Jaunted - Tag: Beer Travel

London: New In London: The Hat and Tun

BS — 2008-11-21T13:30:17-05:00

We know, we know, no one likes the phrase "new London pub." When we go out for a pint in London, we certainly aren't looking for some spiffy new lounge; we want greasy meat pies, floors that are sticky with spilled beer and that dank but homey lived-in atmosphere.

But give us a chance here! Farringdon pub The Hat and Tun--it's on Hatton Street, get it?--is a brand new entry to the scene, but it somehow has all that old-pub goodness. There's a genuine pub grub menu (with the requisite meat pies, along with Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and the like), along with plenty of quality brews on tap and a homey vibe complete with fireplaces, antique lounge furniture and an awful lot of taxidermy.

OK, so there are no sticky floors, but we're sure those are coming soon.

Related Stories:
· The Hat and Tun [Official Site]
· London Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Hat and Tun]

Beer-O-Days: Whos Celebrating Cinco De Diciembre?

BS — 2008-11-18T12:03:06-05:00

The beer industry already makes plenty of bank from ale-soaked holidays like St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, but now they’d like us to add one more.

The neighborly folks at the National Beer Wholesalers Association are encouraging Americans to celebrate the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, which is just around the corner on December 5. (Cinco de Diciembre, anyone?)

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the day FDR and Co. said it was legally OK to booze again, and the wholesaler’s group wants you to know:

This anniversary is a great time to recognize the success of the past 75 years of effective, state-based alcohol regulation since the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

In other words... drink up!

Unfortunately, a quick search of the web turns up only one event marking this momentous day, and it’s a policy forum at DC libertarian think tank the Cato Institute. Come on now, people, we can celebrate the rebirth of the nation in a little more style than that! Know of some parties we don't?

Related Stories:
· Celebrate the Repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 2008 [Marketwire]
· Free to Booze: The 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition [Cato Institute]
· Beer coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: coopgas1]

Tecate: International Train Travel for Beginners: Ride the Rails Between San Diego and Tecate

Victor Ozols — 2008-11-15T13:36:37-05:00

San Diego is a pretty cool city, but once you're done with the zoo, the beaches, and the Gaslamp Quarter, you might crave a glimpse of what's beyond the border in Mexico. Sure, you could drive or take a bus to Tijuana, but the wait at the border can be a drag, and TJ has seen its fortunes decline in recent years due to violence among drug traffickers. Fortunately, the LA Times has an attractive alternative: a day trip by train to nearby Tecate. Once or twice a month, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum runs trips from Campo in eastern San Diego to Tecate, about thirty miles east of Tijuana, where visitors tour the eponymous brewery and dine at restaurants around Parque Manuel Hidalgo square. The journey isn't about getting anywhere fast - the train chugs along at a smooth 15 miles per hour for much of the one-hour journey - but serves as a link to the halcyon days of the early 1900's, when the railroad was built to connect San Diego with the fertile Imperial Valley. The trains themselves are a relic from a bygone era. Several impeccably-restored 1930's-era passenger cars that once ferried New Jersey commuters into New York City are now filled with railfans, lager louts, and day-trippers who love the idea of a popping across the border for a nip and a nosh. As for the beer, well, it's nothing to write home about (even at the brewery it's served in cans). But on a hot day in Mexico, when you don't have to worry about driving home, it certainly does the job.

[Photo: LA Times]

Related Stories
· Visit Tecate By Train For Dose of Border Goodwill [LA Times]
· Pacific Southwest Railway Museum [Official Site]
· Cerveza Tecate [Official Site]
· Beer Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Comstock Park: Bring On The Snow

BS — 2008-11-11T13:30:11-05:00

Most beer snobs start toning down their travel plans this time of year, as the chilly weather signals the unofficial end of beer festival season.

But for a small segment of crazy-enough brewheads, ice and snow can't stop the outdoor drinking. Winter beer festivals have been popping up across the country in recent years, and there's one that is just insane enough to make plans for.

The Michigan Winter Beer Fest, featuring 150 varieties of the state's craft beers from 25 of its finest breweries, is being held this year in Grand Rapids. In February.

So if you're used to those lazy summer beer fests, buy yourself some long johns and start training: This one's not gonna be easy.

Related Stories:
· Michigan Winter Beer Fest [Official Site]
· Party Like You're a Michigander at Winter Festivals [Mlive]
· Beer Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: stefg]

Brooklyn: The Brooklyn Brewery: A Splendid Friday Night Destination For Those Who Love Beer and Hanging Out

Victor Ozols — 2008-11-09T15:31:02-05:00

There's something special about visiting the Brooklyn Brewery during Friday night Tap Room Hours. It feels liberating in a way that a regular pub happy hour doesn't. After all, it's not a bar, it's a brewery, and even when it's crowded, there's room to wander among the huge vats and kettles and sacks of barley, malt, and grain while sipping a freshly-brewed beer and savoring the weekend as it unfolds. So in the interest of serving any readers who consult this site in an earnest attempt to ferret out fun things to do in their destination, let me give you the ABC's on one consistently enjoyable option in New York City.

Endangered Species Watch: The British Pub

BS — 2008-11-04T16:45:07-05:00

When the Wall Street folks started losing all heir money, they told us it would hurt the rest of us sooner or later, but we didn't really understand why. Fast forward a month and we learn the latest economic causality is something we never imagined would go out of demand: British Pubs. Consider us hurt.

The smart economic folks at PriceWaterhouseCoopers report that some 64 pubs in the UK went out of business in the third quarter of 2008, but that's just the beginning. We're not exactly sure how they came up with such precise numbers, but they have predicted some 4,000 more pubs could close in the country over the next two years, as fewer and fewer customers can afford to go out drinking.

Looks like those world record bar crawlers finished just in time.

Related Stories:
· 4,000 Pubs to Close in Next 2 years [Metro]
· Brits Complete 24-Year Bar Crawl [Jaunted]
· Price Your Pints Before You Go [Jaunted]

[Photo: mijori]

Old and Busted: Italian Wine; New Hotness: Italian Beer

Victor Ozols — 2008-11-02T16:12:32-05:00

Italy is tasting a little bit like Belgium these days, if a story in Sunday's New York Times is to be believed. For years, Italian food has been inextricably attached to the country's amazing selection of wines, but the past decade has seen a resurgence of beer making. Today the country's northern Piedmont region boasts dozens of craft brewers whose beers pair well with national cuisine and can (almost) stand up to the Trappist and Abbey ales produced in Belgium. It's a trend I can get behind. Look, I love wine, but in nine out of ten situations, my taste buds cry out for hops rather than grapes. It sounds like more than a few Italians agree with me, and the area around Milan is now dotted with breweries and brewpubs that cater to a new and sophisticated class of beer drinkers. You're unlikely to find a table of lager louts at Enoteca Decanter, a beer-themed restaurant in the city, but you will find special food and beer pairings that run from bitter to smokey to sweet and back again. And there's nothing wrong with happy hour at Birrificio Lambrate, where stylish locals and visitors enjoy small plates of zucchini, pizza, fava beans, and fennel salad with samplers of Piedmont beers. For the serious beer geek, there's Casa Baladin, a brewpub and guest house in Piozzo where beer specifically takes the place of wine with dishes such as wild boar seared in cognac, which is paired with a complex barleywine-style beer. If this trend continues, we might just see an Italian brew poured alongside the Flemish, Walloon, and Lambic options at Spuyten Duyvil.

[Photo: The New York Times]

Related Stories:
· Savoring Italy, One Beer at a Time [The New York Times]
· Beer Travel Coverage [Jaunted]