Sorry for the lack of posting...

...but I've come down with a bug and haven't taken many photos or done much.

I will update after I'm back in LA.

Thanks for reading...

A visit to Westmalle

Just the cafe across the from the abbey, not the actual monastery and brewery. But first, a shot of the Antwerp Cathedral.

Antwerp Cathederal

We stopped for pre trip freshener at Oud Arsenaal. A bolleke of DeKonnick, of course.

The gang at Oud Arsenaal

There was an ad for a beer called Hopus so we had to try it. Not only did it have a cool glass, there was a separate shot glass for the yeast.

Hopus, with the yeast shot.

Drew downing the yeast shot

We walked to the bus station and caught the 417 bus to Westmalle.

Cafe Trappisten, across from the Abbey of Westmalle

Double and Triple (of course), No Westmalle Extra (the monk's single) though

For desert -- Trappist Ice Cream. Heavenly.

The front gate to the grounds.

Trappist cows?

What you can see of the abbey from the road.

Off for one last session at the Kulminator.

Day trip to Ghent...

or Gent or Gand. Confusing for a city to have three different spellings. But now matter how you spell it, it was picked as the best beer city in Belgium by Tim Webb in his latest "Good Beer Guide to Belgium." If I wasn't so fond of the Kulminator, it might become my hub city for Belgium. It was Sunday, so a few places weren't open and they are a late starting bunch in Ghent -- most pubs don't open until 3:00 or 4:00pm. First stop was the Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (or just the Bierhuis for short).

Waterhuis ann de Bierkant

The gang waiting for our first beer

Round 1. We mostly had one of the 3 house beers.

One of the two giant bowls of frites that came with our Gentse Stoverij (beef stew)

Some wanted to sight see, so Tom and I went to the next place, Dulle Greive on the Frijdagmarkt (Friday Market Square)

Dulle Greive

St Bernardus Prior (8) and The Dulle Greive Blond (house beer)

The Dulle Greive Blond, Dulle Teve and aged (1 year) Orval.

After we got tired of waiting for the other group, we went on to Aba Jour and had a Moinette Blonde (brewed by DuPont)

Moinette Blonde

We finally got a call from the Lost Boys -- they had gotten lost but found a pub, the Trollekelder (Troll Cave) so we met them there.

Trollekelder

The gang at the Trollekelder

I'll leave you with some pictures of Ghent. It is a very pretty city and there is much to do for both the beer drinker and non-beer drinker. So go check it out next time you are in Belgium.

A Night at the Kulminator

The high point of the night was a tasting of 10 different years of Stille Nacht (from De Dolle): 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 1999, 1996, 1984, 1982.

Preparing the beers

All ready to drink. Tom is patient.

Another view of the bottles and beer

All lined up and ready to drink

The label was falling off on the 1984.

The last round of the hard core who where left.

A nice Irish couple we shared our table with.

Day trip to Brussels

We went in to Brussels for the day to get our sour beer fix. A La Becasse, Cantillon and Chez Moeder Lambic.

If you don't know where to look for A La Becasse, you'll probably miss it

This narrow alley and the mosaic are all you see from the street.

The Lambic here is served in a traditional pitcher. Lambic Doux, Kreik and Lambic Blanc

The gang enjoying the lambic

We then went to the Anderlecht district of Brussels to visit the Cantillon Brewery. I didn't take pictures because I have a ton from previous visits.

Entrance to the brewery

Ian and Tim enjoying the after tour tasting session.

Next it was Chez Moeder Lambic, my favorite pub in the Brussels. Its located in the St Giles district. They are opening a new, much larger pub in central Brussels, but we missed the opening by a week.

Moeder Lambic

The gang enjoying round 1

Even in Belgium the beer can be too cold!

Taras Boulba from Brasserie de la Senne

A delivery van from Cantillon pulled up while we were there. They almost got a ticket for parking in a crosswalk.

Saison de la Senne -- a mix of Taras Bulba and Cantillon lambic. Delicious.

Antwerpen

On Thursday we left Düsseldorf (and Germany) and headed for Belgium. We had a problem in Dordrecht where the train to Antwerp was late and then changed tracks without an announcement, so we got in a bit later than expected.

The gang waiting on the platform in Düsseldorf

Ian, Tim and Drew kicking back on the train

Antwerpen Central train station. The prettiest in Europe (that I've seen)

The Kulminator -- the center of the beer universe for many beer geeks.

Drew and Ian enjoying their first beer.

Our blind Triple tasting

The results. I am sad to say we didn't do very well. Triple Moine was the favorite

Eight years of Chimay waiting for us (1994 - 2008)

All lined up and ready to drink.

The just released Rodenbach Vintage 2007. Yummy.

Obligatory non beer picture -- statue of a dead guy

Train station from the outside (at a distance)

Ian continues his fascination with giant plastic farm animals

Day Trip to Cologne

Plans changed and we have to take an earlier train, so no time to edit or even arrange the pictures in order. So enjoy our trip to Cologne without commentary.

Sticke Day, Part 2

I was too busy eating, drinking and talking to take many pictures of our evening Sticke session, but here is what I have.

zum Uerige

The back table: Erik, Bob, Drew and Ian (and Django's arm)

Table level view of stickebier

Andreas, Mannfred, Karin, Gunner, Travis, Sam and Paul

Ian about to attack his Schweinehaxe

Hilmar, our waiter and the gang,

Tim, Luis and Larry

A quick tour of Uerige

For now, just the pictures for you to enjoy. I'll annotate when I have time. Right now it will cut into my beer drinking.

Sticke Day, Part 1

A number of us met for our traditional 9:30am Sticke day last taste of the regular Alt at the Carsch Haus department store mini-Uerige.

Tomm, Luis, Jim and Tom enjoying a last (of the day) regular Uerige alt.

Today, Sticke!

I love this big old copper door.

The first sticke.

We toast ourselves for being here today.

The gang drinking sticke

The obligitory Luis drinking beer photo.

Then John Byzek, an American brewer who works at Uerige (started on the January Sticke day) can by and offered us a tour. That was about the only thing that could stop us drinking. So we toured.

xx

Arrived in Düsseldorf...

...after many problems with the train. Deutche Bahn has gone way downhill from the days where you could set your watch by them. But we arrived. And I was glad to see the usual sign telling us we didn't get our dates wrong.

"Tomorrow, Sticke" -- the only advance notice of the special beer.

The gang has their first Uerige of the trip, the first every for many.

The gang toasting Mary Fraser (Ian's wife) for being the first (and only) person to call us while we stood at the webcam.

Tomm, Tom and Drew having a Killipitsch night cap

Bamberg Day 3

This was Larry's only real awake day in Bamberg, So we went back to Klosterbräu and Schlenkerla so he could taste the beers there. Had lunch at the Kachelofen with a St Georgen Kellerbier. Then we meet for dinner with some local friends at Spezial. All in all, a good day.

Klosterbräu Braunbier and Schwärzla

Jim and Larry enjoying a braunbier

Tom and Jim at having lunch at the Kachelofen

Sam and Larry waiting for their food.

Lisolette, Sam and Larry at Spezial

Larry, Travis, Tom and Paul at Spezial

Tom, Paul and Ruth (and Gunner's hands) at Spezial

The whole gang.

I'll leave you with some tourist, non-beer photos of Bamberg...

Bamberg Day 2

The plan for the day was have a warm up beers at Spezial to fortify us for the walk to Cafe Abseits and while we waited for Larry to arrive, lunch and bock bier at Cafe Abseits and then dinner at Fässla. All went according to plan, except I forgot to take my camera to dinner.

Spezial Lagerbier

Our first round -- Mönchsambacher Lager, Huppendorfer Vollbier and Fischer Bock

Jim, Luis and Mimi
Paul, Tom and a jet-lagged Larry
Gerhard (the proprietor), Sam and Travis

Benediktator, a special beer brewed for the Brewery Museum

A special Mönchsambacher amber lager

Weiherer Bock from Brauerei Kundmüller

Bock from Haubräu Stegaurach

Internet Problems, again.

Both of my 3G modems (I brought a backup) are acting flakey. It may be a problem with my laptop. So not much to show you except we've been drinking lots of good beer in Bamberg.

Bamberg Day 1

We met for a beer at Fässla, then walked down to Keesmann to try their bockbier. It was very good, as usuall.

Tom, Luis and Jim enjoying a Keesmann Bock

Travis and Sam with a Herren Pils and Bock, respectively

When then crossed the street to Mahrs Bräu and had a few warm up Helles before they tapped the bock. The place gets very crowded so we went early to get a place in the Schwemme (hallway).

The gang in the Schwemme at Mahrs.

When the bock came, the first barrel was very over-carbonated and it was about 10 minutes before beers could be poured. It too was a pale bock, not as hoppy as the Keesmann but very drinkable.

After a couple of bocks, the place got really crowded so we walked back to the old town and had dinner and beers at Klosterbräu. The Braubier was on -- that is, it was good. It occasionally has a bit of a soapy taste that is not enjoyable, but tonight it was perfect.

Satuday is a visit to Cafe Abseits.

Prague to Bamberg, with a stop in Plzen

We hired a van to take the 7 of us to Bamberg, it seemed simpler than taking the train. Plus they offered a stop over in Plzen to take the Pilsener Urquell tour.

Unfortunately, they charged extra if you wanted to take pictures, so we nominated Luis to be official photographer. I'll post them when I get copies.

The main gate at the Pilsener Urquell Brewery

Vending machine in the lobby -- you had to swipe your passport to get beer.

The new brewhouse builiding, Very modern and very large.

Lunch at the attached restaurant with Uquell, Gambrinus, Master and Kozel beers

The gang finishing lunch

The weather was bad (snow and rain) and we hit bad traffic around Nürnberg and so we didn't get in to Bamberg until 7pm. We had dinner and a few beers at Spezial and then wandered over to Schlenkerla to try the Ur-Bock (it was very good) and then up the hill to Stöhrenkeller for a nightcap of Eichhorn Kellerbier from Dörfleins.

I won't have to many pictures of Bamberg, because I have taken so many before. Check some of the previous posts taked with "Bamberg" if you want more pictures.

Prague, Day 2

Some pictures from our second full day in Prague.

Richter Brewery (a/k/a Pivovar u Bulkovy) in the suburb of Liben

Four beers from Rickter: Unfiltered Lager, Bock, Weizenbier, Amber Lager and the Lager again.

Novomestsky Pivovar (New Town Brewery) the oldest "modern brewpub" in Prague

Mimi and Luis with a Svetly Lezak and Tmavy Lezak from Novomestsky

Pivovarsky Dum

The sampler of 8 beers at Pivovarsky Dum. The green one at the top is a Nettle beer

Jim and Mimi at Pivovarsky Klub, where we went for our last dinner

Drinking Beer in Prague

Some pictures of our first days in Prague. I haven't figured out how to do the Czech special characters on my keyboard, so many names are technically misspelled.

Restaurant and Brewery U Medvidku

Jim, Fred, Tom and Luis drinking at the Pivni Bar at U Medvidku

Obligatory photo of the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle

Pivovarsky Klub -- Beer bar, beer store and restaurant

Tom and Luis studying the beers from Pivovarsky Klub

Jim Drinking a Budweiser Bürgerbräu -- the other, other Budweiser

Prvni Pivni Tramway -- literally at the end of Tram 11

Luis, Mimi, Ruth, Paul and Fred at the Tramway

A great reflection of an old building in a new. A perfect description of Prague

Internet Problems

The hotel in Prague has a very flakey to non-existent internet connection, so I have not been posting. I haven't done much new, so you can read the details of my March trip -- its about the same :)

I will update as best I can and will do a full update when we get to Bamberg at weeks end...

First Beers in Prague

Around the corner from our hotel is U Medvidku -- a Budejovicky Budvar house plus a brewpub upstairs.

We had 3 kinds of Budvar plus two house beers. A good start.


-- Post From My iPhone