Drinking Beer Around the World – Part 15

Memorable Moments Drinking Beer Around the World – Part 15

As we sit by the warm fire in the middle of another Canadian winter, we can’t think of a better time for the next edition of our series about memorable moments drinking beer around the world.

Being lovers of beer and travel, we try our best to capture a photo of every new beer we sample while on the road, making for an awesome photo collection with over 450 different types and brands of beer.

Because tastes and preferences are so subjective, our goal for this series is not to find the “best beer in the world”, but rather to reflect on memorable beer drinking moments from our travels. Keep in mind, we don’t consider ourselves professional beer connoisseurs and our beer reviews can easily be influenced by how many were consumed that day.

Our beer-tastic series continues with its 15th edition, serving up ten more tasty brews from around the world.

Cheers!

Victoria Cerveza – Tulum, Mexico

We enjoyed this refreshing bottle of cerveza after a full day of exploring the Mayan ruins of Tulum. We found a great outdoor restaurant just down the street from our fantastic beachfront villa and sampled a couple tasty burritos loaded with fresh salsa and guacamole. Beer always tastes better with your feet in the sand and a burrito in hand (yep, I made that rhyme!).

The beer verdict – Clear, light, refreshing with good carbonation. Nice compliment to spicy burritos on a humid evening. We give it 7 out of 10

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Bomanti Beer – Ankara, Turkey

This Turkish beer was consumed in Ankara the night after returning from an unforgettable trip to Cappadocia that included a hot air balloon tour over the colourful rocky landcapes. It was nice to find a beer in Turkey that wasn’t Efes or Tuborg – not that there’s anything wrong with either, but we welcomed the variety.

The beer verdict – Clear, golden, sweet but tangy, decent body, modest bitterness. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible. We give it 6 out of 10

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Fat Tire Amber Ale – Palm Springs, California

This tasty 6-pack of Fat Tire Amber Ale was enjoyed thoroughly while lounging by the pool in Palm Springs and later watching the Super Bowl (you know, the one when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots got burned by Eli Manning and the NY Giants… the second time!). We’re very impressed with the American craft beer that’s coming out of the west coast lately. This is one of the better beers we sampled on our first international trip with Baby B.

The beer verdict – Nice amber colour, solid body, strong hops, big flavour. Definitely a keeper that should be worked into your rotation. We give it 8 out of 10

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Bernard Pivo – Sydney, Australia (Czech Beer)

After a long travel day we finally arrived in Sydney and immediately went searching for an outdoor restaurant that served cold draft beer. We stumbled on a hole-in-the-wall Eastern European restaurant that proudly displayed the Bernard Pivo sign at its entrance. It was an easy decision. The food was nothing special but the location and setting were fantastic. It was a great way to end a very, very long day.

The beer verdict – Cold, crisp, refreshing and tasty. It was served in an ice cold glass, which certainly made it more enjoyable. We give it 7 out of 10

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Schlappeseppel Weissbier – Reil, Germany

This popular German weissbier was enjoyed on the roof-top patio of our family’s home in the village of Reil in the Mosel River Valley, our favourite place in Germany. We spent many evenings on this deck, watching the sun set over the steep vineyards while sampling some of the region’s finest beer and wine. It’s a great place to spend the summer!

The beer verdict – Solid body, cloudy, malty sweetness, nice citrus flavours, tasty finish. Go get one – it’s deliciousness in a bottle! We give it 8.5 out of 10

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Iquana Cerveza – Mendoza, Argentina

We arrived in Mendoza via Chile on Easter weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Of course, we didn’t realize this until AFTER we arrived and were turned away by over a dozen hostels and budget hotels. The situation was getting pretty serious, as in “sleeping in the bus terminal” kinda serious, when we finally found a guesthouse that welcomed us for the night. We celebrated our success by sharing this tall bottle of Iquana Cerveza in our cozy room.

The beer verdict – Similar to most South American beers, it was light, malty, tangy with a skunky aftertaste. Likely would not order again. We give it 5 out of 10

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Hells Gate Premium Lager – Chiliwhack Lake, British Columbia

This photo pretty much sums up why we love living in British Columbia. Last summer we joined our friends for a boating and camping weekend at Chiliwhack Lake in British Columbia, located about 3 hours east of Vancouver. Nothing says Canadian summer like cold beer, fresh water lakes and mountains!

The beer verdict – Light, crisp and refreshing, but not very flavourful. It’s a standard Canadian lager, nothing special. We give it 6 out of 10

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Bikini Blond Lager by Maui Brewing Co – Maui, Hawaii

We sampled this Hawaiian classic on the patio of our suite at the Sheraton Maui in Lahaina. We visited the popular tropical island as guests on a social media press trip, so our time on the island was filled with adventure (read our story about biking down a volcano and see our video footage from a helicopter tour of Molokai). It was nice to have a beer and share some alone time together as Baby B napped before we attended our first Hawaiian luau.

The beer verdict – Golden, subtle citrus flavours, fairly sweet and malty, smooth finish, nice body for a lager. We give it 7 out of 10

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Anker Blonde Bier – Luzern, Switzerland

This helles bier was sampled on the historical riverbanks of the Old Town in Luzern, Switzerland. After a full day of sightseeing (see some of our photos here) we purchased a couple cans of beer and pastries and enjoyed them on a small park bench near the river. A couple of curious swans approached us looking for crumbs, much to the delight of Baby B who smiled and clapped his hands in excitement. It was a fun way to spend a summer afternoon in the Swiss Alps.

The beer verdict – Sweet and malty, mild hops, light body, decent finish. It was fine, but didn’t leave much of an impression. We give it 6 out of 10

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Pelforth Blonde Ale – Paris, France

We sampled this refreshing blonde ale in the artsy Montmartre neighbourhood in Paris. Baby B fell asleep in his stroller so we decided to pull over and grab a table at an outdoor cafe. The warm afternoon sunshine welcomed us and set the tone, so naturally we ordered a healthy portion of moules-frites and soaked up the Parisian atmosphere. It was a fun afternoon in Paris!

The beer verdict – Clear and golden, light bitterness with mild hops, decent body, clean finish. A great compliment to moules-frites. We would order again. We give it 7 out of 10

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Do you have a memorable beer moment that you’d like to share?
Share your experience in the comments section below!

Read more posts from the series – Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World