Welcome to the first drop of “Six Pack,” our new escapism series spotlighting six beer- and travel-related stories (and sometimes other things) from around this lovely planet of ours. This comes on the heels of the other new series we debuted this week, “Last Pour,” which kicked off with Yggdrasil Brewing. We may play around a bit with the format and experiment with frequency, but the overall concept is one we’ve had on the backburner for some time and are happy to finally get out the door. Enjoy.
Brussels Beer City – Brussels Beer City has dedicated March to women driving the city’s beer scene, including the first female brewer at Brussels Beer Project and a beer sommelier who here pens a passionate, essential column about sexism in Belgian beer. Every story in the series is linked here, and every one deserves your time.
The Japan Beer Times – Miyajima Beer is the only brewery on the Japanese island of Itsukushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its 12th-century Shinto shrine. Its founder, Shigeki Arimoto, was in line to potentially become the 20th-generation owner of his family’s inn, but today the site upon which that inn once stood is home to his brewery. Starbucks, of all entities, plays a significant role in this redemption story and testament to the determined Japanese spirit.
Pellicle – Although I left my home state of Michigan when I was 19 years old, it was during return visits to see family and friends some years later that Bell’s Brewery’s now-legendary Two Hearted Ale helped foster my appreciation for IPAs and craft beer in general. It remains a benchmark for classic American-style IPAs, and David Nilsen tells its story beautifully.
The Washington Post – With most of the planet on lockdown, some form of daily travel-related escapism has become essential for the soul. To that end, I’m having trouble thinking of anything I’d enjoy more right about now than one of the 10 slow train journies through Europe that London-based writer Will Hawkes details here. Well, I’d take one of these trips or a fresh, cold Stone & Wood Pacific Ale somewhere in Byron Bay, Australia.
CraftBeer.com – For readers unfortunately stuck in the muddy Trumpian quagmire that the United States has become, CraftBeer.com steps up with a handy resource to help you get through the dark days. This list features more than 600 breweries (and growing) across the country offering beer either to-go or delivered, or some other type of sales. If you can afford to support your local(s), support ’em.
SEA Brew 2020 – This is not a read, but rather something to which we can still hopefully look forward. As just about every near-term event gets cancelled or postponed—and rightfully so—the best and biggest annual conference for Asia’s brewing industry benefits from still being seven months away in Taipei, Taiwan, one of East Asia’s more underrated cities. If this insanity hasn’t calmed down by then, well, to quote Han Solo “I’ll see you in hell!” Bonus: SEA Brew 2020 will coincide with CraftConAsia, Taipei’s premier annual craft beer festival. We’ll be there, Covid-19 willing.
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“Six Pack” is our escapism series of beer- and travel-related stories that are on our radar and also belong on yours. Read (or write) something great? Send us a link at brian at beertravelist dot com.
