ThisDrinkingLife and The World Cup: Portugal
We will only have to wait one day for the first big game of this years World Cup, with the mouth watering clash of Portugal V Spain on in the evening of the 15th of June. Portugal, with a lightning Ronaldo and still euphoric after their Euro won, against one time winners Spain who have rediscovered their old form. Should be a classic, so probably be a dour nil niler then!
I expect the first game will decide the outcome of the group, as I dont expect Morocco and Iran to cause Portugal or Spain too much trouble. In the next round I feel Portugal could get past Russia/Uruguay with few issues. But if all goes to plan we could have a Messi V Ronaldo match up in the last eight and what a game that would be with both players probably playing in their last World Cups???
I think Portugal should get to the last eight at least, after that it all depends on how much the team works around Ronnie. Nani and Quaresma need to step up again, Pepe in defence, and I wonder if Renato Sanches might find the World Cup a welcome distraction to his awful club form of the last two years, it would be nice to see him play some good football on the world stage again. Added to all this is a wily old manager, Fernando Santos, who has finally got Portugal heading in the right direction after years of initial promise but with little to show for it.
They did it in the Euros and they just might do it again in Russia. Never discount a team with Ronaldo in it. (And yes I feel Ronnie is better than Messi, there I said it!!)
Of course Russia have had their own injury woes with long time striker and Zenit hit man Alexander Kokorin out with a cruciate, otherwise they dont really have much firepower up front. As for the rest of the team, I wouldn’t know a whole lot about any of them as most, if not all, play in the Russian league.
Prediction wise, at this early stage I think they might just sneak out of the group and then get to play either Spain or Portugal in the second round, and that will be the end of that. Pity as I sincerely would like them to do well, but they lack creativity and that extra bit of passion to progress. I fear this World Cup will be a failure for Russia both on the field and off it, but heh lets see. 
Nice talk with Seth Burkett, an ex professional footballer in Brazil and author of the well received book “The Boy in Brazil”
Established in 1872, Stuttgarter Hofbräu is a brewery located in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, in southwest Germany not too far from neighbours France and Switzerland.
Anyway, I thought I would try something new, a little bit of a light tasting beer for a change. Apparently this is made up of 40% beer and 60% natural lemonade, according to the label.
Got a LOT in the can.
Warsteiner beer is brewed in the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park outside of the town of Warstein, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Warsteiner has been privately owned by the Cramer family since 1753, and is now in its 9th generation of family ownership under the guidance of Catharina Cramer. 
Can also be known as Warsteiner Premium Verum, it is Warsteiner’s most popular beer, and exported to over 60 countries.
Bit of an aftertaste that is apparent in the back end. Light enough though.
The Abbey still stands and has a number of monks who live the lifestyle dictated to them by St Benedict, ‘ora et labora’ (pray and work). Nestled in a beautiful forest, the abbey is a bit of a tourist attraction and cultural retreat theses days. Visitors like to marvel at the Gothic church, walk in the gardens or do some schooling in the creative arts on offer. The Bible Centre has over 400,000 books, manuscripts and other important artifacts all relating to the monastic and spiritual way of life. But if that doesn’t take your fancy you can always have a beer and cheese tasting tour. I know which activity I would choose!
Really dig the small brown bottle and the label, looks lovely. Simple enough but well designed and appealing. The beer is bottle conditioned as well, all adding to the appeal.
Nice, I like it, very tasty. Has all the typical tastes, very clearly the coriander, cloves, the malts and fruits, particularly banana. 
Founded in 1817 by Johann Wallenborn, Bitburger brauerei is a large German brewery founded in 1817 with its headquarters in Bitburg, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, southwest Germany, bordering France and Luxembourg. The brewery is now in its 7th generation of ownership. 
Had a nice faint lagery smell, a soft light malty aroma and some grains, ok.