Beer - There’s always a river nearby

[CPT Trips]

Here’s a place to start. I hope you like Stout and Porter.

https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

[Host Jazzbeau]

@CPT Trips you may already know this, but I just read that every AMA cruise starting in Vilshofen includes an Oktoberfest celebration at the landing stage:

 

[CPT Trips]

I was not aware. Tempting, https://www.inthelooptravel.com/adventures/the-best-river-cruise-party-its-amawaterways-vilshofenfest , but I don’t foresee cruising Amawaterways in the nearshore future. Nonetheless it’s good to know.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by CPT Trips

[Canal archive]

Yes just picked that up from Notamermaid I’ve never been but my DH has quite a few times his German colleagues somehow managed to find his presence was needed in Germany around that time frequently!

[notamermaid]

I cannot believe we missed International Beer Day! Here is some info on German beer: https://www.dw.com/en/its-international-beer-day/g-19195372

 

For me, the quintessential beer river cruise river is the Main, although it is full of vineyards, but others would say it is the Danube. Well, anyway, recently I have had the opportunity to try Bamberg Rauchbier. It is smoked and tastes - smoked! I do not know how they do it but is like smoked bacon without the bacon, or smoked trout without the trout. It is interesting but I do not need to have it again.

 

I will stick to my standard brands of the Rhine, Main and Isar.

 

notamermaid

 

[jpalbny]

I tried Rauchbier once, when we did a day trip to Bamberg. It went well enough with grilled sausages. The flavor gets to be too intense after a while.

[Canal archive]

I won’t be reminding my husband he usually thought up a reason for a ‘business’ trip to Germany around this time of year and strangely enough during October he said it was something to do with the perks of working for a German company.

[Wings55]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

.... Well, anyway, recently I have had the opportunity to try Bamberg Rauchbier. It is smoked and tastes - smoked! I do not know how they do it but is like smoked bacon without the bacon, or smoked trout without the trout. It is interesting but I do not need to have it again....

 

 

We sampled it during a stop in Bamberg on our Scenic cruise. It took a few sips to get used to the smoky taste, but we decided we quite liked it. 🍺

Paul

[CPT Trips]

On 8/11/2022 at 11:23 AM, notamermaid said:

I cannot believe we missed International Beer Day! Here is some info on German beer: https://www.dw.com/en/its-international-beer-day/g-19195372

 

For me, the quintessential beer river cruise river is the Main, although it is full of vineyards, but others would say it is the Danube. Well, anyway, recently I have had the opportunity to try Bamberg Rauchbier. It is smoked and tastes - smoked! I do not know how they do it but is like smoked bacon without the bacon, or smoked trout without the trout. It is interesting but I do not need to have it again.

 

I will stick to my standard brands of the Rhine, Main and Isar.

 

notamermaid

 

@notamermaid Es tut mir lied . . . the quintessential beer river is the Scheldt. 

[Canal archive]

Now now now have you tried the green beer on St Patrick’s day or my DH goes on about the wheat beer. He is a bit of a beer aficionado he and his canal boat buddies are on the hunt for the strongest craft beer they can find in our area at the moment which if I’m not watchful could extend to Germany!

Edited August 13, 2022 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

7 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

@notamermaid Es tut mir lied . . . the quintessential beer river is the Scheldt. 

Fully accepted. 🙂 That river is sailed and, my, is the area full of beer!

 

notamermaid

[Canal archive]

Liquid bread = wheat beer, sorry green beer in the USA and dunkel beer in Germany.

[Canal archive]

Evidently wheat beer good for you until you try to stand up! DH did not say if that depended on the quantity consumed or not.

[CPT Trips]

No, no, no! Don’t even think about that green dreck.

Wheat beer generally is the quantity as it tends towards lower abv. The brewer can rev it up, but imo that defeats the purpose.

[notamermaid]

On 8/13/2022 at 3:19 AM, CPT Trips said:

@notamermaid Es tut mir lied . . . the quintessential beer river is the Scheldt. 

 

On 8/13/2022 at 11:21 AM, notamermaid said:

Fully accepted. 🙂 That river is sailed and, my, is the area full of beer!

 

notamermaid

 

Viva Cruises as part of their winter cruises programme visits the Scheldt. This is the itinerary, the first one starting on 23 January: https://www.viva-*****/en-us/cruisedetail?id=392&adults=2

It is a little short but from Düsseldorf you can always make your way to Cologne for a pub crawl as a pre- or post-cruise experience, i.e. adding another day or two.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

We have not talked about beer in a while. Not too much has happened but sadly one brewery has gone.

 

We discussed Koblenz. The Königsbacher/Koblenzer brewery went bankrupt and has closed down.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

DH in gobsmacked he can’t believe any German Brewery could go bankrupt, is less beer being imbibed? 

[CPT Trips]

Just one word . . .

 

[notamermaid]

On 6/26/2024 at 12:49 AM, Canal archive said:

DH in gobsmacked he can’t believe any German Brewery could go bankrupt, is less beer being imbibed? 

Yes, it is actually. It is a tough market, the years 2020/2021 were certainly bad years. But there were also specific problems with the company. Sad to see it go.

 

But there are other beers in the area, Bitburger from the Eifel, i.e. Bitburg, is a bit omnipresent unfortunately (unless you like it of course) so try and look for others or encourage your cruise company to look beyond offering that one. I know these are big company deals and not normally changed by two river cruisers saying "we want a different beer" but you can always try and play the beer sommelier. Full disclosure: I did not know such a job existed until about five years ago.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

We do like Bitburger, it's what we buy here as well as enjoy while onboard. 🙂

 

[notamermaid]

Interesting that you like Bitburger. The company itself says that their classic beer is the most popular draft beer in Germany. I have tried their "Helles Landbier" which with its less emphasis on hops is more my palate. I see that they also offer gluten-free beer. Did not know that.

 

I wonder if a river cruise company has ever offered a beer tasting at the company? If you really wanted to get away from Trier and its wine and Roman ruins you could be in Bitburg in the deep Eifel region in half an hour.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Daisi]

Wish we had the time, but will have to add it to our bucket list for when we do Germany by train. 

 

We tend to like the hop-style of beer, or my husband likes a stronger "red".

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, Daisi said:

Wish we had the time, but will have to add it to our bucket list for when we do Germany by train. 

That could work. Train travel into the valleys off the beaten track can be really nice. I like the Lahn valley railway but I do not think there is a big brewery there up the valley. There is a brewery right at the mouth of the river, i.e. at Lahnstein town, a bit out of town overlooking the Rhine river. Not open every day but it is a nice location, have been there: https://www.maximilians-brauwiesen.de/

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Daisi]

That's our plan, once we run out of rivers - choose a base for a couple of days, travel by train on the local lines to see the country, then move on to another base. 

 

So many plans, so little time. 🙂

 

[CPT Trips]

9 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I wonder if a river cruise company has ever offered a beer tasting at the company? If you really wanted to get away from Trier and its wine and Roman ruins you could be in Bitburg in the deep Eifel region in half an hour.

On the organized tours we only had organized tasting of Rauchbier. Very mixed reactions including 🤮, 😱, and 😎. 

On one trip we overnighted in Antwerp and our program director organized an impromptu “learning and discovery” in a nearby bar.