Regular DUaB readers will know about my fondness for travel - after all it's pretty much why the blog existed in the first place. Things have been slow recently, it's difficult to keep up the naked enthusiasm of four years ago, reading back on those posts. Not that I was naked when I wrote them, of course. Well, apart from one or two. Anyhow, the gaps between posts have been lengthening steadily as the 'other projects' stack up, most pressingly the beer blog over at The BeerCast, which increasingly eats up the hours. Oh, and I go to work as well, of course.
But all that seems to be about to change. One of the reasons for a lack of posts recently is the discussions I've been having with the Caledonian brewery here in Edinburgh about a possible opening. After we tried their Golden Promise ale in our very first podcast for the beer blog, I've been emailing them with how we're getting on - after all they are the only brewery left within the city limits here. They recently got back to me with a seriously exciting proposal.
Caledonian are a brewery with their rich heritage central to their daily working. As a result they take an interest in other brewers and the whole lifestyle of producing foamy ale from grains and water. Clearly the different regions of the world have over the years diverged and produced essentially the same drink under very different conditions, recipes, and ethos's (whatever the plural of ethos is). The really nice people at Caley have seemingly been keeping up with my writing here on DUaB, and on the BeerCast, as they've offered me a job.
Starting in the summer - if I want it - I'll be travelling around, taking in local breweries and exploring the essence of what it means to produce beer in this oh so hectic 24hr everything is now society. From East Anglia to the East Indes, I'll be off tracking down the rarest of beers - and this being me, the rarest of pies and other local delicacies. Moules frites, pie floaters, giant maggot kebabs, I'll be there front and centre. Head Global Beer Reporter.
So check back in a couple of days as I get details in about the specifics of the first destination. I've been told to expect arduous travel, dangerous animals, and tall tales. And so should you, dear readers. Patagonian pilseners, Swedish stouts, and Liberian lagers ahoy, plus the odd spider or too, no doubt. We're on the road again. Ahoy! Who's with me?
