A friends wedding created the perfect excuse to take a leisurely week-long trip through the Rhone Valley to experience this region for the first time.
travel
A Visit to La Cité du Chocolat Valrhona
Whilst in the midst of a scorching heatwave, you’d think chocolate would be the last thing on the mind.
Heineken Experience, Amsterdam
I’d never been to the ‘Heineken Experience’ before, despite having visited Amsterdam a several times. I’d not really been too bothered by it on previous visits to the city, but I did have some questions. How does it compare to the Guinness Storehouse? How does it compare to a tour of a small craft beer […]
Whitstable: For the Love of Oysters
In recent years something happened which I did not think would ever happen. I developed a fondness for oysters. It really started at Top of the Hops’ wedding just outside Bordeaux. But where’s good for oysters back in the UK? Whitstable in Kent, of course. Situated on the Thames estuary in Northern Kent, it’s well […]
Discovering Gehry at the Marqués de Riscal Winery
You’ll know if you’ve seen a Gehry designed building.
Inspired by their surroundings and purpose, they are almost impossible to categorise.
Bintang – The Beer of Bali
Most visitors to Bali will have drunk at least one Bintang, a beer synonymous with Indonesia. In fact, I drunk more Bintang than I can count during my two weeks on the beautiful island. This was mostly in part to enthusiastic binging during a 2-day Stag event – I was in Bali for my brother […]
A Few Days Eating and Drinking in Venice
Ah, Venice. Known for water, romance, the rats in Indiana Jones and tourists being fleeced. I treated my wife to the trip as a birthday treat, partly to make up for last years gifts which included a lovely of a pair of socks.. and also so we could marvel at the Queen of the Adriatic […]
Nao Brewery Interview and Beer Tasting
The Nao brewery on Lanzarote, is one of the few breweries on the island, and creates more unusual styles which are not seen very often on the Canaries. After tasting the beers I was interested in finding out more about the brewery, so I got in touch, and Miguel from Nao has kindly answered the […]
Malpeis Brewery and Taproom, Lanzarote
Lanzarote, a volcanic island in the Atlantic is known for it’s arid conditions and unusual volcanic soil. These conditions serve as inspiration and a basis for the names of beers produced at the Malpeis Brewery, located in the heart of Tinajo town. The reddish volcanic soil is known as Bermeja, and there’s of course white sands […]
Where to Drink the Best Craft Beer in Porto
Before arriving in Porto I booked a running tour around the city as part of Training for the London Marathon. The guide runner, Sergio, has since given told me a useful nuance about ordering beer on tap in Portugal: Porto: “Um fino, por favor Lisbon: “Uma imperial, por favor” The standard “Uma Cerveja” will work in […]