Podge on Beer

Bamberg, Nuremberg, Annafest and in search of Zoigl Beer

Wednesday 21 July/Thursday 22 July to Monday 26 July/Tuesday 27 July 2010.

Self service for the group at Barfusser, Nuremberg.

Wednesday 21st July
Most of the group will be flying Air Berlin from London Stansted to Nuremberg on flight AB8461 leaving Stansted at 07.50hr arriving Nuremberg at 10:25hr. However it is possible to join us in Nuremberg the following day. We will be staying for two nights bed and breakfast at Hotel Merkur**** which is very close to Nuremberg Central Station (Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof). We will be having a beer reception in the huge medieval cellars of Barfüßer (The Barefoot Brewery) in the heart of Nuremberg, where one of you will have an opportunity to tap the oak barrel of unfiltered beer brought to our table, to share*.  In the early evening, we have a guided tour* of the 600 year old cellars beneath the streets of Nuremberg, left when citizens dug out the sandstone for building material. The cellars are perfect for cool beer storage and we will be visiting those under brewery Altstadthof at the foot of the Nuremberg Imperial Castle. Hausbrauerei Altstadthof has been brewing since 1386 and some of the stone cellars are still used for lagering beers.  We will also visit the brewery and taste a couple of their beers*. The rest of the evening is at leisure in this beautiful city, armed with a copy of Podge’s Nuremberg Bar Guide*.


Relaxing after a tour of the cellars in Brewery Altstadthof, Nuremberg.

Thursday 22nd July
Following the arrivals of any travellers joining us on the morning flight we will take a train journey* out of Nuremberg to visit various beery sites in the region. A brewery visit* has been arranged for the highly acclaimed St Georges Brewery in Buttenheim (brewing since 1624, been in the same family since 1814) as well as visiting the esteemed Lowenbrau brewery next door. This will probably be followed by a short journey to Brauerei Kraus in Hirschaid. Other beery stops may be made later before travelling back to Nuremberg.
Brewery Kraus, Hirschaid.

Friday 23rd July
Following breakfast at the hotel we join our coach in search of Zoigl beer. Since the Middle Ages, Zoigl beer has been brewed only in brewhouses communally owned by the town. It is now made only in the northeastern region of Bavaria, known as the Oberpfalzer and although there were once many, there are now only five communal town brewhouses left. We hope to have Zoigl encounters at Parkstein, Altenparkstein, Falkenberg, Neuhaus and finally in the village of Windischeschenbach where we overnight and breakfast at the Hotel Oberpfalzer Hof. Included in the day is all travel with the group plus a beer at each of the five Zoigl destinations. To improve your education on Zoigl beer and find your way around ZoiglLand have a look at these Zoigl Beer Info pages.

Zoigl Beer at Neuhaus

Zoigl beer being served for breakfast at Wolframstub'n, Windischessenbach.

Saturday 24th July
After leaving the Hotel our bus will take us through the Bavarian countryside to the village of Neuhaus an der Pegnitz where we will get a chance to sample the beer brewed at one of the three pubs who rotate in selling beer from the fantastic local Kommunbrauhaus. From here our bus moves on to the beautiful town of Pottenstein and the Brauerei Hufeisen and Brewery Mager for a beer and lunch. Suitably refreshed we travel to the world-famed Annafest. Annafest is an annual ten day Franconian festival held about 26 July (St. Anna's day) in the Kellerwald (Cellar Wood) on the outskirts of Forchheim. The modern festival dates from 1840, but its roots go back to 1516 when a chapel was consecrated to St. Anna near Forchheim. Pilgrims to the site would stop for a rest in the Kellerwald to regain their strength with beer from the cellars under the woods. Local breweries  Hebendanz, Greif, Eichhorn and Neder all brew a strong Bock beer especially for this festival, the so-called Annafestbier. This is stored for several weeks before the festival in caves under the wood, from which you can see people appearing and disappearing armed with huge steins full of beer. From here, we are driven to our hotels in Bamberg for a three (or two) night stay, arriving in the early evening. The main hotel we will be using is the Hotel Alt Bamberg, in the centre of the town and we also have a limited number of rooms at Brewery Fassla. Bamberg, as many people will know, is one of the world’s great beer cities and home to nine breweries. We will have an evening at leisure in this fantastic beer paradise, armed with a copy of Podge’s Bamberg Bar Guide*. We also hope to have copies of the new edition of John Conen’s Bamberg and Franconia: Germany's Brewing Heartland for sale, brand new, hot off the press.

Theresa attacking a litre stein of beer at Annafest, Forchheim.

Sunday 25th July
Following a leisurely breakfast in our hotels, we board our bus for a day’s travel round the Franconian countryside, calling in at seven breweries, including a few surprises. We arrive back in Bamberg dropping off at the Wilde Rose Keller for an evening exploring the hillside beer gardens.

Beer keller season in full swing at Lieberth.

Group enjoying a beer at Brewery Zehendner.

Monday 26th July
A free day to get down to some serious beer investigation in Bamberg, or a flight home if you are leaving us early.

Siobhan enjoying a beer at Brewery Hennemann.

Tuesday 27th July
Today’s plans are still being worked on, but we will be making our way by train* back to Nuremberg airport for Air Berlin flight AB8594 to London, Stansted leaving at 18:40 and arriving Stansted at 19:15.

The price of the full seven day tour is £480 per person based on sharing a twin or double room. There is a single supplement of £100 if you want your own room. If you want to shorten your tour from the full seven days, please contact me for a reduced price. Flight costs are not included in the price of the tour, but all other transport within Germany with the main group is included. Those items marked with an asterisk above are also included in the price, but expect other things to be included too. Please note it is each traveller’s responsibility to book and pay for their own flights. Travellers may choose which hotel in Bamberg they would like to stop at, but this is on a first come first served basis so contact me as soon as you have made a decision. Arrangements for visits on this tour are still being finalised and may be subject to change.

If you would like to join us on this tour or if you need more information, please call Podge on +44(0)1245 354677, or send Podge an email. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card. Apply online, by phone or via the Post Office. 

Have a look at some more photos which we took on our research trip in July 2009.

Zoigl Beer sign at Windischeschenbach, Germany

Beer and Battlefields Tour 2010

This new and exciting tour offers a chance to experience two unique aspects of Flanders - the First World War and its great beer brewing tradition. We will be concentrating on the Western Front around the notorious Ypres Salient, and then moving south to Mons which saw the first British shot fired on the Germans at the opening of the war in 1914. 

This tour will include many visits and some guided tours of outdoor sites, bunkers, trenches and memorials, plus several specialist WW1 museums. We will also look at what soldiers were drinking during the war and how Belgian breweries fared in both occupied and unoccupied Belgium. 

  Siobhan McGinn giving a talk on WW1 at Struis Brewery, Vleteren

 Fri 30^th April
We cross the channel by Eurotunnel, via Folkestone and make our way to Struise’s new Brewery at the old school in Vleteren where we will have lunch*, a beer* or two and Siobhan McGinn will give us a short introductory talk on the war in the Ypres Salient. It will include a brief overview of the war and why much of the fiercest fighting ended up in Belgium. We then cross the front line for a three hour tour* with a local guide who will join us on the coach to guide us around the Memorial Museum Passendale 1917*, Tyne Cot* and Cryer Farm* a recently discovered underground German first aid post and bunker. We then move on to our hotel for the next two nights, the delightful Oude Abbdij in Lo near Ypres housed in the former St. Louis malt house and brewery. After checking in and an evening meal* Siobhan will give a presentation of the story of beer in WW1 concentrating on beer behind allied lines in towns such as Poperinge and what happened to the breweries of Belgium during the war. Rest of the evening at leisure in the hotel’s well-stocked bar. 
  Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Grave Cemetary

 Sat 1st May
After our buffet breakfast at the hotel we make the short coach journey to Nieuwpoort on the coast and follow the story of the Battle of the Ijzer and the flooding of the river in 1914 to halt the German advance. We follow the line of the flood to its furthest extent at Dixmuide and we visit the Dodengang or Trench of Death which is situated on a bend in the River Ijzer. We then travel to Poperinge, a town never occupied by the Germans and which was full of British and Allied soldiers travelling to and from the front line. Here soldiers enjoyed some rest, good food and beers. We will visit* the famous  Talbot House (Toc H) a home from home for the Tommies and unchanged since WW1 for a an introduction from a guide*, a cup of tea* and a look round*. After lunch in Poperinge we stop on the way to Ieper at a couple of sites which reflect life just behind the line. Late afternoon we visit the Ramparts Museum/Klein Rijsel Café where we will look round the collections* and taste their special Peace Beer* served in ceramic mugs. The rest of the evening is free and a copy of Podge’s Bar Guide to Ieper will be provided*. Travellers can take in the moving last post ceremony at the Menen Gate, sounded by the Belgian Fire Service at 20.00hr every evening. The coach will return us to our hotel in Lo late in the evening.
Dave enjoying a cup of tea, accompanied by David on piano at Talbot House, Poperinge

Sun 2nd May
Following breakfast we take the short coach drive to Boezinge and the recently discovered Yorkshire Trenches found by “The Diggers” during the recent construction of a new industrial estate. From here we travel to one of the most poignant memorials on the Salient, the Brooding Soldier Canadian Monument at Vancouver Corner. This monument marks the spot where poison gas was first used by the Germans on the Western Front. From there we head to the  Hoog Crater Museum at the heart of the front line and one of the most dreaded spots on the Salient. We will have a look at the museum and a light lunch* and a beer* at the cafe. We will also have an opportunity to go into the grounds of the hotel next door and visit* some original blockhouses (pillboxes). It was here that the Germans first used the 'flammenwerfer' or flamethrower against the Allies. We then move south along the front line to the infamous Polygon Wood and to In Den Dreve Café where owner Johan Vandewalle will show us a film based on his book on tunnelling in WW1* and we have a chance to choose a beer from his menu. Suitably refreshed, we travel by coach south towards Mons stopping on the way for a brewery visit* to Abbaye Des Rocs and a taste of their beers*. From here we move on to our base for the next two nights, the centrally located  Hotel Ibis Mons Centre Gare. After check-in the evening is at leisure armed with a copy of Podge’s Bar Guide to Mons*. 

The group on a guided tour of Abbaye des Rocs Brewery

Mon 3rd May
We will take the coach to where the first shots were fired by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the continent since Waterloo. Siobhan will guide us around some of the sites associated with the opening moves of the war when the small BEF engaged with the might of the German invading armies. She will tell us the story of the action at Nimy Bridge especially that leading up to the V.C.’s won by Lt Dease and Pte Godley on the bridge over the canal. We will also visit the moving memorial at Obourg Station and hear about the rearguard action fought there and the unknown private who fired from the roof of the station until finally hit. We will also spend a little time at the beautiful Commonwealth War Graves Commission St Symphorien Military Cemetery where Lt Dease is buried and we can see the graves of the first and last soldiers to be killed in WW1. Following lunch, we hope to fit in a brewery visit* and tasting* in the afternoon before heading back to Mons for an evening beer or two. 

The group enjoying a break at Le Brasse Temps Brewery, Mons

Tues 4th May
We travel towards Ploegsteert in the south of the British and Commonwealth sector and briefly stop at Frelinghien where we visit the memorial to the 1914 Christmas Truce which started in this area with these immortal lines from the German soldiers “Don’t Shoot, we’ll send beer!” We then proceed to Vanuxeem at Ploegsteert which stocks well over 500 beers from which we can make our selection to take home. This is followed by a beer and snack at In de Vrede the café of the Trappist Monastery at Westvleteren which also has many WW1 stories attached to it. Our final visit of the tour is to ’t Rohardushof café at Roesbrugge which has a superb selection of beer at normal times but which just happens to have a beer festival on at the time of our visit! We then make our way to Calais for a Eurotunnel train home in the early evening.

The price of this five-day tour is £395 per person based on sharing a twin or double room. There is a single supplement of £112 if you want your own room. If you want to go on this tour, please send a deposit of £100 per person (the balance is due five weeks before departure). If you need more information on the tour or how to book and pay please call Podge on +44(0)1245 354677, or send Podge an email.

We use a luxury coach throughout the Tour. Included in the price are coach travel from Colchester or Chelmsford, still and sparkling water available on the coach, hotel breakfasts plus all items marked with an asterisk above. Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way from Colchester to Dover or even on the other side of the channel. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card available online, by phone or via the Post Office. Siobhan McGinn talking to the group about the Christmas truce at the monument in Frelinghien

The Great Three Beer Festival Tour 2010 Updated

Thursday 4th March to Monday 8th March 2010.

Beer tasting of Belgoo beers at 't Koelschip beer shop in Ostend

Day 1 | Thursday 4th  March
We make our way by coach via Colchester, Chelmsford and some Kent pick ups, to Folkstone for the Eurotunnel crossing. Arrive in Watou in time for a beer cuisine lunch at the top flight Hommelhof Restaurant. We then make the small journey to Sint Bernardus brewery for a special visit and tasting* in the brand new tasting room, guided by genial host Marco, where all our travellers receive a beery gift pack*. Fully refreshed, we head to Ostend, check in for one night at Hotel Marion** famous for its Botteltje bar which stocks over 300 beers. Just time for a quick turnaround, we then take the bracing walk to near the Casino, and the newly opened beer shop ‘t Koelschip. Here we have a tasting of three Belgoo beers* accompanied by tapas (Arboo beer with rabbit, Luppo beer sith sea bass and Magus with mussels).

Maenhout Brewery tour hosted by Thijs Maenhout.

Day 2 | Friday 5th  March
First call of the day is to the just opened Maenhout Brewery* in Meulebeke. The brewery received its licence in February 2010 and we are the first tour to visit. We will get to taste their Koeketiene Beer. We then make our way to the ever-experimental Pre-ZBF festival organized bythe excellent Alvinne brewery, which takes place at the atmospheric Kasteel der Lakebosschen, south of Bruges. This year it features some of Europe's most creative and innovative brewers, including BrewDog, Thornbridge, Struise Brewers, De Molen and Urthel. In the late afternoon we drive to Aalst for a three night stay at the fabulous four star luxury Hotel Keizershof ****. After a short stop for food, we take the coach for an evening visit to our second festival. This is the biennial Night of the Great Thirst, a lambic-feast in the wilds of Eizeringen. We then make our way back on the short journey to Aalst for a beer or two, armed with Podge's Bar Guide to Aalst.

Pre-ZBF  festival 2010 at Kasteel Lakebosschen.

Day 3 | Saturday 6th  March
Following a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we make the first call of the day to Brussels for the Cantillon Brewery Public Brewing Day* where we will have a guided tour of the brewery followed by a taste of one of their beers. We then head to the small hillside town of Overijse, and pay a visit to the excellent Cafe Focus for a meal and some beers chosen from their superb and extensive menu. In the late afternoon we drive south into the countryside to Baisy-Thy and to the Brasserie du Brabant for a look round Frederick's tiny farmhouse brewery, followed by a taste of several of his beers, including a honey beer. We round off  the day with a drive back to the southern outskirts of Brussels,  and a quick stop at the brewpub Impremerie in Uccle. 

Brewery visit at Brabant brewery. 

Day 4 | Sunday 7th  March
Sunday morning observances are taken at the peaceful D'Oude Brouwerij cafe at Affigem Abbey, where the outstandingly hoppy Affligem Paters Vat is available. We then travel to the magnificent annaul national Zythos Beer Festival which takes place in the centre of St Niklaas. This special festival features 60 brewers and over 200 beers served from beer stalls manned by the brewers themselves.

Zythos Beer Festival St Niklaas 2010.

Day 5| Monday 7th  March
We begin the day by travelling to Zedelgem for an opportunity to buy beer to take home from Rotsaert Beer Warehouse.  We then drive to Boezinge for our first ever visit and tour at the family owned and historic Leroy Brewery, led by Philip Leroy himself. We will also have a tasting* of some of their beers at De Zege, one of the brewery taps. We have our final beer and meal in Veurne before catching the Eurotunnel home.

Philip Leroy hosting a tour of the Leroy Brewery, Boezinge.
Enjoying a meal and a beer at Brasserie Christophe in Veurne.

We use a luxury coach throughout the Tour. Included in the price are coach travel from Colchester or Chelmsford, still and sparkling water available on the coach, hotel breakfasts plus all items marked with an asterisk above. Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way from Colchester to Dover or even on the other side of the channel. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card available online, by phone or via the Post Office. The price of this five day tour was £385 per person based on sharing a twin or double room. There is a single supplement of £112 if you want your own room. All above times are local and approximate. Food, drink, passport and insurance costs are your responsibility.

Special Christmas Tour Bruges 2009

Thursday 24 December to Monday 28 December 2009.

We are booked into the four star centrally located Hotel Acadamie**** for five days over Christmas. Our hotel is situated in the historic ‘golden triangle’ of Bruges, just 50 metres from the famous Minnewater (Lake of Love) and the Begijnhof (Beguine Convent). With a superb hot and cold buffet breakfast, this is a great hotel which has air-conditioning in all rooms and all bathrooms have a bath and shower. They also have a bar and a winter garden with terrace.

In addition to the beauty that is Bruges year-round, Christmas is a special time of year in this unspoilt medieval town. The Markt square is full of Christmas Market stalls where you can shop, or even better sip hot Gluhkriek. The Markt also houses an open-air ice skating rink. The square in front of the rail station also hosts the fantastic Ice and Snow Sculpture marquees, where you can enjoy a drink at the ice-bar.

Bruges Markt Ice Rink Christmas Day 2009

Day 1 | Thursday 24th December
Following our Eurotunnel crossing, our first stop will be to see Marc at The Lost Shrimp café at Adinkerke for our first beer and a bite to eat. We will have a further stop at Vlasschaard in the beautiful village of Stene before arriving at Bruges and our hotel in the early evening. I have booked a number of tables at Strijdershuis, in the shadow of the belfry, where they always supply great food and a more than decent beer list.
Bierloods Christmas Day 2009

Day 2 | Friday 25th December
Around lunchtime, we head off by coach to Bierloods for an opportunity to buy a few beers to take home and a beer or two in their underground bar. We then make our way to Ostend for a wander around the Christmas Markets and seafront promenade, but I’m guessing that most will be huddled round a beer at the fabulous Café Botteltje which opens all Christmas Day. We round off the day with a special beer cuisine evening meal at the Bistronoom in Ostend, which is opening especially for us, courtesy of the chef, Stefanie De Vos.

Ostend Christmas Day 2009

Enjoying Beer Cuisine at Bistronoom, Ostend, Christmas Day 2009

Day 3 | Saturday 26th December
We leave Bruges for a Boxing Day breakfast beer at In De Vrede, the world famous monastery brewery at Westvleteren. After calling in for a short break at Diksmuide we move on to visit our old friends at the Alvinne Brewery in Heule. We finish off the day by going onto the coastal town of Middelkerke and paying a visit to the new and excellent Den Toogoloog where we will have a ‘Breughel’ buffet  which is accompanied by a tasting of several draught beers from the local Strubbe brewery.

A breakfast beer at In de Vrede, Westvleteren, Boxing Day 2009

Two wise men, Alvinne Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009

Day 4 | Sunday 27th December
The first visit of the day is to a brewery that at the time of writing does not even exist. However, by the time of our visit we should be able to sample at least two beers from the brand new Brewery Weize, in the village of the same name. From there we travel on to see Piet at the Sint Canarus brewery where we will enjoy a guided tour and a beer tasting plus a ‘brewersmeal’ featuring different artisanal charcuterie directly from the farm. Piet may then join us as we make our way to the open brewery day at Smisje brewery, hosted by Johan, where we can enjoy his warming Christmas beer on tap.We round off the day with an evening visit to Gent.

A master class from Marc Strubbe at Den Toogoloog, Middelkerke, Boxing Day 2009


Wieze Tripel beer tasting at Wieze Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009

Day 5 | Monday 28th December
The day begins with a privileged visit to Verhaeghe Brewery in Vichte where Karl Verhaeghe will lead us in a tasting of their quality beers. We than pay a special Christmas visit to buy beer from our friends at Van Den Bussche in Waregem for an opportunity to buy more beers to take home and no doubt they will keep us generously fed and watered. Our last stop prior to catching the train home is a visit to historic Ieper. Start giving excuses to your family now or if all else fails bring them along with you!

Enjoying a beer at St Canarus Brewery, Christmas Tour 2009

The price of this extended five day tour is £385 per person based on sharing a twin or double room. There is a single supplement of £112 if you want your own room. We always use our own luxury coach throughout the Tour. Included in the price are breakfasts each day, all brewery visits, admission charges, and coach travel from Colchester or Chelmsford. Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way from Colchester to Dover or even on the other side of the channel. Personal insurance is not included but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card, application forms available from the Post Office.

All above times are local and approximate. Food, drink, passport and insurance costs are your responsibility. We will try to make the cost of as many as possible of the items marked* inclusive of the tour price but some may cost extra.

Aalst & The Bruges Beer Festival Tour

Friday 13 November to Monday 16 November 2009.

This four day tour is based at the ever-popular luxurious four star Hotel Keizershof in central Aalst, one of the most attractive drinking towns in Belgium. All travellers on this tour will receive a copy of Podge’s Aalst Bar Guide, which includes over twenty recommended bars, cafes and restaurants.

Beer tasting at the new Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, West Flanders, Belgium.

Day 2 | Saturday
After our SeaFrance ferry crossing to Calais, we take up the invite from those really nice guys at Struise Brewery to attend the opening of their brand new brewery in Vleteren. This converted school will not only house their micro-brewery, but will also be home to the Oakroom (for ageing beers), the Struise beershop, for those bottled takeaways and the Pannepot Café Tasting room, where we can sample some of their beers and have one of Urbain’s hearty meals. We also call in on Den Eirekluts (‘The Scambled Egg’) in Serskamp, for a crack at their 140 plus beer menu and an afternoon pancake.

Brewery visit to Liefmans Brewery, Oudenaarde, East Flanders, Belgium.

Day 2 | Saturday
After a late start to take in the tremendous Aalst market, which surrounds our hotel, we travel to Zottegem to explore the town and its bars. We have a chance to buy beer from the now defunct Crombe Brewery and visit their small but perfectly formed brewery tap. In the afternoon, we have an appointment with the Liefmans Brewery in Oudenaarde. This is our first visit to the brewery since it came under new ownership, and it should be interesting to see what changes have occurred. The coach will then take us to Geraardsbergen; home of the Maatentaart, for an evening’s eating and drinking in its many quality bars.

‘T Brouwershof Zottegem next to the disuded Crombe Brewery, Zottegem, Belgium.

Enjoying a beer in ‘T Brouwershof, Zottegem, Belgium.

Day 3 | Sunday
Today will be devoted entirely to Bruges, where we will make a full days visit at the time of  the superb Third Bruges Beer Festival which takes place under the historic belfry and this year features over 60 breweries with more than 200 beers to sample.

Cafe Nieuwege, Varsenare, West Flanders Belgium.

Enjoying the new St Feuillien Saison beer at Cafe Nieuwege, Varsenare, West Flanders, Belgium.

Day 4  | Monday
First visit of the day is to our friends at Dranken Geers in Oostakker to load up with beers to take home. We then we make our way to Ruddervoorde and the De Leite brewery, which also houses an art exposition. Here we will taste this relative newcomer’s two beers, Femme Fatale and Bon Homme. We then make our way to our last stop before the ferry at Bistro Nieuwege in Varsenare for our pre-booked food and a few beers from their 70+ menu.

Beer tasting at De Leite Brewery, Ruddervoorde, West Flanders, Belgium.

All above times are local and approximate. Food, drink, passport and insurance costs are your responsibility. We will try to make the cost of as many as possible of the items marked* inclusive of the tour price but some may cost extra.