Some tourist pictures of Aberdeen (Hong Kong)

A couple of touristy photos I took. No beer involved. In fact the only beer that day was a couple bottles of Tsingtao with dinner.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Aberdeen Harbor -- old and new

East End Brewery, Quarry Bay (Updated)

Entrance to the East End Brewery, Quarry Bay

This pub (it's not really a brewery) has pretty much the same beers as the Hong Kong Brewhouse, only it's air conditioned -- an important thing when the heat index is over 120!

The beer list

Unlike most of the places I've been so far in HK, westerners are in the majority. My contact here in HK said it is pretty much an ex-pat hangout.

The first beer was a Hong Kong Beer because I needed something cold and refreshing. Quickly that was followed by an Aldrich Bay Pale Ale.

Aldrich Bay Pale Ale

It is a nice British style pale ale, with a nice "cracker" taste and lighter on the hops than the American version.

I started talking with Alistair from Melbourne (Australia, not Florida) who is a fellow beer geek in town on business. It turns out he is headed to Bamberg (as well as Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin) this summer so I gave him some not to miss places. He told me the Melbourne craft brew scene was fairly active with a lot of good new breweries, but he is particular impressed with the craft beers of New Zealand -- I sense maybe a future beer trip!

Earlier I did stop by their other locations in the Causeway Bay district. They weren't yet open but it seemed to be pretty much of clone of the Quarry Bay operation.

East End Brewery, Causeway Bay

I'll leave you with some more tourist photos. I made the obligatory trip via the Peak Tramway to the the top of Victoria Peak. Great views, but a real tourist trap -- the highest restaurant in the "Tower" on top was the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company -- real authentic Hong Kong cuisine there. It was a very hazy day -- on a clear dear it would be awesome.

View from the Peak

They also have these funny looking double decker streetcars. They are so narrow and high it looks like a strong wind would blow them over...



By the way, that high rise in the backround is undergoing some renovation, hence the green covering. The scaffolding is made of bamboo -- up over 20 stories! I'd read about that but it is impressive to see.

Hong Kong Brew House (Updated)

The entrance

I got waylaid on my way here so I'm about 3 hours late. The address is that of a high rise building, but the pub is around back on basically an alley and a good view of a street called Lan Kwai Fong which is full of pubs and nightclubs. It could be a great place to people watch.

The Bar

This is not an actaul brewery but more of a tap room for the Hong Kong Brewing Company.
In addition to three beers from HKBC the have Stella, Leffe Blond and Hoegaaeden on draft. The bottle is decent , with lots of Belgians -- a 750ml Chimay Blue for US$12 and a magnum for about $30. Magnums of Duvel for the same.

But it is about 90 degrees and 90% humidity and no air con so I went with a glass of Hong Kong Beer -- a nice pale lager that is just a few IBU's short of Pilsener but very refreshing.

Hong Kong Beer

Other house beers are Too Soo Brew and Aldrich Bay Pale Ale. The menu lists a seasonal but none was available today.

More later, my beer is getting warm!

Update: I was in need of food, so I took a look at the menu and its one that could be found at any pub in US: Burgers, pizza, some pasta and BBQ (ribs and chicken). Not what I came to Hong Kong to eat, so I had a bowl of soup (New England Clam Chowder) and some calamari. Both where very good and a bit spicy - which is different for the soup but it worked. Of course I had to have another beer, so I had a Too Soo Brew. It is a tad darker and maltier than the Hong Kong Beer and less bitter but a bit of hop flavor in the finish. A very nice beer.

Too Soo Brew

I probably should have had a full glass of the Aldrich Bay Pale Ale but when they gave me a sample it was a bit warmer -- not bad because it is an ale and should be served warmer -- but with the heat and humidity I wanted something cold.

I'll leave you with some photos I took on the way over. I am staying in Kowloon but the Brewhouse is on Hong Kong Island, so I took the Star Ferry over. Talk about a time warp -- it looks as if it is unchanged for the past 100 years. And the fare at HK$1.80 (about a quarter US) is also a blast from the past...

Star Ferry with Hong Island in the background

I've been involved with sign ordinances in a couple of cities in the LA basin. It's clear they don't have issues here as business seem to just extend their signs as far as they like -- even completely across the street.

Arrived in Hong Kong

It was an exhausting trip and a really short connection in Tokyo because our flight was late, but everything went smoothly in Hong Kong and I am calling it a night here.

Tomorrow: Hopefully the Hong Kong Brewhouse.

On my way...

... but the first flight is running over an hour late so it'll be a tight connection on Tokyo.

-- Post From My iPhone

Travel, but not much beer.

Some of you may be familiar with the concept of a "Mileage Run" but for those of you who aren't here is more information that you probably want to know...

There are crazy people out there (yours truly included) who sometimes get on a plane just to earn frequent flyer miles. Sometimes it is to earn "redeemable miles" -- those you can later turn in for a free ticket, but more often it is for "status miles" -- also called BIS Miles ("Butt in Seat") -- of which the more you earn in a year, the higher your ranking in the frequently flyer program.

Now with a "true" mileage run you never leave the airport -- you arrive at your destination and kill some time until the return flight leaves on you hop aboard. I tried that once and it wasn't all that fun for me. Plus it raises some embarrassing questions when the flight attendant recognizes you and says "weren't you just on this flight" and you have to explain that you are one of those crazy people who ride airplanes for fun.

So I an not a purist and try and spend a day or two or three somewhere interesting when doing a mileage. A couple of times there have been quick trips to Düsseldorf for Sticke beer at Uerige and once it was to go to an Old Ale Festival at the White Horse Pub in Parsons Green, London.

Anyway, this weekend I am going to Hong Kong -- not particularly well known for beer, but its a place I've always wanted to visit so when the opportunity came for a mileage run, I jumped on it. There are a couple of pubs with names like "Hong Kong Brewhouse" and "East End Brewery" so I'll visit those and check them out (and report back). Must mostly I'll be a tourist wandering around the city and eating very well.

So watch this space...

Apologies

A combination of poor weather (not much bike riding), a harder class (more homework) and clients back home with problems have kept me from keeping current. With what spare time I had I could either work on the blog or drink beer. Guess which won? Plus, if I didn't drink beer the blog would be fairly boring ("Today, after washing my hair, for breakfast I had ...")

I'll upload some pictures and fill in the text as I have time...

Tuesday, May 12

One brewery in the area I had never visited was Brauerei Weber in Röbersdorf. Its about 22km by bike from Bamberg. I had a test in school Wednesday morning, but I was going crazy studying, so I decided to ride down to check it out. It started raining, I sort of got lost (missed a turn and went the long way) got a flat tire, but all in all it was a fun day. Oh, yeah, the beer was great too. While riding back along the Main/Danube canal a river cruise ship went by.

Sunday, May 10

Rittmayer and Friel Kellers on the Kreuzberg, the Roppelt Keller in Stiebarlimbach, the Leiberth Dorfkeller in Hallendorf and the Witzgall keller in Schlammersdorf. All great beer (and one great fish)

Saturday, May 9

In the afternoon the school organized a bike ride to the Schmausen Keller, outside of Reundorf. This is the keller of Brauerei Müller (in Reundorf) and is famous for one of the most scenic views of any bierkeller in the area. Plus the beer is fairly good, too.

I started off the day with a visit to the new Fässla Keller, formerly the Maisel Keller, located adjacent to the now closed Maisel brewery on Moostrasse in Bamberg.


Along the way to Reundorf, we crossed the Regnitz river in a ferry that is primarily for bicycles (pedestrians are allowed, but its a long way from anyplace that regular pedestrians would go)




When we got back to Bamberg it was still light, so we headed to Spezial Keller on the Stephansberg to watch the sunset. As the sun was setting a hot air balloon floated by...



I waited too long at the Spezial Keller because it started to storm -- thunder and lightning and heavy rail. On the way home I had to run from pub to pub during the lulls. It took me a long time to get home.

Thursday, May 7

Oh Glorious Day!

It was warm and sunny, a perfect day for a ride. I headed off to Memelsdorf, about 9 km away and home to two breweries, Brauerei Höhn and Brauerei Drei Kronen. Brauerei Höhn is notible in that they still use a wood fired brew kettle. But since I could only stop at one brewery on the way out, I left if for a possible stop on they way back and went to Drei Kronen instead.

As I pulled up to the garden in the rear, Herr Straub came out and greated me warmly (I think he recognized the bicycle). I asked about his daughter, (who is in training to be a brewer) and he said she was in Switzerland teaching them how to brew Franconian beers.

I ordered some lunch and a Hefe-Pils (unfiltered Pils).

Drei Kronen Hefe-Pils

It was a good starter beer for the day, a nice bitterness and a little bit of character from the yeast.

Next it was off to Merkendorf, about 5 km from Memmelsdorf, mostly a gentle uphill. Merkendorf also has two breweries: Brauerei Hummel and (another) Brauerei Wagner.

You come to Hummel first. This brewery does a wide variety of beers, include a great smoked double bock for Lent. Their kellerbier is one of my favorites and sadly seems to be no longer available on draft in Bamberg.

Hummel Kellerbier from Merkendorf

Off in the corner of the courtyard where the biergarten is I noticed a couple of bicycle wheels attached to the balcony. It turns out Brauerei Hummel hosts a bicycle club that is having their 100th anniversary next weekend. I wonder if they brewed a special beer?



Looking around the courtyard some more I noiticed a sign I missed on the way in -- Maibock! So I had to have one.

Hummel Maibock

It was a nice Maibock, but I think the Mönchsambacher was better -- this one was a bit too sweet in the finish. But I had no problem finishing it.

Down the street a bit, around the corner from the local church is the second brewery, Brauerei Wagner. They have nice tree shade table out front, where I ususally sit in warmer weather.


I went inside to the window and ordered an Ungespundetes. A nice refreshing beer after the long, tiring 300m ride from the last brewery.


I particularly like the mosaic as you walk into to the brewey (having the same initials, FW)


While there they were moving cases of beer from one side of the brewery to the other. I tried to get him to leave me so, but had no success.


Well, I'm late for a beer, so I'll have to finish this text later, but I'll leave you with a couple more pictures...

Wednesday, May 6

Wednesday found it still threatening rain, but it warmed up a bit in the afternoon so I went for a ride.

I rode along the Mhain river to the village of Viereth. There is a brewery here, Brauerei Mainlust but I am not a big fan of their beers, finding them a bit thin and weak. A bit inland from Viereth is Weiher, home of the much better Brauerei Kundmüller. But I wasn't ready for a beer yet -- I wanted to ride some more first, so I cross over the Main to the north bank and rode back towards Bamberg. Nearby was one of the many breweries named Wagner, this one in Oberhaid. Again, its not one of my favorites so I continued on to Dörfleins, home of Brauerei Eichhorn.

Brauerei Eichhorn, Dörfleins

They brew a very, very nice Kellerbier. When Stöhenkeller on the Stephansberg first opened this was one of their regular beers and I spent many a night drinking it.

It is asparagus ("Spargel") season here, so I had a bowl of "Spargelsuppe" to go with the beer. But I was so thirsty the beer was gone by the time the soup came so in order to be polite I ordered another. It was as good as the first.

Eichhorn Kellerbier (trust me)

They use unadorned Krüge and the beer coaster I was given was for the weizenbier so I didn't put it in the picture. So you'll have to trust me on this one.

After the beer it was a short 9 km ride back to the apartment. I went at a little faster pace than usual -- though still slow by any rational standard -- so a short nap was in order.

After the nap I took a quick ride down to Mahrs Bräu for a couple mugs of "U" and I nice talk with Stephan Michel, the head brewmaster and future owner.

Total distance riden was only 30km but it was a hard day for this trip (since I still had homework to do).

Tuesday, May 5

The weather ended up threatening all afternoon, so I didn't go for a ride, but was just lazy, reading and doing a little work for clients back in the US.

I went to Schlenkera for a nice dinner of smoked trout (and smoked beer, of course) and afterwards met a couple of gentleman from Scotland making their first trip to Bamberg. It turns out they had printouts from my website with them so we were soon great friends.

Hopefully the weather will ease up a bit Wednesday. I may go for a short ride anyway -- those breweries aren't going to visit themselves.

Monday, May 4 (Updated)

Well, school started to day so the vacation is over. But it only lasted until about 2:30 so there was time to get in a short ride. It was threatening rain, so I did want to go to far. A bit north of Bamberg is the village of Kemmern and one of the three breweries in the area named Wagner.

I headed out, but was dreaming of that first beer and missed my turn and ended up in the harbor area. Needless to say, they don't get many bicycles there and so it took a while to find my way to the right direction.

When I arrived the sun was shining enough that the beer garden was open so I sat outside. They have three beers on tap today a Schwarzbier and Hefeweizen on regular draft and a pils from a gravity barrel. I started with the Schwarzbier - it was dark brown and malty. Sort of on the border between a standard dunkles and a schwarzbier. Very drinkable and was soon gone. Beer number two is the pils. This is one of my favorite beers around here -- clean and crisp with enough hop bitterness that you know its not a helles. I want to have another but if I do I'll won't be able to stop at another brewery on the way home. What a dilemma!

Pils from Brauerei Wagner, Kemmern

(I appolgize for the picture quality -- I left my camera in my room and took this with my laptop's web cam)

Update: Well as a wise man once said "Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance" -- I forgot that Brauerei Eichhorn in Dörfleins is closed on Mondays. But it added a few km to my ride and it didn't rain so I'm not complaining too much. For consolation I went to Spezial for dinner and had both and "U" and the lagerbier (rauchbier). Yumm.

Sunday, May 3

The plan for today is Geisfeld (two breweries), Rossdorf on Forst for the Braunbier at Brauerei Sauer and then back to Bamberg, hopefully in time for an Ottobier at Stihlbruch.

If you head for Mahrs/Keesmann and keep going on Wunderberg it becomes Geisfelder Strasse. Its a simple ride (in terms of directions) and only about 6 mi. However there is about a 100 ft climb. Since most of my riding is on the beach in LA I am a little out of condition for hills. But I made to the top of the big hill just outside of Geisfeld, but the bench at the top was most welcome. You have a great view of both Bamberg on Geisfeld

View of Bamberg from outside Giesfeld

View of Geisfeld from the same hill

Friday outside Brauerei Krug, Geisfeld

Lunch at Brauerei Krug: Schinken mit Ei and Krug Rauchbier.

Off to Griess Keller (Brauerei Griess) for a couple beers and then to Rossdorf.

Saturday, May 2

It is a gorgeous day, though it looks like it might rain tonight. After getting my chores done (putting the bike together, grocery shopping, etc.) I started off for a ride. My initial goal was Cafe Abseits for a Mönchsambacher Maibock, but I had to ride by Spezial so I stopped for a bowl of soup and a beer. The beer was as wonderful as ever so I had another.

Lunch at Spezial

Bike Friday at Spezial

Then it was off to Cafe Abseits. Since the weather is nice the biergarten was open. My original idea was to have the Lager first then the Maibock, but I was feeling (just a bit) the two beers at Spezial so I went straight for the Maibock. It was wonderful. Slightly hazy (all their beers are unfiltered) and a pleasant touch of sweetness in the finish to go with enough bitterness so you want another sip. And the alcohol was well hidden. It would be too easily to drink two or three of these and then fall off your chair.

Mönschambacher Maibock

The Garden at Cafe Abseits

After suitable rest, I decided to be a bit more adverertous for my first day (I had planned to just ride around town). I came to the Regnitz and took the river bike train south towards Hirschaid.

I am out of shape in more ways than one -- a knee injury and bad weather (by LA standards) had kept me off my bike for a while so my conditioning was off. And I haven't done much in the way of beer/bike combo's recently either, so I was feeling the beer. And I've lost all the calouses on my butt so it was complaining as well. But its a beautiful day and there is beer to be drunk so I am pushing on. At least I wasn't passed by little old ladies on the way home from the market -- that is embarrassing.

Brauerei Kraus in Hirschaid has a nice beer garden out back. But trees are shedding and I while I have a cover (bierdeckel) for my beer, I have nothing for my keyboard. Very irritating.

Lagerbier (you have to trust me) from Brauerei Kraus in Hirschaid

The Garden at Brauerei Kraus, Hirschaid

I am off to Buttenheim to one (or both of the kellers there). I may wimp out and take the train back. Depends on how many beers :)

Update: It started raining fairly hard when I reached the Buttenheim train station (which is not actually in Buttenheim). Ducked in to a pub across the street (serving Löwenbräu Buttenheim) to escape the rain. While there a couple of hiking Brits came in, also seeking shelter from the elements and it turns out the had a copy of my "Beer Drinker's Guide to Bamberg." The world is small and its even smaller when I tell you the "rest of the story" in another post."

Löwenbräu Buttenheim Lagerbier

The Gaststätte where I shelter from the rain

Oh, I ended up taking the train back to Bamberg. But I did pennance by stopping at Fässla for a beer on the way back from the train station.

Fässla Pils

First Bock Beer in Bamberg

OK, this is getting boring but I am jet lagged and inebriated and in Bamberg -- a deadly combination.





The Maibock from Klosterbraeu. A little rougher in the finish than years past, but still too drinkable for a 7% beer.

-- Post From My iPhone

First Bamberg Beer in Bamberg

It's a Schlenkerla, if you couldn't tell.





-- Post From My iPhone

First beer in Bamberg...

... and it's not from Bamberg. Fischer Freudeneck.

At Mondschein Blaue Glocke on Sandstrasse. (the are next door to one another. And beer was Bayerische Anstich, btw)



-- Post From My iPhone

Bamberg Here I Come

Sorry for the light posting -- thanks to LewBrew for putting something up for you to read.

In the morning I am off for a three week visit to the Capital City of German Beer -- no not Munich you tourist -- it's Bamberg.

The first couple of weeks I will be spending the mornings going to German school. If the afternoons, weather permitting, se be spent riding my Bike Friday to nearby breweries and bier kellers (if you don't know what a Franconian Bierkeller is, hang on, you'll get educated next week -- it may not be what you think it is). If you ever thought about learning German or just improving what you learned way back in school, I can highly recommend Bamberg as a place to learn, as well as Sprachinstitüt Treffpunkt as a school.

Evenings will be spent enjoying the local culture -- hanging out in one of the 9 breweries in town (OK, I'll only be visiting 8 as the last one, Kaiserdom, is a large industrial brewery that brews quite ordinary beers, at least by Bamberg standards).

After two weeks of school, I'll hopefully spend the final week riding my bike around to places I missed the first two weeks. Joining me will be my (non-beer-drinking) better half, Pat (a/k/a She Who Must Be Obeyed) so we may be heavier on bicycling and lighter on breweries. Worth it, in any case.

So watch this space...