Festivals / Events
« Previous EntriesSt Arnoldus the patron saint of hops and brewers
By Rocky | April 20, 2008
Being a Sunday we thought we would pause for a religious moment and tell you about good old St Arnoldus or Arnulf or Arnold to his mates. St Arny is the patron saint of the hop pickers and the Belgian brewers. He was born in Flanders in Belgian around 1040 and lived to a ripe old age in those days of around 47 and was a career solder before joining the Benedictine monastery in Soissons France. He became a hermit for a few years before becoming the Abbot of the monastery before becoming the bishop. The abbey brewed beer under leadership at the monastery. Today in Brussels they have a special day in July where they remember Saint Arnoldus with a huge parade which they call the ‘Day of Beer”.
Topics: Brewing, Europe, Festivals / Events | No Comments »
A little leprechaun told us about Bud Light
By Rocky | March 16, 2008
With St Patrick ’s Day tomorrow there will be a little leprechaun or two knocking back a Bud Light in their special commemorative green packaging. This flash looking aluminum bottle has been specially made for these years St Patrick Day celebrations and it has been a huge winner. Not only are people buying it to drink the fresh Bud Light but there’s heaps of collectors who are making quiet a collection of these commemorative aluminum cans. You might remember the Daytona 50th Anniversary one we ran a story about a few weeks ago, - its going for huge dollars on eBay much more than the retail price, and it looks as this special St Patrick’s Day bottle will follow.- might be an idea to go grab a few six packs and try not to drink all of them- you might find your pot of gold. Happy St Patricks Day!
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Bierfestival Maastricht in the Netherlands this weekend
By Rocky | March 1, 2008
This weekend the Beirfestival Maastricht kicks off for the 8th of March year in Maastricht which is the southern most city of the Netherlands. The city claims to not only be Holland’s oldest city but one of the best beer cities in the Netherlands. The festival is run for local charity and this year “Toon Hermans Huis” is the beneficiary. The festival offers a great deal, 5 euro gets you your own special beer glass and description of all the beers, and each beer is only 1.80 euro a glass. Last year some of the regions best brewers were on hand including Potje, De Keyzer, De Brouwketel, Grunn, Bunder Brau and Brouwerij D’n Hopper who would have to have the best beer label we have ever seen. (see the rabbit on the next page) This year most of them will be back with plenty of new varieties to choose.
Topics: Europe, Festivals / Events | No Comments »
Official mofit for Oktoberfest 2008 launched.
By Rocky | February 11, 2008
Well the festivities in Munich might be about 6 months away but planning is already underway and the 2008 official Oktoberfest Mofit has just been launched. Dr Gabriele Weishaupl who is the head of the Munich Tourist Office launched the mofit to fanfare last week. The first barrel gets tapped on Spetember 20th and this year will mark the 175th Oktoberfest and it will be bigger than ever with over 6 million people expected to attend the festivities over the two weeks. The Munich Tourist Office extimates Oktoberfest generates nearly 1 billion Euro’s into Munich’s economy with nearly half of it being spent at the festival and 60% of visitors come from outside of Munich.
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Schutzenfest Adelaide - beer & guns
By Rocky | January 4, 2008
Adelaide on Australia’s southern coast is home to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest folk festival the Schutzenfest. Schutzenfest’s have been popular throughout Germany for hundred’s of years when towns celebrated with a shooting festival followed by a fun day of beer drinking. Today fortunately the shooting is a fairground style attraction and the beer is icy cold and each year a King and Queen shooter are crowned. The festival dates back to 1865 in Adelaide and became a annual event in 1964. Now held in the city’s Bonython Park there’s Oompah music, Bavarian Foods including plenty of sausages and great beer. Over 40 stalls attend selling food, beer and cultural items. The highlight of the event is the Strong Arm Beer Stein Lifting Competition where the person who can hold a full stein at arms length for the longest wins. The Adelaide Schutzenfest runs from 11th - 12th of January this year. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Australia, Festivals / Events | 1 Comment »
Chistmas cheer with a Christmas Beer
By Rocky | December 25, 2007
Well today is Christmas Day which is more than a good reason to enjoy a nice refreshing beer. Well the people at Anchor Steam Breweries in San Francisco have put together the perfect beer for the season, A Christmas Ale. Every year since 1975 the brewery has produced a special beer to celebrate Christmas and this year is no exception. They make a different recipe every year and this year their Christmas Ale is nothing short of delicious. The beer has become not only a great drinking beer but a collectors beer, and are sought over by many people who add them to their beer collection, and the brewery suggests the beer will keep well and even mature with age like a good wine if kept in a cool dark place. Now it’s not to late to get a few of these beautiful crafted beers, as they sell them for a few more weeks, but although Anchor Steam does export it’s beers it might be very difficult getting one outside the USA, but good luck- and of course Merry Christmas! Read the rest of this entry »
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Belfast beer festival
By Rocky | November 20, 2007
After the German’ no one loves beer more than the Irish, and this week in Belfast fresh flowing beer will rule supreme at the Balmoral Hall, King’s hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the Belfast Beer and Cider festival. The festival will feature over 120 beers and nearly 20 different ciders over three days with all the fun and food you would expect from a great beer festival. The fefstival is ran my CAMRA which is a consumer organisation which campains for Real Ale and the right to good beers. There are some 85000 members througout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Highlight of the festival will be the awarding of the Champion Beer of Belfast 2007 which is sure to be a tasty drop. This year marks the 9th year of the festival.
www.camrani.org.uk
Topics: Festivals / Events, UK & Ireland | No Comments »
Bitter and twisted
By Rocky | October 30, 2007
The riverside village of Morphet in the Hunter Valley just out of Sydney Australia is playing host to the first of what it hopes to be one of the worlds best beer festivals- The Bitter and Twisted International Boutique Beer Festival. The plan all comes to climax this weekend with the first festival. They have an impressive line up of quality beers from around the world including some of Australia’s and Germany’s best. Some tasty food and of course some entertainment from some great homegrown talent including Dan Kelly and former king of pop himself Dave Graney.
One of the highlights of the festival will be the Top Twister Pro-Am where anyone who brews beer can enter, it dosen’t matter if you are a home brewer or a major brewer you can enter this fantastic competition . It is hoped the festival will become a regular part of the regions already busy calendar.
for more information: www.bitterandtwisted.com.au
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Great American Beer Festival
By Rocky | October 13, 2007
This weekend in at the Convention Centre in Denver Colorado the Great American Beer Festival hits town. Over 30,000 people attend this amazing event which even has a Guinness Book of Records entry for teh most beers on tap. The festival has tasting competitions and there are over 1,600 beers to try for over 350 breweries around the world. Now the idea of the festival is not to guzzle its to try new and exciting beers they are served in one ounce samples.
For more information http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/faq.htm
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The Wiesen is over for another year
By Rocky | October 12, 2007
The Oktoberfest celebrations have come to a close in Munich for another year. An estimated 6.2 million people passed through the gates and drank over 6.7 million litres of Munich beer and ate 104 oxes, half a million sausages and more chickens than you could point a stick at. But visitors to Munich should not worry too much there are plenty of great beer halls and beer gartens around the city to continue the festivities. Preperations are underway for next years huge event which starts on September 20th at noon and will mark the 175th Anniversary.
For more information http://www.oktoberfest.de
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