One man’s journey towards discovering craft beer

About a year ago, Kate and I both began the move from Galway, Ireland to Massachusetts; from my birth-country to hers. This was a big move for us both – we quit our jobs, we left our apartment, we had most of our stuff shipped in a container and the rest (that which we didn’t leave with my family, anyway) we sold or donated. We fully upheaved our lives.

So, since we were in a transitional period in our lives – a period which corresponded nicely with our first wedding anniversary – we decided to go travelling. I do not mean a quick holiday, either. We went on an adventure. A 38-day trek around continental Europe; travelling by plane, boat, train and bus, even an ATV. We explored 22 cities in 11 countries. We took 15 train journeys. We walked over 300 miles.

During this time, Kate and I saw the best of what the Continent has to offer; the sights, the museums, the attractions, the food, and of course the beer.

I took copious notes on the various beers which we tried at each destination; I am a firm believer in supporting the local economy, and if I can do that by drinking local beers then that is all the better. I had a vague idea to start a blog about beers at this time, but it was still vague. I wanted to tie in our adventures, but I was completely unsure how to do that or how to structure it. But that did not stop me; Kate chuckled as I sat typing into my phone as we enjoyed the beer-gardens, taprooms, restaurants, sunsets and even quiet beers in our rented accommodation.

It was not until we finished our trip and moved into Kate’s parent’s house that the bones of the blog came to me. And I am not going to pretend that I had a moment of inspiration. No. That would be a lie. Kate’s brother gave me the idea. Apparently, he had been thinking that I should write a blog about beers and travelling – and he even tied my (and, arguably more so, Kate’s) obsession with the Harry Potter franchise. Why not start a blog called “Fantastic Beers and Where to find them”? It took me a while to actually do so (mostly because of the catastrophic failure of my phone, containing all my notes, which I could not recover for nearly a year), but in the last few weeks, I did it. The blog can be found here: Fantastic Beers and Where to Find Them.

So why was it so important to me to write a blog about craft beer and travelling? Well, I suppose I should delve into my relationship with craft beers. This relationship probably began in February of my second year in university. I was 19 years old (I’m not admitting to breaking the law, don’t worry; the legal drinking age in Ireland is 18 and Germany is 16!) and was on a trip to Berlin with my class. When we checked into our hostel and visited the bar downstairs, we were met by a selection of beers whose names we had never seen; not an international macro-brew in sight.

A friend and I both decided to stick to Becks Gold for the first evening; Becks was a brand which we had both heard of, but their Gold brew far exceeded the quality of their other beers. It was still a fairly inoffensive lager, but that was exactly what we wanted. We were 19 and unaccustomed to very many other beer varieties. But this was our first introduction to beers which have different layers of complexity and flavor. We had discovered the importance of quality.

The following May, a group of us went camping on the south-east coast of Ireland. That same friend and I had both missed out on celebrating each other’s birthdays, between exams and a family wedding which he attended in France. So we brought each other a selection of beers. Beers whose names we did not know – CraftBeers.

Truthfully, I don’t remember what I brought for my friend – they may have been utter swill, for all I remember – but I do absolutely remember the beers he brought for me. Grimbergen, a French-Belgian blonde beer. My first true craft beer, and I was astounded by the flavor; there was flavor! And the texture was not like the beers which I had been drinking until then; the only way to describe it is ‘smooth’. To this day, I blame this friend for my very expensive love affair with craft beer. And I am quite sure that he blames me for his. We make it up to one another by sharing our stashes when we get together. It’s only fair.

Over the following few years, we learned more about the craft beer industry in Ireland and abroad. We frequented two brew-pubs in Dublin City, one of which was our first introduction to IPA. There is even a night which I remember clearly (and not so clearly, at the same time) when we discussed using this IPA as a shampoo. It smelled amazing. So good, in fact, that we wanted to smell like that every day. Like I say, as clearly as I remember the conversation, the memory is also a little hazy.

Over the course of our undergraduate degrees, the group of us had developed a pretty strong appreciation for craft beer. And when we finished, a group of four of us spent the summer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. This opened our eyes to West Coast Brewing, and the in-your-face hoppiness that West Coast IPAs offer. It also showed us just how limited the craft beer scene in Ireland is; we had very quickly tried beers from seemingly every craft brewery in Ireland (at the time, anyway – the craft beer scene has exploded since), but we absolutely could not fathom the selection that was offered to us.

We discovered a new beer or brewery at least once per week, whether local brew-pubs and taprooms, or some bottles in the various liquor stores near our apartment. We discovered new favorites – now old favorites. Lagunitas, Stone, Pyramid Brewing, Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada. We still struggle to walk away if/when we see these bottles or draft in Ireland.

This was my first experience associating craft beers with travelling and adventure. I suppose, since it was my first time living away from home, I associate this combination with independence. But I also love the memory associations that each beer brings. A cool, hoppy beer at the end of a warm day reminds me of the days I spent walking door to door for a canvassing organization in the Bay Area. A pale, citrusy wheat ale reminds me of the pizza restaurant in which we used to spend our Wednesday evenings.

Now as much as I associate beer with travelling and independence, it is also relevant to another, important portion of my history. All the while I was discovering craft beer as a student, I was also working as a bartender in one of two premises in Dublin City. Although neither bar served craft beers per se, they did have a better selection than a typical bar; I was introduced to traditional German weissbeers and Czech pilsners, which all had much more flavor than the macros which dominated the taps and fridges at the time.

And in the second bar, I even tried to convince them to stock craft beers; the response I got was something along the lines of “there’s no money in that crap”. However, on my most recent visit back to this bar, they were proudly displaying three draft craft beers. All specifically brewed (and named) for them. I was delighted! Even if just because I was right. Not that I’m proud, alright, a little proud.

So my history as a bartender mostly served to give me an insight into how the beer industry works; craft breweries are about exactly that, the craft, which is traditionally not where the money lies. But even in the time since I have left, I have seen the industry evolve, and not just in my former workplace. Many bars in Ireland’s major cities have begun to serve craft beers, trying to compete with the many bars which are dedicated solely to craft beer. And the larger breweries are trying to fight back by producing craft-style beers as well, some of which are actually pretty good.

But this background also helped me to develop something which has been crucial as I have reviewed and taken notes on beers; my palate. Without having had brewers and more established bartenders offer me tastings and hints at the flavors which I was detecting, I may not have been able to develop the appreciation which I now have. Although, to be fair, I cannot know what may have happened if I had not been a bartender. It’s just important to recognize the advice which I was given.

In that sense, I probably would not be writing about beers (and travels) if not for my time as a bartender. And also in another sense; working as a bartender is undoubtedly the most important part of my background. Without my second bar position, I would not have gotten talking one night to the American girl who was studying abroad. To the American girl who became my wife. To the American girl who has been my travelling partner and has encouraged me in everything that I do, including writing about beers.

Given how much my life has been influenced by beer and by the industry which surrounds it, and all for the better, it seems fitting to find the best beers in the world, and to share my experiences doing that.

Sláinte

Simon Whooley

Blog: Fantastic Beers and Where to Find Them

Twitter: @beers_to

Instagram: @fantasticbeerswhere2findthem

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