The weekend of 7th/8th October looks like a double whammy of beery excess! The 3rd Sunderland Octoberfest is a CAMRA event held on Sunderland’s riverside at The Bonded Warehouse. Expect ales and ciders by the skinload, giving a decidedly British take on (and spelling of) Oktoberfest. Doors open at 4pm on Thursday 6th October. For those… [Read more…]
September 25, 2011
Yes! It really is true! BrewDog, the Scottish craft brewer spearheading a beery revolution across the UK, will add addresses nationwide to its existing portfolio (BrewDog Aberdeen, BrewDog Glasgow and BrewDog Edinburgh). Next stop: BrewDog Newcastle. This is clearly very exciting news. Last night Bier Matt began preparations for the Scots’ arrival south of the border by… [Read more…]
April 4, 2011
Time for the next beer? Always. But why not open it in style? Forget the bottle opener: Bier Matt’s random object of choice is usually a fork or spoon with a stiff, plain metal handle. Avoid rounded edges and anything with a decorative/comfort grip – manly bottle-openage annihilates these. Here’s how: Step 1: In your… [Read more…]
November 6, 2010
Bier Matt had a disturbing revelation this morning. To cut a long story short would be no fun, and would make for a piss-poor blog post, but I’m aware that I have a tendency to go on and on about beer. That’s the point of the blog, I suppose, but there is probably some room… [Read more…]
October 5, 2010
The Oktoberfest is finally over, and despite a clearly valiant effort, the guy we’ve all been following has reportedly failed in his beery suicide mission. Everyone, I think, secretly hates the Wiesn (as the Bavarians call the fest) – you go along to the largely outdoor event just as the days are getting colder, and… [Read more…]
September 17, 2010
Just a quick heads-up about a current offer at Tengelmann (find your local branch). Right now you can get a 20-bottle crate of Löwenbräu Oktoberfestbier at a discounted price of €11.99 (plus €3.10 deposit for the crate and bottles). That’s only one euro lower than the usual price, but you also get a free ceramic… [Read more…]
September 14, 2010
Well, I hope not. Really, I seriously hope this isn’t dangerous. An old acquaintance of mine here in Munich has a tradition of going to the Oktoberfest on each of its 16 days – crazy. This year, to coincide with the festival’s 200th anniversary, it seems he’s taking things much, much further than that. Jon… [Read more…]
August 1, 2010
News from the hunt for oddities: German supermarkets are now selling Duff Beer. Anyone to whom this seems like bewilderingly boring news is either reading the wrong blog or isn’t aware that this is Homer Simpson’s favourite liquid meal. I spotted it on a closing-time run of the Edeka at Munich Airport on my way… [Read more…]
July 12, 2010
After my recent trip to Karstadt yielded such wacky finds, I thought I’d go back and make a proper list of what they offer. So here are the names, prices, sizes, strengths and descriptions of the more unusual bottles I found. Where I could track the beers down online, I’ve included a link. Of course… [Read more…]
July 11, 2010
They’re both devilishly strong and seductively presented – but which one has the edge? Browsing the impressive selection of exotic beers at Karstadt’s Münchner-Freiheit store, I came across two beers named after everyone’s favourite fallen angel: Satan Gold, a fruity bottle-conditioned Belgian ale, and Belzebuth Extra-Forte, a hard-hitting French creation from the city of Lille.… [Read more…]
September 27, 2011
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