Tag: Spain

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A Book & A Beer – Night Boat to Tangier

Two men sitting around a dock waiting for a relative to arrive (or maybe depart) by boat may make some think of the famous play Waiting for Godot and you would be right to think that the slim Night Boat to Tangier treads that territory. Two aging Irishman with a past of misdeeds and sexual dalliances are looking for the daughter of one (or is it the others) who left three years ago and hasn’t been heard of since.

The book made the New York Times Best of the Year list but it was a little too cold and calculating and left chunks of the two leads lives open to interpretation. There were repetitive lines as well that I understand were part of a poetic musicality, keeping up a pace but it did not work for me. Overall, I was more interested in the daughter character and her arc and with an interlude at a haunted housing development in Ireland than in Tangier.

To drink with this book, I would recommend finding a flight of Witbiers that utilize different spices. Eagle Rock Brewery has their Manifesto as well as variants (one with lemongrass) that would mimic some of the spices used in the food that you might find in Tangier.

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World Cup + World Beer – THE FINAL!

world_cup_2010_logo

TODAY: HOLLAND V. SPAIN

Finally, the world will get a new champion of soccer!

Will Holland finally break the curse and finish off Spain?

Or will Spain continue it’s dominance of possesion and wear down the Oranje?

To finish the 2010 World Cup, we return to South Africa for our final beer from the Shongweni Brewery.
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Here is the info from the website about the Durban Pale Ale, “Durban Pale Ale was inspired by the original IPA’s produced in Britian and then shipped to India for consumption by the soldiers and bureaucrats. The IPA came via the Cape and records show that some of that beer made its way to the British serving in South Africa. With Durban then, as now, a major shipping port it is hard not to believe that barrels of IPA were happily consumed here on the East Coast so we wanted to revive an old tradition.

We only use the best malts for our Pale Ale, and in order to achieve our 5.7% ABV we need to pack the mash tun full of grains. The beer is also packed full of hops to achieve the 45 units of bitterness that we want. We use Cascade hops since they provide the bitterness we want but don’t leave any lingering harshness on the palate. The inclusion of Challenger hops provide the crisp, fruity characteristic of the beer, which is complimented by the special strain of English ale yeast that we use to ferment the beer.

In the glass the beer is a light caramel colour, with an immediate blast of rich orange on the nose, a toffee character and just a hint of spice from the cascade hops. On the palate it is medium- to full-bodied, and the initial sweetness from the sheer amount of barley in this beer is balanced with solid and tangy hops and a gentle fruitiness with a dry after-taste.

Our Durban Pale Ale is a strong beer and we have found that its character will mature over time if cellared producing a complex ale that will reward the patient drinker.”
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World Cup + World Beer – Spain

world_cup_2010_logo

TODAY: GERMANY V. SPAIN

At the beginning of the tournament, Spain would have been the heavy favorite in this match up. But now. All the momentum is with goal scoring Germany. So to be contrary. Here is a light beer from Spain for your pleasure.
Alhambra-Reserva-1925

“Reserved for the most demanding palate. Alhambra Reserva 1925 is a high quality beer crafted to perfection. With its deep, exquisite taste and exclusive masterpiece in bottle design. Reserva 1925: Our vast brewing experience, to enchant the beer connoisseur.”

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World Cup + World Beer – Spain

world_cup_2010_logo

TODAY: SPAIN V. SWITZERLAND

Estrella Damm is one of the leading brewers in Spain and I have had their Inedit beer made in partnership with Ferran Adria. For the game against the neutral Swiss, I suggest the Damm Barcelona. A light Euro Pale lager.
Estrella-Damm-500ml-Can