point - there are 8 as far as I know - in Belgium and France - and getting to them means driving down (or changing and tracking too many public transport options and walking 5-7 km), so I haven't really visited the big names like Rochefort or Orval or Chimay or Westmalle (but I've had all the beers, so all is not lost). Engelszell Abbey the only one in Austria and I'm glad I've had their beer too.
Trappist monks are known for their rule of silence. And also for their beer and cheese. They use only natural water to make what little they consume and here's a very interesting article.
Then, there are these women.
|
|
|
Here is one of the books I'm reading.
I've been a fangirl since my teens. This one was a no-brainer.
|
|
And so that I'm a little more relevant, here is something I hope I can read soon.
So... There are more than 8 legally recognized Trappist monasteries now.
|
|
More later!
Until next time, nom nom!
Meha
|
|
|
|
|
