"SAVING THE WORLD"---1 year AFTER--from Rochefort 8 to FFF

去年10月，随意的开始了这个部落客。

那时候PO了一瓶自己蛮喜欢的ROCHEFORT 8，写了开场白。

最初只想写个完全以中文为主的BLOG，因为每次去CRAFT BEER BAR 总是看到洋人饮客/朋友居多，就有点想 “拯救世界”的--觉得是不是可以开一个随意聊撞意啤酒的中文BLOG，或许这样可以有点帮助到本地CRAFT BEER文化的散播。。

后来觉得，或许应该写点英文（文法不好也不管了），这样可以认识更多同好，也好让不懂中文的朋友/受访者了解到底有没有被乱写。。

就那样，从随意聊到可以在“光明日报”星期刊写点东西分享，这个月算是部落客的一周年，上星期刚好碰上曼谷“米吧”的THREE FLOYDS TAP TAKE OVER---就当作是这个BLOG的周年庆，冲着第一次在亚洲上了啤酒泵的FFF喝去了。。算是小小庆祝BLOG点阅率在10月过了1万。

东南亚撞意啤酒市场还在起步，大家都多点动起来，多些分享，多些喝好啤酒。。。

有人说“喝酒是有固打的，别浪费在无谓/难喝酒精饮料了”。

Last year this month, the thought of writing something for the Chinese speaking/reading drinkers creep in.

Looking back it was a bit of a laughable notion of trying to "save the world"---you know, when you walk in a craft beer bar full of expats/tourists and very few locals--the feeling of maybe you could do something to spread the love of craft beer via your language kinda got this blog started....:)

So obviously the plan of doing a 100% Chinese writing did not go to plan---as the thought of trying to connect to friends/people who don't read Chinese---and so "double work" of having a English version as well---which probably is a good thing---at least brewers can see if what they have said been distorted or misquoted or not...

Last Oct--a bottle of Rochefort 8 started this blog---this time--since it kind of coincide in the same month-- this blog celebrated "saving the world" by going to Bangkok for FFF tap take over at Mikkeller Bar BKK...kind of celebrating blog has surpassed 10,000 hit early this month organically...

1 year has passed since the blog started--the world looks pretty much the same--craft beer movement in south east asia is still very much in the starting stage, moving forward slowly...

"saving the world" mission is far from being accomplished--so people, let's help to spread more love to those who are still very blur about what the hell craft beer is/are/what/where/how/why......

WEEK 31--more than just SOUR--LAMBIC(part 2/2)

上期和NEIL聊聊LAMBIC事，这期继续。

关于LAMBIC，说的多不如自己尝味。

就如本期专栏说的，说到底，LAMBIC或其他类别啤酒都好，最主要是找到适合自己口味，自己喜欢的。

至于LAMBIC的关键词，最基本有三个：-

GUEUZE--有布鲁塞尔香槟别称--基本是新旧LAMBIC酒混合，有气泡，较复杂。

KRIEK--就是以酸樱桃为主，是意义上更传统的果酸啤酒。

OUDE--正宗原味标准。完全没有加糖版本。

Last week's chit chat with NEIL on Lambic continues:-

QUOTES:-

changes you noticed through the years?
"Things are pretty different now. The demand for the good stuff has massively increased and consequently it’s a lot more difficult to get the rarer bottles, even at the brewery. However, the regular beers appear in a lot more places than before, and the increased interest means that there are a lot of non-Belgian breweries trying similar things, with mixed success, in my opinion."

many craft brewers are into spontaneous brews/lambic--your take?
"Well, this is an interesting and slightly contentious question. There has been a lot of discussion over the use of the words Lambic and Gueuze. Personally, I feel that only beers made in the Payottenland area of Belgium should be allowed to be called Lambic or Gueuze, much in the same way as the use of the name Champagne is protected. However, the Cantillon boss has the opposite opinion, and my opinion is of no importance next to his. "

"Given my feeling I would say that not only the best Lambics are from Belgium, but that all real Lambics are from Belgium. Semantics aside though, there are some fine Lambic-style beers being made in other places, along with a lot of rubbish."

what is lambic to you?

"Difficult question. I am not the kind of person who is obsessed with one particular style. I like all different kinds of beers, but Lambic is right up there in my favourite few styles. Recently, better availability means that I now don’t have to restrict my Lambic drinking to when I am in Belgium and this availability has in some ways increased my desire for lambic."

"I remember having a sudden craving for a Cantillon Gueuze in the middle of a Sunday evening and was able to walk 20 minutes and get a bottle. It probably helps being in a large city like Tokyo or in Belgium for this to be possible though. But the point I am trying to make is that I don’t think there are many other beer styles that would make me even consider a sudden unplanned trip out on a Sunday evening when I have plenty of beer in the fridge. Because the taste is such a unique one, it’s something that is difficult to find a substitute for when a craving hits."

misguided perceptions about lambic?
"Basically, it seems that the consensus is that the more difficult it is to get hold of, the nicer it tastes, which is pretty ridiculous, but it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. You could easily spend a lot of money getting hold of various limited editions released in one bar or shop in the world and find that you prefer one of the regular beers. So best to choose a Lambic maker you enjoy and find one of their beers where they are playing around a bit, with ingredients that you enjoy."

so how?
"For those people who have tried the basics and want something more, the best thing I can suggest is follow your gut instinct and pick one that sounds nice to you from the ingredients used to make it."

anything else?
"you have to get to know a Lambic a bit before you really get on well together. Generally speaking, look for the word ‘Oude’. This means that you are getting the good stuff, rather than the nasty sweetened stuff that goes around pretending to be an authentic part of the tradition."

NOT included in newspaper column:-
"Going to the Cantillon brewery and seeing where the beer is made also somehow enhances the experience. It’s a very different brewery visit than the usual walk round a warehouse with some gleaming equipment in it. Now I am so far from Belgium and unable to visit six times a year like I used to, I have to get my Lambic fill elsewhere. However, there is something special about drinking it in Belgium, and in particular Brussels."

"At least for me anyway. Our modern world allows us to get almost anything delivered to any place,  but there is something to be said for the excitement of visiting a place and enjoying a product in the city it was made and in the environment it was created. Although the thirst quenching aspects would make it perfect for a hot Asian summer evening, it’s somehow more special when the sun manages to peak out from behind the heavy cloud when you’re sitting on a terrace in Belgium with this most Belgian of beers."

NEXT WEEK---when Denmark met New Zealand---8WIRED--chit chat with Soren Eriksen

WEEK 30--more than just SOUR--chit chat with NEIL

“酸”啤酒在东南亚好像不是特别受欢迎的啤酒类别。

除了新加坡，在吉隆坡和曼谷都很难（应该说没有吧）找到比如CANTILION之类的瓶子。

个人来说，身边喜欢CRAFT BEER的朋友，特别是男性朋友，好像都不太喜欢，甚至不太能接受LAMBIC类别的酸啤酒。

不过，LAMBIC是自成一格，风味独特啤酒类别这个事情是肯定的。

更重要的是，LAMBIC虽然被统称为“酸”啤酒，不过，这类别有的不只是一个味道。

酸，肯定不是LAMBIC的全部。

To talk about Lambic in a city where there is almost no supply is a bit strange.

Yes, there is close to zero supply in the market for Lambic beer in KL(except a bit of  SPONTAN beers from the likes of mikkeller/to ol/nogne and some others), and very likely Bangkok too, as far as South East Asia is concern, we can only find a certain amount of LAMBIC in S'pore.

But--as they say--things gotta start somewhere--so this week's column is a little bit of very basic chit chat with a fellow blogger friend of mine---who is a fan of Lambic for no less than a decade..

QUOTES:-

why lambic?
"Well, maybe it was quite early on. My first beer love was Belgium and it’s still my favourite country for beers. As a naturally curious person with a copy of the best book on Belgian beer available (Tim Webb’s ‘Good Beer Guide Belgium’) it was only a matter of time before I got started on the lambics"

anything to do with taste for food?
"Actually, not at all. I am not particularly an advocate of food and beer pairing, possibly because I’m a vegetarian so I don’t have the luxury of being able to try whatever people suggest goes well with particular beers."

what so good about lambic?
"Definitely the refreshing aspect is important. I can’t think of many other kinds of beer that would work so well for this purpose. I think for me however, it’s neither the refreshing part or the sourness that is the main draw, but the funkiness. Lots of people call it ‘horseblanket’ although I don’t know how many of them have sucked on an actual horse blanket"

".It does definitely create the right impression though. It’s always a bit of a lottery describing tastes as everyone experiences them differently, but it’s the dry, slightly dusty and cheesy elements that do it for me most. The other elements are merely a very welcome bonus!"

a basic guide for newbie?
"For someone who has never drank Lambic before, you can’t go wrong with the regular Cantillon beers, the Gueuze and Kriek. Cantillon deserves the excellent reputation it has."

any to do/not to do?
"I definitely wouldn’t start with any of the difficult to find ones, as you might be spending a lot of money on something that you don’t really like. There is definitely a learning curve with Lambic. "
"The more you drink, the more you appreciate what makes each one special. And of course, given the natural processes used in making this kind of beer, these special elements can vary from batch to batch and bottle to bottle."

your personal favourites?( "extended version" answer than what appeared in newspaper column)
" Cantillon make a lot of different beers throughout the year. Vigneronne and Saint Lamvinus involve grapes and wine barrels, Fou Foune has apricots, Iris is made with a different malt and uses fresh hops. All should be fairly readily available if you are willing to pay a bit extra. The Lou Pepe series are basically the regular beers but extra nice versions, leaning towards the old Lambic taste a little, so drier, sourer and harder."

"Drie Fonteinen have done some specials in the Armand Series named after the four seasons. I have a bottle of one but haven’t drunk it yet, but they’re supposed to be very good (and they certainly are very expensive)."

"Tilquin annually (I think) make Quetsche with plums which was delicious when I had it."

 NEXT WEEL--part 2/2 of chit chat with NEIL( please note that it will be uploaded only after 28th Oct as the writer will be away for Three Floyds tap take over in Bangkok--partly to celebrate CRAFT IS ART craftbeerblog's 1st year anniversary this month)

WEEK 29-- UK's "Newer waves"---chit chat with GEOFF QUINN

对英国酒吧文化有认识的朋友都知道，喝啤酒这件事在英伦是家常事，也是社交事。

只是，让英国朋友有点“漏气”的是，长期以来，市场一直被单调口味大厂啤酒占据，让很多人说起英国啤酒印象就是一句概括--“BORING”。

当然，因为CRAFT BEER的浪潮，还有苏格兰“酿狗”的出现，过去几年的英伦啤酒市场开始起变化，喜欢CRAFT 的朋友开始发现更多“酿狗”之外的新酿酒师，新品牌，新选择。。

这期专栏以2014哥本哈根啤酒庆典（CBC 2014）受邀英国撞意啤酒新品牌为指标，跟英伦新浪潮其中一个品牌BUXTON的创办人/主创酿酒师GEOFF QUINN聊聊一些啤酒事。

身为撞意啤酒新市场的吉隆坡，最近开始可以喝到不同类型的BUXTON啤酒，包括上了啤酒泵和瓶子选择。个人来说，最喜欢的有IMPERIAL BLACK（黑色IPA)，JAW GATE（APA）, STRONGE STOUT（黑啤）以及AXE EDGE（金黄IPA）。

期待近期有更多其他英伦新品牌酿品出现。

UK certainly is known for pub culture.

Ironically, UK beers has also been long known as "booooring".

That's until few years back when the "newer waves" of craft brewers started to emerge---after Brewdog got the ball rolling earlier.

This week's newspaper column is a little chit chat with Geoff Quinn of BUXTON---1 of 7 new waves brewers invited to the ever popular Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2014( CBC 2014).

QUOTES:-
on being invited to CBC 2014--"comparing notes" with other brewers 
"It's a great privilege to be invited to such festivals, but they also bring a unique kind of pressure to us. We are being compared alongside the best of the best, so it's essential that the beers we present are of the highest quality."
 "We're proud that we stand alongside these other world-class outfits and enjoy getting to taste their brews too, and chat and party with the folks that make them. We always come away from these events exhausted, but highly motivated to try new things we may have learned, we also usually organise a collaboration brew or two off the back of them."

on UK beer scene
"The UK scene is still very much a traditional ale culture, with the vast majority of breweries making perfectly nice, if a little pedestrian beer - what could be described as dull, or boring. There has been a proliferation of modernistic craft breweries recently, not all of which are making particularly high quality beer."
" Things are moving at a very fast pace, and this is where the challenges in UK craft brewing lie in the near future; maintaining a high level of quality whilst attempting very challenging (to brew) beers. "

on Buxton's motivation factor/s?( some brewers started because they want to brew better beers to please own palate)
"Similar -I was frustrated by a lack of interesting, tasty beer. But equally, a large motivation was business related - I saw an opportunity and took it."\
"Sometimes it seems that people forget that although breweries tend to be a "lifestyle choice" for the owners/partners, they are still a business and the model is a tough one to make work. This in itself is as much of an (enjoyable) challenge as making great beer."

on beer styles influence

"I guess it's true to say that we are somewhat influenced by the US brewing scene, whilst maintaining an essentially British outlook. We like to use a lot of hops in our beers, and the US (and NZ) varieties give us the kind of character we are looking for in a beer."

on providing constant supply or to brew as and when you like

"We have our business targets like any brewery - we need to pay wages and building costs, taxes etc. One of our major challenges is to ensure that the economic constraints of running the brewery don't get in the way of making brilliant, interesting beer."

any rituals when brewing?

"Simply -Do it right."

to newbie
"Welcome to the party :-)"

to (yet to be) newbie
"We just gently suggest they give it a go, the beer will speak for itself if they try it. We wouldn't want to push anyone onto craft beer, they'll get there eventually..."

NOT included in newspaper column"-
on ASIA
"Only to Singapore a long time ago on a 24hr stopover. Now that more of our beer is getting into the region, we're very excited about visiting and experiencing the Asian beer scene."
"Unfortunately, we don't have any connections with Asia base brewers - something we'd love to change!"

on near future plan
"We don't have a style to concentrate on for the next 1 to 2 months, let alone years. Our plan is continue innovating, making the kinds of beers we enjoy and to collaborate with other like-minded breweries. At the moment we are enjoying making a lot of sour beers, but also stouts - big ones and little ones!"

your 3 cities for beers
"Edinburgh - great beer scene with some fantastic bars and breweries in a compact city area. Barcelona - again a great scene with some excellent bars. San Diego for the brewery tap rooms and great bars."

NEXT WEEK--chit chat with NEIL---LAMBIC--more than just SOUR

WEEK 27---Signs you are "POISONED"....

之前很多专栏稿都没有PO上原文，现在觉得应该补上，就由着篇开始，什么时候想给哪篇旧POST补文就会再上。（备注：文中把CRAFT BEER称为 “撞意”啤酒--因为觉得手工或精酿都不能很形象化的带出意思--就自作聪明的“发明”了撞意啤酒---不同意念/想法通过酿造过程将原料/食材碰撞出来的啤酒）

把发现/找到变化多端，有趣好玩的撞意啤酒说成“中毒”当然是朋友之间的戏弄说词。

还不知道什么是什么的人可能会被“吓到”。。已经发现撞意啤酒乐趣的朋友会心一笑之余，会继续介绍新朋友玩那个“喝了，就回不去”的CRAFT BEER游戏。

虽然有时候跟新朋友，特别是只喝过普通大厂LAGERS的介绍什么是撞意啤酒有点“费口水”，不过，为了让更多人“弃暗投明”，费点口水有时还是需要的。

当然，最有效的还是让啤酒本身说话。。像朋友说的，费口水解释，不如直接把杯子递过去/把瓶子开了。。。

This week's column is about signs that you are changing(slowly) from a non-craft drinker---to becoming one...

QUOTES:-
So what are the signs that you have been "crafted"?

In a nutshell...
S1" you went for the first time with a friend, had your first sip of a craft bottle/pint---started to feel a bit different, like maybe you had a few beers but non of the usual "hangover" effects when drinking normal factory beers..."

丹麦酿酒师TOBIAS说过“在撞意啤酒界，每个人都是从业余开始的”。

相比酿酒师，撞意啤酒界更多的是会欣赏佳酿的饮客。

而绝大多数饮客其实都是从不懂什么是撞意啤酒开始。

可以这样说，10个饮客中，至少9个半都是喝普通大厂啤酒开始。

这10人中，可能会有三四五个人因为某种原因，在某一天就开始转向喝撞意啤酒。

撞意啤酒圈中，每次看到有人介绍新朋友尝试CRAFT BEER的时候，总会有那么一句对白飘过。。“喝了，就回不去了”。

所谓“回不去”指的是，喝了有那么多不同口味选择的CRAFT之后，再也不想喝单调无趣的普通啤酒。

什么症状显示自己已经“中毒”？

S2"your other group of friends asked you to join them at the usual hangout places---with loads of normal factory beers--somehow you felt the beers don't taste "normal" anymore...you started to think of the beers you had the other day at the craft beer place..."

其一：朋友带你去喝CRAFT BEER，这是第一次尝试。隔天醒来发现完全没有头疼欲裂，甚至胸口作闷，没胃口吃东西之类的感觉都没有。你开始觉得“嗯，好像跟平时不一样”

其二：你只跟朋友去喝过一次，也算有喝到合自己口味啤酒。几天后，另一班朋友邀你去常去的普通酒吧喝酒聊天。你有点迟疑，甚至想跟朋友说，不如去那天我去那家，因为有卖好喝的撞意啤酒！

其三：你还是去了平时朋友们常去的那家普通酒吧，像平时那样跟朋友聊天喝酒。不过，你开始觉得，今天的啤酒怎么好像没什么味道？又或者“味道怪怪的”？你想到那天在撞意啤酒专卖店喝到的PALE ALE, IPA, STOUT，BELGIUM ALE。。然后主动放慢喝酒的节奏，甚至完全把酒杯放下，改喝其他饮料。

S3"after that day, you kind of feel that though hanging out with friends is important---but---what's inside the glass that you drink is also very important!"

S4"Yes, in a way, craft beer is perceived as more expensive--but--in a strange way, you don't take price factor as valid reasons when selecting what you gonna drink the next time you go out..."

其四：那天之后，你主动联系带你去喝CRAGT BEER的朋友，甚至自己跑去那家有好喝啤酒的店。你开始觉得，朋友一起喝酒聊天是重要事，不过，喝什么酒好像也变成很重要！

其五：撞意啤酒好像比较“贵”，因为普通大厂啤酒卖那么便宜，一些地方还买一送一之类的。不过，你开始觉得价格不是决定因素，啤酒好不好喝，多不多不同啤酒类别选择才是最重要的。

其六：你开始留意隔壁桌新朋友喝什么酒，会上网看一些跟撞意啤酒相关资料，博文之类的，会记下有什么好喝但没试过的啤酒名称，资料准备下次找来喝。

其七：你开始会建议朋友喝CRAFT BEER，甚至会推荐去哪里喝，喝什么，你强烈觉得普通大厂啤酒只是有酒精的无趣饮料，你想喝口味变化多端的啤酒。这阶段的你，按照撞意啤酒上手程度来说，已经“中毒”了！

S5 "You starting to observe what other people's drinking, go on www to search for info on certain beer/beer styles, even making notes to see what to drink next..."

S6"You beginning to suggest friends drinking craft....and you can no longer tolerate drinking low quality, one-dimensional alcoholic drinks..."

所谓“中CRAFT毒”，其实就跟找到好吃的鸡饭，杂饭，云吞面，咖哩面，肉骨茶等食物一样，发现真正好吃，不是一般随便弄, 乱丢味精就捧出来那种货色可相比，你会吃得开心，一吃再吃。

撞意啤酒跟食物一样，味蕾尝得到的酸，甜，苦，辣，都能在不同类别CRAFT BEER中找到。换了形式的“液体食物”通过不同酿法，变得更多元化，更好玩。

或许，唯一“需要考虑”的只是，“中毒”之后，你再不会想喝任何单调无趣酒精饮料了。

Other QUOTES:-
"Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy...these are the basic elements of good food. and All these taste can be found in different styles of craft beer." 

"In a way, craft beer is just like honest good food prepared with quality ingredients,cook with own styles..