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On Saturday, November 22nd I'll be speaking about the history of brewing and the current beer scene in the Northeast at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Copies of my book will be for sale at a discount following a brief Q&A. This ticketed event is open to the public and includes beer samples from as many as 75 breweries. Food from a variety of vendors will also be available for purchase.
Following my talk at both sessions will be Michael Tonsmeire, author of American Sour Beers: Innovative Techniques for Mixed Fermentations. Although Michael and I haven't met, I've been a fan of his homebrewing blog, The Mad Fermentationist, for a long time. Follow this link for a little preview of what we'll each be talking about and stop by the Craft Concierge Center if you want to geek out about Gose, Gueuze or Gruit (you can't drink sours all the time). To purchase tickets to the DC Craft Beer Festival, visit the event's website.
On Sunday, August 10th at 2:00 pm I'll be speaking about brewery tourism, the Northeast beer scene, and my new book at Shmaltz Brewing Company in Clifton Park, New York. Part of their summer-long Books on Tap series, this ticketed event is open
to the public and includes food samples from The Ruck in nearby Troy. For
more information call (518) 406-5430 or visit the Eventbrite website.
Jeremy Cowan, founder and owner of Shmaltz, will serve as moderator and will also lead tours following our conversation. Although we've crossed paths at various festivals, I haven't had the chance to sit down and talk with him since I led a panel on beer tourism at the New York Travel Festival last April. It will be my first visit to his brewery and I'm looking forward to the event. If you live in the Capital Region, or are planning to be in the area during the second weekend of August, grab a ticket now for a fun beer tasting, discussion, and book signing.
On Friday, April 25th at 6:00 pm I'll be speaking about brewery tourism, the Northeast beer scene, and my new book at the Lewiston Public Library in Lewiston, Maine. Part of the library's Pages & Pints book talk and beer tasting series, this free event is open to the public and will take place in the library’s Callahan Hall. For more information call (207) 513-3135 or visit their website.
After my talk, things will move to Baxter Brewing Company on Mill Street for a reception and beer tasting with cheese pairings provided by Forage Market. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at both the library and the brewery. Plus, if you purchase two or more copies of The Great Northeast Brewery Tour on Friday, I'll throw in a copy of The Homebrew Journal.
And, if you live on the Portland Peninsula, you can also catch a ride to and from the event with me courtesy of the Maine Brew Bus. Round trip transportation courtesy of Lenny (or Mabel, their other brew bus) is $15 and leaves from the Rising Tide Brewing Company at 5:15pm sharp.
It was the best of ideas, it was the worst of ideas, it was a day of wisdom, it was a day of foolishness. This is how my epic tale of poutine consumption begins. Because how else would you describe a person's decision to eat, in under an hour mind you, two generous servings of a dish consisting of gravy-soaked french fries and squeaky chunks of cheese curd? Which isn't to say I regretted it. I've always tended to agree with Oscar Wilde's philosophy on life: "Everything in moderation, including moderation."
Late last year, Tourism New Brunswick, an office of the provincial government, invited me to spend a few days in Moncton, Saint John, and the capital of Fredericton, also known as the City of Stately Elms. By the time I turned up at Greater Moncton International Airport, warm weather had already gone south for the winter, and the nightly news forecast small amounts of snow for the duration of my visit. So, realizing that I'd be spending more time indoors than out, I prepared to experience New Brunswick with knife and fork in hand. And from my first meal to my last, I wasn't the least bit disappointed.
At Tide & Boar Gastropub, Chef Michel Savoie served a charcuterie board with house-made pate, smoked salmon, boar sausage, smoked beef brisket, Bay of Fundy scallops, and my first taste of dulse, a red seaweed common to the cuisine of the Maritimes. Plus, after sharing a bottle of Unibroue's Grande Reserve 17 with Chef Savoie and owner Chad Steeves, I can confidently say that this Belgian-style dark ale has the ability to make a memorable meal even better. Next, Chef Jesse Vergen at Saint John Ale House dazzled my senses with a tasting menu that began with enormous oysters on the half shell and finished with a fried pumpkin pie pastry dusted with cinnamon sugar. Moosehead Cask Ale was my beer of choice that evening.
Nearly a month has passed since Voyageur Press published The Great Northeast Brewery Tour. The reception has been positive so far, and I've kept busy with appearances at bookstores and breweries and interviews with reporters in Connecticut, Maryland, and New York City. Snowstorms and the "Polar Vortex" teamed up to challenge my promotional efforts, but even extreme winter weather couldn't keep people away. (I'm guessing that thermal underwear convinced those on the fence to venture out in spite of the low temperatures.)
Well, in defiance of the cold and Punxsutawney Phil's pessimistic prediction, I'm hitting the road again at the end of February. This time I'm traveling as far north as Maine, and I'll also be returning to Philadelphia to the south. And while I will have copies with me, I'm more than happy to sign books that you've already purchased. I've listed the confirmed events below, but more information can be found on the book's Facebook page. Keep track of news and reviews by following me on Twitter, and stop by any of these places to say hello:
- Saturday, February 22, 2014 - Rising Tide Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
- Sunday, February 23, 2014 - Cape Ann Brewing Company (Gloucester, MA)
- Sunday, February 23, 2014 - Portsmouth Book & Bar (Portsmouth, NH)
- Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY)
- Thursday, February 27, 2014 - Lucky's Last Chance (Philadelphia, PA)
- Friday, February 28, 2014 - The Hop (Beacon, NY)
- Friday, February 28, 2014 - Crossroads Brewing Company (Athens, NY)
- Saturday, March 1, 2014 - The Green Toad Bookstore (Oneonta, NY)
- Saturday, March 1, 2014 - Hopshire Farm and Brewery (Freeville, NY)
It's been a long time coming, but after almost two years of work, my third book is finally on its way to retailers. I know this because last week an advance copy turned up here at home. The rather self explanatory title is The Great Northeast Brewery Tour. Suffice it to say I put more effort into this project than just about anything else I've worked on in my professional career and I'm proud of how it turned out. What makes me happier still is the fact that it includes a foreword by author and brewer extraordinaire Garrett Oliver as well as images by my talented photographer friend Bethany Bandera.
With the official release date rapidly approaching, I've put together a string of winter events to help promote the book. I'm eager to return to some of the breweries and brewpubs Bethany and I visited so many months ago and look forward to meeting fellow readers, beer drinkers, and road trippers. If you live near one of the places below, please save the date and bring a friend. For details about times and locations, check out The Great Northeast Brewery Tour on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
- Saturday, January 18, 2014 - Twin Lakes Brewing Company (Greenville, DE)
- Monday, January 20, 2014 - Meridian Pint (Washington, DC)
- Tuesday, January 21, 2014 - Atomic Books (Baltimore, MD)
- Thursday, January 23, 2014 - Trident Booksellers and Cafe (Boston, MA)
- Friday, January 24, 2014 - Relic Brewing Company (Plainville, CT)
- Saturday, January 25, 2014 - Weyerbacher Brewing Company (Easton, PA)
- Saturday, January 25, 2014 - Turkey Hill Brewing Company (Bloomsburg, PA)
- Sunday, January 26, 2014 - Dock Street Brewing Company (Philadelphia, PA)
- Monday, January 27, 2014 - Jimmy's No. 43 (New York, NY) *dinner*
- Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - Curious Iguana Books (Frederick, MD)
- Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - Roy-Pitz Brewing Company (Chambersburg, PA)
- Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (Milton, DE)
- Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - Evolution Craft Brewing Company (Salisbury, MD)
- Thursday, January 30, 2014 - Flying Fish Brewing Company (Somderdale, NJ)
- Friday, January 31, 2014 - Cape May Brewing Company (Rio Grande, NJ)
- Saturday, February 1, 2014 - Troegs Brewing Company (Hershey, PA)
- Saturday, February 1, 2014 - [words] Bookstore (Maplewood, NJ)
- Sunday, February 2, 2014 - Sweet Grass Grill (Tarrytown, NY) *brunch*
- Sunday, February 2, 2014 - Two Roads Brewing Company (Stratford, CT)
Over the past several years I've trained my writer's eye on the world of beer, covering hop growers, bar owners, micro-maltsters, and yes, even the occasional cheesemaker. During the course of my travels I've met dozens of dedicated brewers in Europe, Asia, and North America, and have tried my best to accurately tell their stories. Or at least the part of the story that relates to everyone's favorite hoppy beverage. Generally speaking I'm not one to choose favorites, but one of the most interesting assignments I landed this year is an article that appears in the current issue of All About Beer.
Entitled "Band of Brewers," it profiles a number of U.S. breweries started by military veterans including Todd Baldwin, the founder of Red Leg Brewing in Colorado, Mike McCreary, the owner of Connecticut's Cavalry Brewing, Kevin Ryan, the co-founder of Service Brewing in Georgia, and Nick Fertig, the co-owner of Maryland's Full Tilt Brewing. They aren't the only vets out there working hard to brew great beer—far from it—but mentioning every soldier, sailor, and pilot with a business plan would have meant a much longer feature. The one company I knew for sure would end up in the final piece is 14th Star Brewing out of Saint Albans, Vermont. I first met Steve Gagner and Matt Kehaya last November while researching my forthcoming book (more on that very soon) and admired their plucky attitude. Which is why I'm happy to give them a bit of national exposure just a few months after their first anniversary. Here's to Steve, Matt, and all those who have served.
My friends in Thailand told me I wouldn't like the food in Laos. Thai food was better they said; Laotian dishes were bland and couldn't compare to the flavorful, fiery cuisine of Isaan, just over the Mekong River. Not knowing any better, I trusted them: these same people had led me to some of my favorite meals ever. And so, as I boarded the overnight train from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station, I lowered my expectations. Maybe my first trip to the Lao People's Democratic Republic would be a complete bust.
Fortunately, my friends were wrong. Very wrong, in fact. Eating my way through Vientiane while on assignment for Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, I discovered charming restaurants serving intriguing national dishes (Lao Kitchen), vendors hawking delicious street food (I'm still a sucker for warm, sugary roti), and, to my surprise, a Belgian beer bar, too (Chokdee Cafe). My favorite find however, might have been an unassuming little family-run business in Phiawat Village called Kung's Cafe.
I arrived around 1pm, just as the lunchtime regulars were returning to work. Choosing a table close to an oscillating fan, I ordered ginger chicken with rice, iced coffee with coconut milk to combat the heat, and to satisfy my curiosity, the mango sticky rice pancake. Dense, chewy, and expertly browned, the large doughy envelope arrived curled around a juicy chunk of fresh tropical fruit and drizzled with sweet Laos honey. Big enough to share and good enough for seconds, Kung's sticky rice pancake was the highlight of my last day in Vientiane. I raved about it to my Thai friends as soon as I got back to Bangkok.
Made by bees and prized by bears, honey is a delicious natural sweetener that humans have collected and consumed for thousands of years. Mead, an alcoholic beverage produced when yeast ferments a mixture of honey and water, shares a similarly distinguished history. It's also experienced a bump in popularity in recent years. Honey turns up in other drinks though, namely brandy and braggot, a not-so-distant relative of beer. In the current issue of Edible Boston, I wrote about a handful of brewers who (in all but one case), use native honey to create distinctive ales and lagers that in some small way acknowledge their place of origin. Track down a physical copy of the magazine in eastern Massachusetts or read it here online, ideally while savoring a pint of Slumbrew Happy Sol, Rapscallion Honey, Bee Tea from Night Shift, or Fisherman's Honey Pilsner.
In case you haven't been paying attention, beer cocktails have arrived. From the reemerging popularity of the time-tested shandy to the Red Robin burger chain and even ABC's The Chew, beertails or less frequently, bocktails seem to be everywhere this summer. Earlier this year I covered the trend for DRAFT magazine, writing about five of the best in the Boston area. Here's a recipe for one of my favorites, Christopher's Baggy Eye Beer Punch (pictured at left), a potent drink created by Ben Greeley, the General Manager at Christopher's Restaurant and Bar in Cambridge.
To a 16-ounce Boston Shaker glass, add:
3/4 oz. Kahlua
3/4 oz. 888 Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz. Chocolate syrup
1 oz. Espresso
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Shake vigorously to combine. Top with Guinness and garnish with a cherry.
Two and a half years ago, I boxed up my things, packed a pair of bags, and moved to Bangkok. The food—as expected—was phenomenally good, the omnipresent heat took some getting used to, and the beer, well, I hadn't counted on any surprises. Then I discovered the Belgian beer bar in Ari, my new neighborhood. I couldn't afford to drop by as often as I wanted to, but just knowing a place with Leffe on tap existed in Thailand made me that much happier to be there.
Earlier this year, I returned to Southeast Asia to see friends and research several assignments for a few different magazines. One of these articles covers Bangkok's beer scene and appears in issue#78 of BeerAdvocate (July 2013). Not only did I enjoy going back to old favorites like House of Beers, I also happily spent time at newer bars and beer focused restaurants like Brew Beers & Ciders and Shuffle at Rain Hill, a recommendation from Brian Bartusch and Aaron Grieser, the guys behind Beervana Trading Company. Sitting around their busy Bang Na office while drinking a Poleeko Pale Ale, I got the sense that craft beer had become more than something trendy to add to menus catering to a moneyed clientele. Slowly but surely it's earning a place in Thailand's sophisticated food culture. I can't wait to see what's changed the next time I visit.
Two years ago, after logging hundreds of trail hours in the parks and nature reserves scattered across Long Island, Eastern New Jersey, Southern Connecticut, and the Hudson Valley, my first book appeared in print. As any author will tell you, writing is a book is a lot of work, and Best Hikes Near New York City involved plenty of it. From trip planning and hiking (and in some cases re-hiking) each route, to mapping, photographing, and researching local history, I devoted a tremendous amount of time to that guidebook. Flipping through its pages now, I see little things I wish I'd changed and wonder if I could've added another hike or two. Overall I'm happy with it though, which is probably why, when my editor asked if I wanted to author a title in Globe Pequot's Where to Camp series, I said yes.
And so, once again, I consulted my New York State road map, charged my camera batteries, and rummaged around for the trusty Garmin GPS in the back of my closet. Then, armed with an Empire Passport and a new sleeping bag, I set out to write Camping New York, my second book for FalconGuides. It took me longer than expected, but it's out now in paperback and will soon be available as a Kindle eBook, too. In roughly 150 pages I concisely cover 130 campsites from easternmost Long Island to the top of Adirondack Park and west to Lake Erie. Hopefully the tour region maps, photos, and quick reference tables will make it easy to decide where you want to go, whether it's your first camping trip, or your fifty-first. Finally, for those who might be curious, the site pictured on the cover is at Mongaup Pond in the Catskills, the one place last summer where I actually spotted a black bear near the campground.
Since I started writing about beer I've covered hop farming and hotels, restaurants, and style revivals. I've interviewed brewmasters and I've reviewed beer books. Well, as of this year, I'm proud to say that label art can also be added to the list of topics. In the current issue of Northwest Travel magazine I contributed a short piece entitled "The Art of Jubelale," a so-called "festive winter ale" that Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon has made for the last 25 years. The story isn't about the beer though, it's about the packaging.
I wish I'd been given a longer word count, but editors decide these things, not hungry freelancers like me. I do however touch on the origins of the brewery's annual tradition and note the unique supplies used by this year's artist, Kaycee Anseth Townsend. Named "Revelers and Troubadours," it's bound to end up in the Jubel Hall of Fame at some point in 2013. Researching the story, I wondered how many other painters, illustrators, and cartoonists have found work in the beer industry. Plenty of other craft brewers rely on artists to convey something about the hoppy liquid inside their bottles, hoping a humorous, unusual, or arresting image will entice shoppers to part with hard earned cash. Some breweries even create the art themselves (here's looking at you, Pretty Things).
So which label art, holiday-themed or otherwise, stands out from the rest in your opinion? What about the design jumped off the shelf to you, and did you end up buying the beer? List your favorites in the comments section.
The Union Square Holiday Market is in full swing, the 30,000 lights decorating the Rockefeller Christmas Tree will be lit next week, and even without any snow on the sidewalks, retailers have turned Manhattan into a wonderland of tinsel, snowflakes, wreaths, and garlands. If you're not the kind of person that eagerly awaits the Yuletide, then it's probably time for a drink. Egg Nog or hot buttered rum are always solid options this time of year, but maybe you'd rather just have a glass of wine or a pint of beer. That and a good book.
In the current issue of the Village Voice, I choose and review five new books that any beer geek, wine connoisseur, or cocktail enthusiast will want to add to their library. Titles like To Have and Have Another, Allagash: The Cookbook, and How to Love Wine are all great resources for someone planning to throw a party in the next few weeks, but most people with an interest in ales, spirits, or oenology will find at least one of these books worth reading. I agreed with much of Mr. Asimov's wine manifesto and definitely enjoyed the Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene, but I was especially pleased to include a cookbook highlighting craft beer. As far as I'm concerned, a good new beer publication is worth celebrating any time of year.
Every once in a while an entire autumn afternoon will slip by as I gaze out the window, daydreaming about Scandinavia. For years I've told myself that one more trip will cure me of the urge to see another corner of this region, yet even before I get back home again I'm thinking about my next visit. But until I stumble into a pile of money, I'm going to have to content myself with infrequent tours and meals at bus terminals instead of swank restaurants like Rene Redzepi's Noma. Lucky for me cafeteria dining can also make for a good story.
It's been eight months since my last visit, a trip that included several days in Helsinki where the Finns were close to finishing their Baana cycleway. In the winter 2013 issue of Rails to Trails, I write about this new rail trail as well as longer routes in Denmark, Estonia, and Norway. The ice and snow on the ground kept me from biking around Finland's capital city, but hopefully I'll be able to do some two-wheeled exploring when I eventually make it back. Then again, a blogger by the name of Hendrik has me thinking that I might want to do some hiking too.
Between guiding trips for Discover Outdoors, finishing my last book, and starting work on a new one, I haven't had much time to update this blog. And while I'd like to say that I'm going to resume weekly posts again soon, I also started blogging for ShermansTravel last month. So... I'm a little busy. I'll continue to link to my published pieces here at Where and Back and I'll add the occasional post when the almighty schedule permits, but in the coming months, much of my energ
y will necessarily be focused elsewhere. In the meantime, you can continue reading what I have to say about road trips, outdoor sports and adventure, and (occasionally) beer over on the ShermansTravel blog.
For me, one of the perks of travel is the chance to try ales and lagers that aren't available at my local bar or bottle shop. Every beer isn't always remarkable of course, but once in a while I return home still thinking about a memorable pint. Earlier this month, Vagabondish published a feature I wrote entitled Island Hopping for the Beer Lover. In it, I recommend eight places to go in Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia. For more of my travel advice served with a general splash of beer, read this post from last year.
Someday I'll travel to Scandinavia without a winter coat. I can't wait to leave my hat and gloves at home either. And who knows? Maybe I'll even throw a pair of shorts in my luggage, just in case. Lately though, I keep choosing the coldest months to visit Europe's northernmost countries.
First it was Iceland in February. I managed to keep warm with Brennivín and lots of coffee, but when the wind picked up off Faxaflói during the abbreviated afternoons, there was no mistaking the season. And then this year, during the second week of March, I flew to Finland to research a story on Helsinki, the 2012 World Design Capital. And while the ice in the harbor was beginning to show some signs of melting (dashing my hopes of walking to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress), I always remembered to bundle up before venturing from the cozy confines of my hotel room.
The piece I wrote on Helsinki's stylish ways appears in the August/September issue of DestinAsian magazine. To see more of Finland, its chilly landscapes, and the delicious meals that distracted me from the temperature outside, check out my photo set on Flickr. As far as my next trip to Scandinavia goes, I'm not exactly sure when I'll be back. Yet a quick look at my calendar tells me that I don't seem to have much planned for January 2013.
Early last year, intrigued by a headline in a Korean newspaper, I struck up an email correspondence with a historian in Hanoi. I was fascinated by his discovery of a nearly 80-mile long wall in central Vietnam, and eventually decided to travel to Quang Ngai province to see it myself. Perceptive Travel published my story about the trip in their September issue. To see a few more pictures of the wall and the countryside it passes though, check out this photo set on Flickr.
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