One from the Cellar

In the spirit of World Cup patriotism, we got it in to ourselves to attend the American Craft Beer Festival this weekend in Boston.  Mercifully, no photos survived the evening, but it was a great chance to sample well-made ales and lagers from across the U.S.

After several tours across Europe, it's hard not to develop a taste for a well-crafted brew.  One of the top items on my ever-lengthening List of Future Tours will most certainly involve an Oktoberfest in Munich.  Even during my previous visit in mid-summer, we found paradise with a sunny day, a Paulaner, and a pretzel the size of my face.

Yes, pretzel, I love you too.

Not surprisingly, then, Your Correspondent has a history with beer festivals.  A few years ago, in the middle of a long backpacking trip, Correspondent and Companion paid a visit to a grade-school friend studying in London.  Our usual travel style involves large amounts of good food and drink, but with English cuisine being what it is my friend suggested we pay a visit here:

After two weeks of walking across Paris and Switzerland, a long evening of beverages seemed well in order.  And what beverages!  Brewers came in from all over the world, sold their most obscure vintages, and were not shy about discussing the best they had on tap.  They clearly loved their work, and a lot of creativity went into finding the best product possible.  (Or, at least, the most unique name to put on the bottle.)

Case in point, to the left: Dancin' Hen

At one point, we found ourselves standing in front of a giant double-decker bus chatting with a gentleman named Wells.  It took us a moment to realize, his family ran the Wells brewery, which is a favorite import on American soil.  After sneaking us a few free pints, he invited us on to the bus with a trio of inebriated New Zealanders to continue sampling the wares.

We stumbled outside happy with the evening, and shared a giggly Tube ride home with similarly impaired Brits.  It was the early days of the iPhone, and this guy found it absolutely hilarious to continue the celebration with one of the newer apps: iPint.

No, I have no idea who this guy is

Cheers!