Top 10 beer trips – hop to it!
ALL hail the ale! Beer is the hippest drink in the world right now, with craft breweries springing up everywhere.
We asked ROD JONES, beer sommelier at London brewery Meantime, to pick his top ten hop trips.
1. Munich, Germany
THE Bavarian city of Munich tops the bucket list for many beer lovers. And no wonder.
As one of the world’s brewing capitals, everything here beer-related is on a giant scale. Visit during Oktoberfest, or any other time for that matter, and you won’t be short of things to see, do . . . or drink.
Munich’s centre is walkable and retains some small-town charm. It boasts numerous galleries and the palatial Residenz Museum is a great way to spend a couple of hours.
My top pick to stop for a Mass (a one-litre mug of beer) is the Augustiner-Keller beer garden, one of the oldest in Munich.
Surrounded by chestnut trees, this is a beautiful getaway to enjoy a litre of Augustiner Edelstoff from the traditional oak barrel.
2. Seattle, United States
THE Yakima Valley near Seattle in the US is one of the world’s most celebrated hop growing regions.
It inspired the name of our own Meantime Yakima Red ale, which uses five varieties of hops sourced from the area.
The closest major city is Seattle, the home of exciting breweries such as Elysian Brewing.
3. Brussels, Belgium
IF you are after something a little different, Brussels is home to some of the most distinctive, quirky, and downright weird beers in the world.
The only way to truly get under the skin of the city is through some well-considered drinking.
With no beer quite like the last, the many city bars, cafes and restaurants serve up glass after glass of beer styles that range from Amber and Blonde Ales through to Flemish Reds, Pilsners, Saisons, Trappist ales, fruit beers, Triples and wheat beers (to name but a few).
With museums offering some cultural respite, the ultimate drinking spot is Mort Subite — a classic Belgian beer cafe where very little has changed since it opened in 1928, with wooden tables, arched giant mirrors and amusingly abrupt service.
4. Salzburg, Austria
STUNNINGLY picturesque Salzburg is just across the border from Germany.
Famous as the home of Mozart (and The Sound of Music), the city is located on the banks of the Salzach River and dominated by the Altstadt’s, or Old Town’s, awe-inspiring domes and spires.
With a bit of exploring to be done, head to Getreidegasse’s meandering side streets and enjoy coffee and cake, or a beer in one of the many beer halls. Check out the cavernous halls and extensive beer garden that make up the Augustiner Bräustübl, where beer is poured into stoneware litre mugs to accompany gigantic pretzels.
It is without doubt one of Europe’s greatest beer temples.
5. Bamberg, Germany
HOME to seven world-class small independent breweries — Fässla, Spezial, Mahrs, Kleesmann, Klosterbrau, Schlenkerla and Greifenklau.
They all brew magnificent beers including the world famous Rauchbier or smoked beer.
But the best place to sample it is the ancient Schlenkerla beer hall serving Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier — a wonderfully weird smoky bacon-flavoured beer.
With a Seidla (stoneware mug) or two under your belt, a wander around the city is a must. It is genuinely beautiful with its seven hills, canals, rivers and narrow medieval streets.
And the 13th century Bamberger Dom (cathedral) is also the only place in the world where both a Pope and a Holy Roman Emperor are buried.
6. Portland, Oregon, US
ACROSS the Atlantic in Oregon is the city of Portland, one of the key cities that played a major role in the development of American craft beer.
There’s a lively yet mellow vibe to this urban metropolis. Downtown Portland is outstanding with its pretty neighbourhoods and interesting characters. The mix of liberal left leaning inhabitants support everything from book clubs and coffeehouses to craft beer bars and brewpubs.
A breeding ground for interesting breweries, Portland has housed the likes of Bridgeport Brewing and Widmer Brothers Brewing, as well as watering holes like the always outstanding Horse Brass pub that has been designed in the traditional “English-style” pub aesthetic.
Billed as serving “proper 20oz Imperial pints” alongside hearty British and American grub, you will be spoilt for choice of beers.
7. San Francisco, US
A BIG beery nod must go to San Francisco, one of the cities where the American craft beer revolution really began.
With sightseeing at the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Pier 39 and Coit Tower out of the way, time must be saved for drinks at some of the many bars and restaurants scattered around the city.
Boasting the most restaurants and farmers’ markets per capita in the entire US, gastronomes here are never at a loose end.
But the jewel in the foodie crown is the Anchor Brewery Tasting Rooms.
Here you can really get a handle on the centuries-old craft brewing traditions, along with a big helping of San Francisco history.
One way or another you will leave the Anchor Brewery with the craft beer ethos running through your veins.
8. Regensburg, Germany
THE first capital of Bavaria and the residence of German royalty ranging from dukes to kings and bishops, the city’s unique history is reflected in the wonderful architecture — yet it remains a laid-back and unpretentious place that opens the door to uncovering the region more widely.
You can join a city bike tour, go shopping or even spend the day in the pub — there is a myriad of things to do. Regensburg is home to a couple of the region’s smaller and more interesting breweries, and the best spot in the city has to perhaps be the world’s most beautiful beer garden, the Spitalgarten, on the banks of the Danube, with its beautiful views of the Stone Bridge and cathedral.
Its draft beers, a fine Dunkel (dark lager) and a Bavarian golden lager, are tapped from tanks within the brewery and drunk less than 50 yards from where they are brewed.
9. London, UK
HOME to my own Meantime Brewery in Greenwich, of course, London remains one of my favourite beer cities in the world.
The sheer number of bars, restaurants and pubs serving absolutely outstanding brews is something we should be proud of.
With places such as the Old Coffee House in Soho, the Holborn Whippet, Brew Wharf in Borough Market and countless others, a sense of adventure will set your head spinning.
My favourite?
Call me biased but it’s a three-way tie between The Greenwich Union, The Old Brewery and the newly launched Tasting Rooms at our brewery in Greenwich.
10. Prague, Czech Republic
A PERSONAL favourite. Home to some of the very best golden, amber and black lagers in the world.
It also boasts the unique Czech brewing culture. Down among the cobbled lanes are traditional spit-and-sawdust Czech “pivnice” and the Tankovna pubs, which serve the beer fresh, unpasteurised and unfiltered from tanks in the bar.
A must-visit is U Zlatého Tygra, or The Golden Tiger, a 14th Century tap house and the archetype of a Czech beer hall.