For the love of beer
There's something almost like falling in love about a good beer. That first pour, the head settling, the way it looks once settled. Then the romance goes on. That first sip, cold, familiar, and somehow still surprising. Then it finds its home: the pub. The smell of hops and old wood fills the air, the sound of clinking glasses and quiet chatter surrounds you. Nothing complicated, just something worth coming back to.
I've travelled to a few places around Europe, and I've been lucky enough to visit a fair share of bars, try the local beers, and pick up a bit of culture along the way.
The Netherlands
I loved my visit to the Netherlands. I'd already loved Heineken long before the trip, so drinking it in its home city felt like a given. I stayed in Amsterdam and loved the city as for beer The real highlight was outside the city, in Zaandam and Zaanse Schans, near where I was staying. The bars there were quieter, more local, less built for tourists. I ended up chatting with a few locals over a pint, and it gave me a totally different side of Dutch culture. I am really excited to visit the Netherlands again, especially areas like Rotterdam and Utrecht.
Italy
Menabrea, Peroni, Birra Moretti, to name a few of the drinks I tasted while exploring Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast. In my first year visiting Italy, I stayed in Rome; it had everything that made me fall in love with Italy. The second year, I stayed in Pompeii, and my love for Italy grew, and I always want to go back. A big highlight for me on my trip was in Pompeii. During the day, it had tourists and life, but in the evenings, because the area is relatively small and has a bigger, more lively city nearby, Naples. Most tourists leave, and the local Bars attract the locals. The B&B I stayed in had a lovely owner with a friend the owned a local bar, so I visited there often in the later evenings and enjoyed it.
Spain
Barcelona, Huge football presence, Tapas capital and great beer. Estrella Damm, Estrella Galicia, San Miguel. I found myself visiting many bars in the evenings during my exploration of the huge city of Barcelona. A beer highlight on my Barcelona trip was visiting A small restaurant run by an old couple who seemed extremely pleased that a tourist chose to eat at their restaurant, and after a generous tip, I received a Catalan flag with a bottle of San Miguel as a thank you. I tried turning it down, but they were persistent.
The United Kingdom.
My home. Pubs on almost every street corner. Cheap beer and annual beer festivals all over the country. Sadly, that statement is only half true. Pubs are shutting down at a rapid rate, beer prices continue to climb, and many annual beer festivals, including one in my city, got cancelled. Outside of the negativity, the UK is great for beer. I am lucky enough to live somewhat near two local breweries, and many towns actually have breweries, so trying something new is relatively easy. I remember back a few months, at my first Hive meetup, I had A nice pint with lunch with some great Hive users. I also think back to my London trips and visiting some historic London bars.
The love story goes on.
I can't wait to visit new places and try more local beers and enrich myself with culture. Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, etc. I also want to dive into craft beers and find more obscure local breweries in the UK.
I will wrap up my post here. Thanks for reading, and if you have any beer recommendations, do get in touch.
Disclaimer: All photos are my own unless source/stated othewise.