Brewed by Brasserie Du Bocq Style: Belgian Pale Ale Purnode-Yvoir, Belgium
In the year of 1858 a Belgian farmer, Martin Belot, tried his hand at brewing in the quiet months of the winter season, using the pure waters of his surroundings. Naturally these brews became popular in the local vicinity and even though the Du Bocq Brewery bought the rights to the brewery in 1949, nothing much has changed and the values of the company remain intact.
La Gauloise is from Purnode, in Wallonia, and, unusual for that part of the world, not tied in with any Trappist monks or monastery. The family owned and independent enterprise, the Bocq brewery, is one of the largest breweries in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of southern Belgium. Since the 60’s though, the agricultural side of the business was abandoned, with the drinks industry pushed to the forefront as it was seen as a more profitable industry than farming!
The brewery offers a wide selection and, capitalizing on the craze for traditional beers, Brasserie du Bocq successfully exports a lot of their products, harnessing the strong reputation that Belgian beers have gained recently worldwide. Brasserie du Bocq exports mainly throughout Western Europe, and with a current turnover of more than € 12.5 million, the Brasserie du Bocq is one of the largest independent breweries in Wallonia.
Review: 330 ml stubby bottle of La Gauloise Ambrée: ABV: 5.5%
A World Cup of beer silver award winner, coming in a cool looking 330ml bottle and bought in Lidl. Sure why not!
The oldest brand produced by the brewery, and its most successful beer, named after many Roman (Gaul) sites discovered in the area.
On pour, a dark orange looking colour appears, with a large foamy beige head that sticks around for ever, resulting in some decent lacing.
A bit of fizz
Nice reddish hues makes the beer look the part.
A nice beery smell on the nose , smelling citrus and fruity hops and a lot of malts, all well balanced. Nothing too complicated but was nice all the same
The taste was savoury, varied flavours, fruity, caramel, well balanced but very light and easy on the palate.
Smooth enough to drink, not bad, but there was a discount lack of strong flavours in this beer. I did pick up some, they are there but not enough to get the taste-buds going. A little disappointing in that regard. Light and easy to drink, not particularly hoppy or bitter or sweet.
Overall, I like this beer, its decent to drink, and goes down very smooth, but it would be nice to have a stronger edge to it with more discernible tastes. Ok, but not the best I have ever had
Brewed by Anadolu Efes Style: Pilsener Istanbul, Turkey
The Efes Group of breweries produce a wide range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages within Turkey and surrounding countries…..Russia and its former territories, central Asia, and in the Middle East, and is popular wherever you see Turkish expats.
Anadolu Efes, the brewery, was founded by the Özilhan and Yazıcı families in 1969, and now is a market leader in Turkey, with over 80% of the market share. With strategic partnerships, with the likes of SABMiller for example, Anadolu Efes has cornered a lot of the market in both Russia and The Ukraine. As the company exports most of what they produce (Turkey is a Muslim nation after all!), Anadolu Efes has become one of the largest breweries not just in Europe but also in the world.
Review: Can of Efes Pilsen: ABV: 5%
The “number one Mediterranean beer in the world” as their slogan says, which is a big ask but lets see….
On pour has a very clear golden yellow colour, looks good, has a nice head, not a bad looking beer at all, light, looks decent
Had a nice beery smell, nice smell of malts and grains, very nice,
Got a lot of fruits on the nose. Nice aroma
The taste was very sweet, lots of malts.
In a weird way it tasted like washing up liquid, but strangely not in a bad way! A starchy kind of taste.
Not bad, but sweet
A smooth beer, very drinkable, light, dont really get the 5%
Some hops present, a little sour, but not overly bitter,
Really smooth,
Drinkable, goes down well. Overall, ok, but I think I might need to try this one again for another sitting……
Sleaford Mods are an English electronic post-punk band hailing from Nottingham, composed of vocalist Jason Williamson and musician Andrew Fearn. The duo have been on the crest of a wave recently as their music is seen as the perfect antidote to David Cameron’s ruination of Britain. The “Sleaford” comes from the town Sleaford that is near Grantham, Lincolnshire (where Williamson is from) and the “Mods” is an obvious reference to the subculture that inspired the group. Paul Weller, the Jam and all that!
Both in their angry 40’s Williamson is the lyricist, Fearn the man with the beats, and years of working in dead end jobs, doing drugs, and getting by, have shaped them into what we have today, a band with something to say about the state of modern day Britain.
Their songs/rants are mostly a commentary on the mundane life of working class life in small town Britain: drinking cheap lager, shit jobs and weekends of nothingness. Also included are many criticisms of other rock groups and pop culture in general. There is a lot of swearing and shouting, ie industrial working class language, all done in their typical East Midlands accent.
Comparisons have been made to Mark E. Smith, John Cooper Clarke and Ian Dury, amongst others, all of which annoys the band no end.
With success comes recognition, and this year has seen them collaborate with the Prodigy, on “Ibiza”, a pish take on modern day superstar DJs, and with Leftfield “Head and Shoulders”, about modern consumerism, and which has a video that is definitely worth checking out.
Along with that, in July they also released their newest album ‘Key Markets’. Their eight album since 2007, and following on from the successes of 2014’s album “Divide and Exit” and 2013’s “Austerity Dogs”, albums which got them a lot of press interest and, with appearances in Glastonbury and in Banky’s DISMALAND attraction, the band have really started to get a lot of attention to date. Key Markets also hit the charts, getting into the top twenty,
I like the Sleaford Mods. In an age where music is generally bland, and with no one having anything of note to say, it’s refreshing to hear a band that cuts through the shite and lays modern life as it really is. Its middle age angst, enough of the shite we have something to say too! And you can tell that Williamson means it. He makes the music we all would love to make, or at least I would.
I also love the fact that Fearn just stands on stage, happy and content, mostly chugging a beer, and presses play on the computer. Brilliant. While Williamson is the prefect front man, the opposite to Fearn, frantic, dripping with sweat looking possessed, slightly mad, slightly manic with the odd tic thrown in here and there. Compelling.
But its not just shouting and acting the maggot. Williamson’s lyrics do contain some real gems.
“Boris on a bike? Quick, knock the cunt over.”
“I fuckin’ hate Northern Soul / it’s like Motown’s on the dole.”
“Can of Strongbow, I’m a mess. Desperately clutching onto a leaflet on depression. Supplied to me by the NHS.Is anyone’s guess how I got here. Anyone’s guess how I go.I suck on a roll-up – pull your jeans up Fuck off, I’m going home.”
“Cameron’s hairdresser got an MBE, I said to my wife ‘You’d better shoot me”
Or the lines from arguably their best song, “Jobseeker”:
“So, Mr Williams, what have you done in order to find gainful employment since your last signing on date? ‘Fuck all. I sat around the house wanking.’”
This is Rage Against The Machine via Nottingham, and I love it.
As for the concert in Amsterdam, it was pretty good, lively enough, a good set of all the top songs, and a bit of angry banter from Williamson. Small venue which was packed to the rafters, looked like a lot of English came over the gig. Had one nutter infront of me headbanging like a wally, (keep that for Iron Maiden man!), but overall a good vibe from the crowd……I guess everyone was chilled…….so all in all was good to see the duo live, and set us up perfectly for a night on the town in the dam.
The concert was held in the Melkweg (“Milky Way”), a popular night club in the heart of Amsterdam, near the Leidseplein, the nightclub area of the Dam. A huge building that was once an abandoned dairy factory. The venue, founded in 1970, hosts all kinds of music, theatre, and cultural events throughout the year, from the big international acts to emerging talents, they all play here making the venue a popular place for both lovers of mainstream and underground styles. Melkweg is run as a not for profit organisation of artists, and on top of the price for the gig we also had to pay a monthly membership fee which was a tad bit annoying but to be fair the price of the Sleaford Mods tickets were cheap (Something that Williamson of the band moaned about himself during the gig!) so I guess it didn’t really matter in the end.
So we were in Amsterdam, mulling around after the concert, wandering around when we passed by “the Rookies”, what looked like one of those coffeeshops we have heard about so much. Well when in Rome and all that, why not.
Not sure what exactly to get on the Marijuana menu:, we played it safe and went with the hashcakes. The staff were friendly and gave us some good advice and tips, the cake also came with beginner notes. Not to drink too much alcohol later as it might have a negative effect, etc, well of course that went in one ear and out the other
Founded in 1992, by at that time Amsterdam’s youngest Coffeeshop owners hence the reason its called “The Rookies” situated close to the Leidseplein area, and not too far off the main drag, past all the nice restaurants (we had some decent food in a Uruguayan joint)
Apparently it used to be a bar but owing to a law prohibiting coffeeshops from selling beer, The coffeeshop didn’t sell beer which for us was a bit of a downer, but nevertheless interestingly enough the vibe felt like we were in a pub. The interior looked like a bar, albeit it had a huge sealed off smoking lounge to the right which can seat over 80 people, and looked pretty packed on the Friday night we were there …… but we decided to stay at the high bar near the entrance, chilling with some coffees, nicely squeezed orange juice, and the cakes, where there was less people and plenty of space
The place was very relaxing, the music was pretty good not too loud and easy to chat over, friendly staff, and the vibe of the place, was great, very relaxing place to spend a few hours and have the chat. Have to say the coffee was great, and I am a tea drinker so…
I really liked the place, don’t know if it was the coffee, the cake or what but the ambiance was well chilled…. and also it didn’t have a touristy feel, felt more homely, well laid back, Amsterdam style.
So as for the cakes, they were nice enough. Apparently you are not meant to drink beer and do the cakes, so feck that, but yeah after a long while the affects did kick in. Giggling like a girl at the start, a bit of paranoia to end, but overall nothing a whole lot special. To be honest I am not into this kind of thing, but it was interesting to try all the same……
Could not but notice this place, it was so well lit up and looked like it was selling some kind of hard core liquor. Alas, no, but it did offer to cure our expected hangovers? Intrigued we just had to hear more about this magical cure…..surely not….a cure for hangovers!!
Situated in the heart of the red light district the Hangover Information Center (HIC) offers to help cure your morning afters. When you drink alcohol you dehydrate, you lose water and important nutrients (amino acids and vitamins), you will get that sore head unless you can rebalance the loss. Now the experts always say you should drink some water during the night or before you go to bed, but people rarely do that in all honesty. So the HIC have come up with the miracle cure called RESET
The formula contains specific vitamins and amino-acids that are meant to rebalance the body after a night on the town. It won’t get you sober, but it is meant to cure your next day hangover.
Tried it the night before we were to leave Amsterdam, didn’t taste as bad I would have expected. Found it a little hard to mix the power with the fluid, as the powder was rock hard, but managed most of it in the end. I woke up early the next day fine, and had no hangover or feeling of grogginess. But I honestly wouldn’t put that down to the RESET. I think the beer in the Dam is clean and very crisp, and I think that it was more to do with the quality of the beer I was drinking than anything I consumed before bed. I guess!
All that walking around De Wallen and admiring the views (or gawking at the ladies!) was thirsty work. Noticed this bar dead centre in the area of the red light district. Had a distinctive big red Rolling Stones tongue on the outside, and sure enough inside there was a rocky feel to the bar. Good music, cozy atmosphere, a nice and relaxing bar. I liked it as it was like a cocoon to all the crowds and the madness that was happening outside. Was good to escape the craziness of De Wallen for an hour.
We had our accommodation just around the corner from Weteringschans, an intersection of trams and streets, near the Rijksmuseum.
Café Brecht caught our eye, it was teaming with people, and looked like a decent place. As it is a café we weren’t sure if they did beers but luckily for us they did. The bar has an amazing décor, decked out like an old fashioned living room with vintage furniture, cool wallpaper on the walls, and a lot of retro lampshades, all very comfy. The small living room style, a nostalgic Berlin café feel, was very cool, and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed.
They have a pretty impressive array of beers, mostly German, and all with weird sounding names. Was lucky to get a seat as the place was pretty packed. Sat down on a lovely comfortable armchair, taking in the nice vibe, sipping a tasty stout, and was able to enjoy the chat. Called after the German poet Bertholt Brecht, the place did have a very arty feel, but it was not at all pretentious or too full on. It was more quirky and laid back than anything. Liked it a lot and if I ever return to the Dam will definitely will return. A good place for a nice beer.
Hidden away in what was once Amsterdam’s stock exchange and very easy to miss, Cut throat is a unqiue experience that’s for sure. Don’t you just hate waiting to get your hair cut, I know I do anyway. Well why not spend that time waiting, by drinking beer, or coffee, or having a decent meal. Have to say, this is a cracking idea, and fuck me why didn’t I think of this! A barber shop that also is a coffee/bar. Brilliant idea.
Mate got the haircut, and a have to say a cracking good cut too. Was regretting not getting one myself, lord knows I need one as I haven’t had a cut since early summer and presently look like something that crawled out of a cave, but Im not so sure they could deal with my scraggily hair. I am not a hipster and like it messy. So I concentrated on the bar and the beers, I didn’t mind the wait!! Even though it was a Saturday afternoon my mate didn’t have to wait so long. He just put his name down on the board, was called after about ten minutes, which was great. They were busy but they had about 3 or 4 barbers working flat out.
The barber shop area can be seen from the bar so you can get a good view of their craftsmanship, and the interior of the place is bricked which adds a bit of character to the place. The bar had quite a few craft beers on offer, and with the recommendation of the friendly bar maid I went for Raging Bitch an interesting Belgian-Style IPA.
Didn’t get anything to eat, but heard that apparently the tacos are good. Damn missed that, as the Chinese I had in town later was rank. Opportunity missed. The bar itself wasn’t too bad, a nice friendly chilled atmosphere, the service excellent, was kind of interesting to see the hipsters with their perfectly pruned beards and all, the delicate flowers. Nice enough bar, but I like the sawdust on the floor, blood on the wall kind of joints, and this is a little too bit too pretentious for me, sorry!
Prostitution
Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, with the exception of street prostitution, and De Wallen is the largest, the oldest, and best known of the three red light districts in the city of Amsterdam, consisting of a network of narrow alleys where about 300 small one room cabins are rented by prostitutes who offer their unique sexual services from behind a window or glass door, usually illuminated with red lighting.
The area is not too far from Amsterdam’s China town and just a few blocks away from Oude Kerk, the city’s oldest church, and is located in the centre of Amsterdam’s old town, criss- crossed by several canals, cobbled streets and utterly charming 14th century architecture.
The area is an interesting tourist attraction, not just for the lonely man looking for some relief, but is also usually bustling and packed every evening with thousands of tourists and/or punters, gawking at all the scantily clad ladies waving at the passing trade. Apart from the red lights there is also a variety of sex shops, peep shows, two sex museums, and a few coffee shops, bars and clubs. Apparently some men also offer their services but I didn’t notice that! One must note that it is strictly forbidden to take a photograph, and doing so might get you a free bath in the canals of the city, so be careful!
Prostitution is “the world’s oldest profession”, and the history of it in Amsterdam dates as far back as the 14th century and the fact that Amsterdam was always a harbour city where trade brought people into the city, and with it an explosion of bars, gambling houses, brothels, and parlors where women could offer their services for the right price. All illegal but tolerated if kept hidden. In the Napoleonic period, in the early 19th century, prostitution became legal, and French soldiers were the main customers. Regular health checkups were compulsory.
In the early 20th century religious organizations ran campaigns hoping to end prostitution resulting in a series of laws banning brothels, trafficking, and pimping thus driving the girls underground, and out of sight. But of course this didn’t stop prostitution and by the 20’s and 30’s the local authorities eventually allowed prostitutes to ply their trade as long as they didn’t solicit in doorways, but did allow them to sit behind their windows peeking from the curtains beckoning customers, and so this is how the “window trade” began, first with elegant nice dresses to later and now with no dresses and little else!
By the 1960s, Amsterdam authorities tolerated red-light district prostitution, and the trade became legal in the year 2000. The prostitutes have to pay tax, but their profession is now has better access to medical care and must abide to health and safety government standards. With the Prostitution Information Center, a prostitute led organisation, in the district itself, also offering advice and valuable information and with the Red Light District heavily policed and controlled, you could argue that their profession is now much better regulated than ever before.
The system is not perfect, there are still issues regarding pimps, trafficking and general criminality, and for this reason there has been a crackdown on the number of windows, that in 2007 the De Wallen lost a third of its windows, closed by the city council. Of course the argument is that by closing legal brothels this will push women out onto the streets, unsafe and unregulated. At least at present it is strictly regulated by the police who carry out regular checks to ensure they comply with the rules, and also on hand are social workers, health workers, tax authorities and civil rights groups.
One thing is that the place in and around the De Wallen at night time was absolutely heaving with people. I am nearly sure I passed the area during the day time, but once it gets dark that’s when the red neon lights go on and the fun starts! It was a little bit seedy, and low rent but what you see is the reality of life. There will always be prostitution and at least Amsterdam doesn’t try to hide this fact, and for that it has to be commended.
Cannabis
Now most people think that cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, but in fact it’s not! So how do they have coffeeshops then? Well the Dutch are a practical people, they turn a blind eye to it. “Gedogen” basically means denying all knowledge, or looking the other way. If you look at their history, through the 17th century when Catholics were banned to practice their religion, yet did in houses and attics by paying taxes to the relevant authorities, or the sex trade down through the ages, yeah the Ditch have a habit of pleading innocence or more precisely not giving a fuck. They are a chilled out bunch the Dutch.
So coffeeshops can sell cannabis products in small quantities as long as the shop adheres to a number of strict regulations, such as no advertising of drugs, no hard drugs, alcohol, or tobacco smoking on the premises, no sales to anyone under the age of 18, no sales of quantities bigger than 5 grams, amongst other health and safety considerations. If these rules are followed then the shop will not be punished for selling cannabis, which as I said is illegal.
Most of the coffee shops are located in the city centre and they are roughly just over 200 in Amsterdam. As they are not allowed to advertise their ware, you can easily spot them, apart from the unique smell, they are usually decked out in the Ethiopian flag, Rastafarian and reggae symbols or the palm leaves of the plant itself.
Since the early 70’s, Coffeeshops in Amsterdam have been going strong with Mellow Yellow counted as the first one in the city when a group of friends opened a coffeeshop to share their hobby of smoking hashish and marijuana. Surprisingly to the group of friends, the police didn’t bother them too much, as heroin and other hard drugs were creating all sorts of problems in the city, with Amsterdam at one stage having over 500 heroin users! so the authorities quickly noticed that wasting time and resources fighting soft drugs was not going to solve the cities hard drugs problem. With coffeeshops people don’t encounter dealers selling hard drugs, and hence were not open to this side of the industry. The proof is in the pudding as they say, with the introduction of coffeeshops demand for hard drugs has decreased dramatically over the years, in fact the Dutch have one of the lowest rates of hard drugs users in Europe, and also they don’t have prisons overcrowded with drug abusers. Additionally, It has to be said that the coffeeshops are now licensed by the local council and are subject to stringent regulations, and also pay taxes so it benefits the government’s coffers which is one way to make the authorities happy.
One particular reason that the Dutch don’t go the whole hog and just officially legalise the drug is that would more than likely bring it into conflict with its EU partners, so they have decided to tolerate it without excessively restricting the trade.
However there is a rather strange and interesting anomaly with this sytem. Coffeeshops are allowed to buy and sell cannabis; however suppliers and dealers are not allowed to grow and sell to the shops. This grey area works as the coffeeshop owner pleads ignorance to where he gets his supply, ie from the often locked back door, while the police only care what’s going on from the front door! Gotta love the Dutch!
In 2012 A Dutch judge ruled that only residents of the Netherlands may buy and smoke soft drugs at coffeeshops tourists, but thankfully it appears that the city of Amsterdam has collectively decided to once again turn a blind eye to this ruling, fearing a loss of tourist Euros to the city since the coffeeshops, whether you partake in the blow or not, are tourist attractions in their own right
So we were lucky enough to have a 2 hour private tour with Marco from “Drugs Tour Amsterdam”, a tour group who are trying to give the low down on Amsterdam’s drug culture, both the myths and the reality. In fact I think they are the first, if only, tour group that offers this insight into the hot spots of the city including the Red Light District, and where topics include the history of Coffeeshops, what are the purpose of Heroin Users Rooms, how the police and other instutions help in the quality control and testing of illegal drugs, the religion of the Ayahuasca Church, a look at Absinthe and Van Gogh, and basic information of all the rest! Participants will also learn about the positive social implications and effective results in decreasing cannabis and hard drugs consumption of the Dutch drugs policy. The tour is informative, educational and fun. Marco, our guide, showed us around the centre of Amsterdam pointing out key landmarks and cultural reference points with regards drugs/alcohol/and the sex trade.
Amsterdam was born as a city as an international port, actually there was, with London actually with the British Empire, was one of the big empire that was going back and forth. Was born as a crossing ways and actually of course there are Sailors, with money started with prostitution.
You remember the church where we found where we met, this is called the Oude Kerk that means Old church and it has been built there in order to stop prostitution
It didn’t work!
(So prostitution was there first!)
Yes, yes the prostitute was here first and they try to make this church in order to bring some decent life and they failed totally
(So they had lots of randy priests running around the place?)
Now is came the best, on the 13th century they decided to make it legal and the prostitutes or the tenants had to go to the priest in order to have the extension from the sin for a certain period for example. You will be free of sin for one week, so for the week they could do everything because they were very catholic and of course they had to pay, yes we are talking about the Catholic Church.
(You kind of have to respect them for that, don’t you really!)
Actually I’m Italian so I have Catholicism in my vein and I hate it! Italy is a wonderful place with a big cancer inside that is called the city of Vatican. I love the pope but the church by itself is not good
(We understand. We are from Ireland so you don’t have to tell us, you don’t have to tell us!)
That’s true, actually I think that we are spoiled as well like you
Ok, ah yes, 13th century it become legal and actually this bring a new wave of using prostitution
First of all its not so bad the scene as in other countries
Here it’s normal, in fact here you can find during the Saturday morning, and the Sunday, and the Friday Saturday morning you can see even school that is passing by in the red-light because they have to spend one lesson about sexual stuff and so they check out the red lights, this within the cities, and they have to spend one lesson talking about drugs in the schools. So you can see sometimes the school
The fact that now its so clean and everything is perfect is because they started to show everything.
All these girls are self-employed, they pay about from 50 to 150 of rent for one day, 8 hours of window, and normally you pay from 50 to 70 euro for what they call Suck and fuck, I mean 15 minutes because they are very good in 15 minutes they are done!
Blowjob and a fuck normally with a brown (?). you have always to contract the price when you get in.
Suck and fuck maybe they are totally covered and you can not take pictures and there is a very intense security system. You see all these windows , at the back of the window there is a corridor that connects with other rooms. If they hear some scream, or she hit a hidden button, arise immediately Two or three giant men, they send you out.
In fact if you pay for the night sometimes you are yahh (drunk and angry), people like that and If they are sent out from here normally they finish in the canal!
(So do they have to pay a tax to the government?)
Yes of course. They pay taxes and actually taxes of marijuana, and taxes of prostitution are two big revenues, especially the Amsterdam city and that’s why these places are not closed. Because they makes a lot of money
There are girls that come here for making 6 to 8 months of prostitution and then they pay 5 years of university because if you think 50 minutes, lets have 3 clients per hour, 8 hours is 150 per 8 hours is already 1000 in a day
(And there is tax on this?)
Yes of course, but even taxes, because as you have costs. Ok you can say I have done ten customers, inside you have 30. Its like the coffee shop, the coffee shop as well, they pay taxes but there is no registry. And I will explain you later how it works. But in the register they can say I just sold one kilos of weed, in fact they sold 3 kilos. Because there is no register of whose coming they can sell whatever they want. But since its working good for the society….
(What do the ordinary Amsterdam people think of all this?)
Actually Its normal, its like a a sign on the corner, because its perfectly normal and its normal for example to have a neighbour that is a hooker
Here in fact, this thing I was telling you about that a drug user is not seen as a criminal. It works even for prostitutes. They are making maybe an uncomfortable job, but not a dirty job , like in all the other places. And With the systems, ok you have people who of course here there is lots of noise, people yahha, horny and back, but this way I don’t know how it is on your places but In Italy prostitution is not legal but you find hookers on the road. People who stop on the verge of the road have accident, have public disturbance and everything and this absolutely brings more criminality.
This way of course I think there are some of them are spoiled or exploited by some other people but almost 70% of the prostitutes here are here for their will not because they have been imported and forced to prostitution
(It’s the best of what you can do, I guess)
(What percentage are from the Netherlands?)
Actually from this point of view don’t really know because there is no registry, they have the guilds….but they give you no information
Some ideas in your country, Here are totally normal
(I guess with this kind of system, like with the shops closing, the situation can change very quickly, all the time?)
Yes, even the windows are under the supervision of the major that can reduce or enlarge the Red light district on his will, just enough that he just when a window finishes a license he doesn’t renew it. So in fact there was a lot more windows around here. Now if you go later will make a round when you come back one of my favourite spots because there are models
(Yeah, yeah, will I stop recording will I?)
You are married??????
Coffeeshops
Meanwhile I smoke a cigarette?
(Only cigarettes, those things will kill you, tobacco, that’s the worst!)
Yes I know but its one of the things I cannot quit, tobacco, weed and girls
Ok coffeeshops, I told you in 1976 the Netherlands decided to make this division
Hard drugs and Soft drugs and for the soft drugs they created these places that are called coffeeshops, you can in these places was and is allowed to consume and sell weed
While outside in the city is not absolutely allowed or permitted to sell or consume weed
Here In the centre of Amsterdam if you go around with a joint in the street they don’t tell you nothing because you are in the centre of duke
Just go in another place or just outside Amsterdam with a joint, if you cross the cops they stop you, they give you a fine because you are not a criminal you are doing something bad because it is for public nuisance but you are not a criminal they just give you a fine and adjourn
The coffeeshop, since they work outside the law, since cannabis is illegal and this is absolutely true, they work in this so called grey zone, that it means, grey zone, is a grey zone that is between legal and illegal , the police knows but don’t care.
There is a backdoor policy, I mean that of course they cannot buy weed from anybody because growing weed for selling is an offence and is a very big offence. If you can grow by yourself until upto 5 plants in your apartment and the 6th plant you could be arrested. Usually they take you away the plants and they let you go because anyway it is low priority
Weed and hashish seem not to make real damage to society, to other people they are not taking care
If you are talking about hard drugs they find you with a personal dose of hard drugs they take it away and they let you go. Hard dose, about 2 or 3 grams of cocaine or heroin they give you a fine, if you have more they can give you dealing charges
And actually how it works the coffeeshop
There are growers that actually usually connected to the hell angels or to smugglers that grow in apartment a huge number of plants and they sell it to the coffeeshop from the so called back door, this is the famous back door when they call they speak about the back door of a coffee shop it is this system. From the back door arrive a guy, that is called a runner with his bag full of weed, half a kilo of this, half a kilo of this and half a kilo of this
If you are a private you can go around the city with 5 grams of weed, top, without any problem
The coffeeshop can have a maximum of 500 grams in the place and the place related so even the place where the coffeeshop owner is living. So in fact sometimes when they want to close a coffeeshop they make a raid in the coffeeshop in the place of the guy and everything is related and if they find even one gram more, they’re done
Now in many cities outside Amsterdam they are required to be a resident In order to enter into a coffee shop
(Oh, Really?)
Yes, especially in the south because this is intended as a measure in order to stop the smuggling to Belgium, Germany and France
(So we couldn’t enter that place?)
No, no here in Amsterdam they don’t ask you. The minimum that you must be of legal age of 18
The coffeeshop runs with 5 golden rules. No hard drugs. No people under 18
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh
(Ha. No more than 500 grams)
No more than 500 grams in total. No weapons, no I already told that
I’m certainly tired!
(Its ok, No alcohol)
No alcohol
There is a bar.There is the trick for example. There is a bar that has near a coffeeshop, together with the coffeeshop you are going into your bar and have your joint. Your beer, you Jägermeister or..
Actually there is a bar that I have seen that you can have joints as well
This is actually an exception to the rule because they can get a fine, if they come in and we still adhere to the European law that all the places are actually no smoking and you have to have a place for smoking area
There are some bars that don’t give a shit. Sometimes you have to chip in 10 cents in order so when they come they get the fine they already have the ……
And If they fail in any of these 5 rules, the premises is closed immediately. No mercy about that
In fact this is another thing that makes this thing work, you have boundaries in which you can do whatever you want
Just step outside these boundaries they are going to beat you very hard
(Kind of like self-policing then, they know…)
Exactly, but for example even for drug addicts, junkies of heroin some people that are in a certain state that they are really very addicted, old, this kind of stuff. They have no money they (the government) normally give house, and some money for living and the drug and the Heroin for the daily dose. If they are caught in doing something illegal but even if they, I don’t know, sleeping on the street or this kind of stuff, they lose all their privileges
This way they are actually motivated, motivating them in order to behave
(A set of rules, follow them!)
So in this way many of the junkies actually have an active social life, they have a job, they pay the taxes, and some people that they meet, they are kind and normal people and from a point of view this is incredible, its quite a miracle because really heroin is one of the most destructive drugs ever seen, well now there is even worse but………..
Treatment centres for heroin users AND Ayahuasca
And this place is are the first source for help and treatment for heroin user. They have a very high percentage of people that are recovering without falling back
(Are people sleeping up there?)
There are rest room, they cannot sleep overnight because it’s not a hostel, but there are hostels all around the city even for junkies that they have to go here in order for their stuff and then for sleeping they have to go, for example, near the central station
(If something bad happens, I mean, there is medical help?)
There is residence of medical, there is, actually the lady on the first floor that is the one that is handling and sending the people to this room was an ex addict.That After 25 years of addiction She give up and she recovered completely, went to a community in the south of the Netherlands, and came back and she started to volunteer here, and now is 5 years.
(Can I bring that back to the first, eh The church of Acahuasca (Ayahuasca!))
Ayahuasca!
(Sorry I am …)
Ayahuasca, it was difficult for me, its an Inca word!
(So many people say that it’s a pretty good way of getting off heroin and hard drugs, because it’s a shock to the system, I mean I don’t know…..)
Absolutely, there are many people use it but this is not related to the religion because the religion is one thing you do all this kind of stuff
(Yeah I’m just wondering if that idea has been…)
No not yet, they are using a methadone programme in order to escalate it but lately they…
(Because some countries are thinking of that, I know Brazil and America…)
Yes but there is the problem of mental state, usually an addict is not mentally free, in order to have this kind of psychedelic experience you must have an inner balance that is powerful, this is why actually they don’t, ok I want to do Ayahuasca and you are making the rite of two month. It’s the priest that decides when you are ready because he sees you, about yeah, now you are ready, even if you have a problem because many people really they solve the problem during this trip
Actually it’s a sort of very similar to the Rite of the coming of age of the Indians of the Incas of America, that you do this very intense experience that makes you know yourself very well, and actually I think this is the real trick in the Ayahuasca, I mean that you have self-knowledge, and actually I can tell you……….
(A self-humility maybe is it?)
More than humility, you know more, you can except your limits, and honestly everybody takes drugs , me as the first person that has smoked and I did lots of ecstasy , amphetamine, and lot of things in the past because I was not comfortable with my limits , with my, that part of myself I didn’t like it. And the trip, sometimes if its done in a proper way can help you like that
The Ayahuasca treatment that you are talking about is actually is more shocking, and this is why it’s still controversial because it really like if your ice bucket in the face of ……….
(It is a kind of shock thing)
Yes exactly but there is a risk that ok, he give up with heroin, but he give even with social life
In fact psychedelics, some class of psychedelics, LSD, morning glory or Hawaiian baby woodrose that are hallucinogenic seeds and Ayahuasca must be treated very, very carefully
Because if you do the wrong steps you are fucked. Totally!
Be Careful!
They was conning you in an incredible way, even now if you go around there back and forth you will hear someone with their lips…..coke, and this kind of stuff. My suggestion is never take this kind of stuff because they always con you. You can get for coke a lidocaine that actually is an aesthetic, very similar, the same. If you try that, the cocaine is an aesthetic, you do like this (rub into your gums, etc) your mouth will disappear. The same with lidocaine but it doesn’t do nothing.
And there is, I’m going to show you, (rummages through his bag)
Ok, These are one of the most famous pills sold for ecstasy, you see there is an S. They are triangle, they are fake because they are, this one (aspirin) and they are sold even now.
For doing that, you see that because these (the aspirin) are giving by the police, so I can show you the lidocaine as well
This is lidocaine, its used by dentists, for anesthetising your mouth, and is sold as coke. If you are lucky, because if you are lucky you just get this stuff it doesn’t really harms you too much.
If you are unlucky you can……………
(So how much would one of those (lidocaine) be then, if they were selling them?)
10 euro, 12 euro
(ok, wow, for tourists they can have a field day)
1.5 euro expense euro and there are 15 pills inside, so let’s make a calculation. Yeah, there are people here who make a living just coning the tourists
(That would be an easy kind of thing to do, I suppose!)
(Sure everyone is out of their mind!)
(Lot of tourists coming here, I would feel, I mean I see a lot of people walking around completely spaced out!)
(Like do people fall into the canal, on a regular basis?)
Yes, Mostly Tourist and because they are doing psychedelics
I work in a smart shop during the day, and we sell Truffles, psychedelic truffles, these one gives you a lot of hallucination and believe me, and i that strongly believe that 80% of the people who fall in the canal because of these mushrooms
(And do a lot of people die in the canal?)
Not dying but getting bad diseases because actually its not clean this water, you can have from Rats, leptospirosis. Surely for skin disease you can have liver hepatitis. You come inside healthy you came out very, very ill!
(So that stats are good obviously, you are going to show us some impressive stats)
Yes exactly, because checkout, this is In the USA and in the Netherlands
People that used Once or more cannabis or cocaine once in their life
(for cannabis) In the US 14% in the Netherlands 22%
This is half and we are talking about residents that tried at least once
For cocaine 13% against 3 .4
This at least means that this policy keeps away the people that are not really intending to making drugs, starting with the drugs because here you have so many opportunities and alternatives you dont want to take the ecstasy. There are many alternatives that can boost you up, you don’t want to take the heroin. There is a a crouton (?) that has the same affects and is totally legal. And it is Not addictive
This policy gives the people the choice and actually they are making an even a big education in schools about the dangers of drugs. It is very unlikely that someone goes on cocaine, on ecstasy
As you can see even that its working
Check this out. In Europe.This is the number of problematics of drug users in the EU
Actually, The uk are on top
Safety
Here (junkies) have places where to go, you cannot see it. Walk around freely, you are not scared about someone comes up with a Syringe. Besides that, check out everywhere you look there is a camera. For one camera that you see, there is three that you don’t see So here this is the safest place in Europe, After London……………….
Absinthe
(What is Thujone, you mentioned that before ?)
Thujone, yes, Is a active component Of absinthe
(Is it the name of the molecule or something …?)
It’s the name of the substance. Taken out from the worm wood plant that is distilled and it’s a psychoactive component that open your mind, and in high quantities, gives you hallucination.
When he was doing absinthe, whoever was doing absinthe, in the old times, I mean the 17th century, 18th century the distillation was not perfect and was producing another elements that was connecting with your brain cells and was making the stopping with each other, stopping the connection with each other, and stopping the synapses
These are some of the paintings that has been Inspired by absinthe. This is one of the most famous, called the Muse
In fact I make electronic music, when I was making a bottle of absinthe I was making an album in one night. Maybe it was shit but I loved it!
(Yeah, yeah, you had a Lot of energy)
What do the Dutch think?
This is how the Dutch think about the period of danger of drug. They make a scale of 9 points for personal damage and 7 points for damage to society
As we can see Alcohol is the worst, it’s very wide, it’s used by everybody. There is no emphasising and no education about that.
And check out the less problematic is the mushrooms, but that is 6 scale for the society problem because When you are eating mushrooms, the trouffles, you make noise.
Alcohol is the first, heroin and cocaine, and then you have methadone,
Cocaine, tobacco, and these things I don’t know antidepressant stuff
(It kind of makes sense, I think that list makes sense)
Lsd, and this one no personal harm
(Really I would have though,LSD you’d get a bad trip and…)
Mental
This is to show this is working, and this is why these are legal here and while in all over Europe they are not legal and the alcohol which is the worst is legal everywhere.
Its actually Bullshit from my point of view. If the countries just put some more alcohol education, because alcohol is wonderful like any kind of substance it is done in a certain way and the right way it’s a great thing. But if you abuse it then have lots of problems and actually there are lots of deaths for alcohol, not a single death for weed, not directly related. There are Some accidents, car accidents and this kind of stuff, some people, for example, fall into the canal, people here during the winter they got stoned they fall asleep, freeze to death. And these are related, but not directly related, and this is why its free, and that’s all………..
(Can I ask is there any negatives. Anybody rallying against this in Holland, in the Netherlands, is there any groups that are against all this…..?)
Yes because there are always people that wont like the fact that you have the freedom to do whatever you want. But they are shot down by the results because believe me when they started to apply this policy and did a social study on it. Because its not enough that you divide the market, you have to take care of the people that will anyway will do hard drugs no matter what because they will do it anyway. You can put them in jail and they are going to get the drugs in the jail. You can make them fine and they are going to steal, and besides that with all this kind of stuff there is more crime
(But what about the Local residents?)
The local residents in the area are mostly tourists, not tourists, mostly expats
For the locals actually they have no problem, and besides Amsterdam is one city
The Netherlands is totally different, they are in the south more open, in the north, closed, and very racist, and in fact there is no coffeeshop in every city. Because If the major doesn’t want it, the people doesn’t want it, no coffee shop in the cit.y
But the majority of the Dutch doesn’t give a shit about weed because they are so used (to it)
Everyone smoking, drunk and having a party, and this is strange but it works
In fact, there are for example, In the bars where they sell alcohol there are about 1000 calls a of the police a month, we are about 2 calls a month in the coffeeshops because anyway cannabis can is a drug that makes you more relaxed while alcohol makes you urgh!
Talking about governments, UK and the United States are against and criticising this kind of policy a lot
But here in Europe they are starting to be a change of thinking I mean they are starting to get used to the idea that weed and hashish are not so dangerous as they can think.
That they really are the First steps to the hard drugs If you don’t separate the market
In the US, Colorado, Florida and California and Washington now they can sell weed. Colorado made in one month of Selling weed as many taxes as doing taxes in the city for commercial premises. One month AND they went to the school,I mean just think about that!
The market. The legal market there are some kind of substances that are not harmful so its stupid that they are illegal but not from a point of view from an objective point of view, because if you make the alcohol legal that is very dangerous, you make….Why the weed that is not so dangerous
The Tour
(How long have you been doing this tour?)
This now 6 months, and im doing research for 3 months because now we are expanding.
And they give me some materials and I started to expand it and in fact even now its still a growing creature. We are asking for permission from the police and the government In order to have access to more information and to some person, for example we would like to make an interview and make it on paper in order to make it available to our tours, for the drug users Injection room people for example or somebody from the ayahuasca, but in order to do that we need some permission because actually as we really want to do the stuff in the correct way
We have a private tour that as you can see you can ask everything and we can make a different and we have on Friday a fixed tour that is free on a tip basis
We have a group that is just more casual we talk about the coffee shop
A group that is just drinkers, we talk about the absinthes, the hangover information and so on
Actually I can tell you I am very proud of this small creature that is growing
We are telling people how is the real stuff here
(The reality)
Because believe me there are lots of myths about this city, and some are true!
Off to see University College Dublin play Drogheda for another LOI away day trip.
Have seen the students a few times, nice little ground even if they have no supporters….
Founded in 1854 as the Catholic University of Ireland, later established as UCD, the University College Dublin was where all good Catholics were sent to for further education. The University has over 32,000 students and is easily Ireland largest university. Like a small town, its that big, situated on a 133-hectare (330-acre) campus out in Belfield, not that far from the city centre, south of the Liffey.
Perhaps the best known of all the UCD’s graduates is James Joyce, like myself a Bachelor of Arts waster, and unlike me, a world renowned writer, but I am working on it, ok. Other notable alumni (alumni’s, plural?) include three Presidents of Ireland and five Taoisigh (Prime ministers), Brian O’ Driscoll who is amongst over 70 Rugby Internationals, and, for us football junkies, ex Man United star, Kevin Moran. There are also five Nobel Laureates amongst University College Dublin’s alumni and current and former staff. Pretty impressive I must say.
As I was over ten minutes early for the Dublin bus (I took number 11, The Clonskeagh entrance to Belfield, but you could take other options), I decided to sneak into Madigans just around the corner from O’ Connell street, on Lower Abbey Street, just across from the Luas stop. Always a safe option for a good pint of plain. Quick pint, no problem, good stuff.
Established in 1991, Madigans is run by the Madigan Family. The pub appears lovely from the outside, a real old fashioned bar, and inside it has the hallmarks of a decent looking boozer, with efficient service, and good pints, all in a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Just off O’Connell street with all the hustle and bustle, this is a place you can have a quite pint, the kind of pub that you can have a good chat in, a nice mixed crowd, no music or TV blaring out.
Good pint, and suitably refreshed for my bus journey to UCD, onwards…….
A bit early for the game, so I went looking for a student bar. Every college has some sort of student boozer, so sure enough, after a brief search I came onto the UCD Club House Bar. was packed to the rafters inside, as it looked like some rugby types were having an end of season do, all booted and suited, and a lot of drink taken. A very modern interior, with a decent bar, and more importantly they also served food. I had some sausages and chips, soaked in vinegar and red sauce. An unhealthy option but I was hungry!
It has two floors, but with space tight I didn’t venture too far.
Apparently this is the only student bar on campus, so for over 30,000 students it figures that this bar is always crammed to the rafters!
After the game, and back in town, I went to The Porterhouse Central, in Nassau Street, not far off Trinity College, and at the bottom of Grafton Street.
The Porterhouse Brewing Company is a chain of bars that have a reputation for serving craft beers and holding a lot of good time music events. Apparently it has the longest bar in Dublin…
Founded in 1989 by Liam La Hart and Oliver Hughes, with the first one in Bray, they now have six bars in and around Dublin, and one in both London and New York
I normally don’t like chain pubs but after having visited the original Porterhouse in Bray, which made a good impression on me, sure why not……
If you are a craft beer junkie then this is surely the place to be, they have a huge selection of craft beers on the menu,…also have a lot of their own unique house brews as well, including their alternative Guinness beer called Oyster Stout, which I am kicking myself for not trying as it is meant to be pretty good (a good excuse to return!)
The place was teeming on a Saturday night, but still relatively easy to get a good seat at the bar (well if they have the longest bar….), and also not so loud to have a good conversation. Atmosphere was cheerful and lively. Ordered some strong craft beer, that I forgot the name of, but it was bloody good. Service was prompt, despite the big crowd.
UCD AFC, or University College Dublin Association Football Club, play in the second tier of League of Ireland football, and are a semi pro team that mostly use players who also attend the university. Many players avail of the opportunity to earn a degree while playing top class, or relatively top class football. UCD’s claim to fame was running an Everton team close in the European Cup Winners Cup in the 1984/85 season, a team that had the calibre of Southall, Sheedy, Sharp, Reid and Gray in its line-up, going down just 1-0 in aggregate.
Also more importantly it is said that Socrates, the legendary Brazilian chain smoker and sometime footballer, played for the team when he was a student of UCD back in the day.
(Even though I love to dream, that’s unfortunately more than likely an urban myth)
Founded way, way back in 1895 as the Catholic University Medical School Football Club, and in 1908 they became University College Dublin when the Catholic University merged with University College Dublin. Over the next few decades they played in university competitions, and other various non league competitions
But it wasn’t until 1979 that UCD were elected to the league proper. Dr. Tony O’Neill, affectionately known as “The Doc”, had a huge hand in getting UCD on board, and was the man who was instrumental in getting sports talent to the university, be they soccer, rugby, athletics or GAA performers. He introduced the sports scholarships scheme, at that time a pretty radical and unique concept to Ireland. He was general manager when the club joined the League and remained in that role until his untimely death from cancer in October 1999.
Struggling in the 80’s and not really making much of an impression, the club decided by the end of the 1982/83 season to turn semi-pro, and players outside of the college were allowed to represent the first team, a practice that is still maintained today, albeit with still a heavy emphasis on graduates playing for the for first team. This seemed to have the desired effect as UCD wont their first piece of real silverware, winning the FAI cup in 1984 (sorry Leinster Senior Cup doesn’t count!), beating Shamrock Rovers 2-1 after a replay.
Of course winning the cup saw UCD qualify for European competition – the old European Cup Winners Cup – for the first time. They were drawn against Everton. As hard as it is to believe now, they were once a top class team and had a pretty decent side, a team of illustrious players such as Andy Gray, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy and Neville Southall, amongst others. Drawing the home leg 0-0, a heroic display for the part timers, they bowed out at Goodison Park, losing 1-0 win, despite hitting the post late on. The rest they say is history, as Everton went onto win the entire competition (they also won the English First Division that season). Small margins!
With financial difficulties, UCD had to sell a lot of their star players, this resulting in a relegation, and so this began a trend for a few years of promotion followed by relegation as the club was yo-yoing between the two divisions, but it did include a 9 year stint in the top division.
Another amazing European adventure was just last year when the students, qualifying via the Uefa fair play spot, progressed past the first round of the Europa league against Luxembourgers F91 Dudelange, a full time team with considerably more resources than lowly first division outfit UCD. No one gave them a chance, some said they would embarrass the League of Ireland, yet there they were holding on to progress into the second round. For a small team it was some achievement and luckily enough I was there! Read it here
Since March 2015, UCD have competed in the First Division, the second tier of the League of Ireland.
From the 2008 season they have played at the UCD Bowl, also home to the college’s rugby team. ‘The Students’ play in sky blue and navy.
To the game
UCD 2 – 2 Drogheda United
Attendance: 300
Cracking first half, it really was. Four good goals, end to end action and all round good football.
Ryan Swan scored the opening goal, running on from a lovely through ball from Watts right onto the on running Swan, who slotted it home beautifully, what a well taken goal. Not soon after Swan had a similar chance but this time the Drogheda goalie McGuinness was onto it.
But the lead didn’t last too long, as the Drogs were level as Kirwan tapped home from a spilled shot from the UCD net minder, Corbet, who did well to block the original shot.
UCD got back in front from a Gary O’Neill free kick that took a bit of a deflection, leaving McGuinness with no chance in the Drogheda goal, hitting the back of the net.
But just before half time Drogheda got the equalizer, Sam O’Connor with plenty of space manged to drill home to put the teams level before half time.
Four goals, cracking first half, game on, or so I thought, but sure enough the second half had no goals. Thank Christ I didn’t manage to go all in with 5 or more goals with some internet bookies. It still was a very entertaining second half, lots of end to end chances for both teams, with Swan in particular going close on a few occasions.
It ended 2-2, a fair score for two teams that played good football and showed a lot of heart. A good enjoyable game. Enjoyed it.
Interview
Short chat with Stephen from the supporters group, UCD AFC supporters club.
My name is Stephen and I’m secretary with the UCD AFC supporters club and we were created in 2010 just to give a bit of a structure and direction for UCD fans going to matches.
And did you attend UCD yourself as a student!
I never did, no, in my teenage years I looked at the league of Ireland senior division table, it was only one long list at the time and I thought ok well I am got to have to start supporting a Dublin team here and Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers were at the top and I thought no they were too successful for me so I looked right down and it was all names of country towns, Drogheda, Athlone, and Dundalk, and right down at the bottom was UCD and Shelbourne, and Shelbourne I thought, just in case Shelbourne are really, really bad, I better just support the team ahead of them, that’s UCD. So I started supporting UCD.
Ok, and how long ago was that?
That was in ’83, I was watching them from the paper let’s say and from radio, and I started going to matches in ’87, 1987
And what kind of crowds do you get to support UCD? Do you get any students? Do they actually bother coming down, do you get them out of the bars?
Well yeah, it can be tricky, especially on Fridays nights. First of all supporters do come, from the campus to support players who are studying in their own faculty so you will have little groups of 2’s and 3’s and that, all the time coming down, and then occasionally especially when the pressure of exams are off you’ll get more groups coming down and maybe a singing section as well, coming through in the summer.
And I want to ask about the team, is it semi-professional or is there a few professionals or is there some students or what, what is the structure?
In the recent past it’s been mostly students and then the odd players who are especially returnees who had a connection with a club and the university before so we would say we are kind of part time graduates, students and then graduates, we even have leaving cert students in our squad as well
Ok that’s pretty cool. And all those years, the best season?
Well it probably would be a premier division season, there has been little good spells, I think I’m going to say a period of time, we were 9 years in the premier division from 85 to 94 and so that was my best time supporting UCD, and I’d like to go back there. Now we do consider ourselves a premier division team even though we are in the first division this year because we spent I think only three seasons in the first division in the last 21 years, so we do consider ourselves definitely premier division, but yeah that spell of matches, there was one year in 99/2000 where we finished fourth and qualified for the InterToto cup and then we played in Bulgaria, and then the following June, that early, so June 2000 was a good time.
And the European adventure last season?
That was amazing, that’s was 4 matches in July, was incredible, especially we were granted access to the Uefa cup very late, in March through Uefa’s own fair play calculations so Ireland got a place and that was given to UCD, and just the preparations and the amount of work that the club had to put in to prepare for that, because we held two home games here at the UCD bowl and that was very special for us that people would say no, no outside of UCD and the LOI they would insist it would have to be moved but we showed we can hold them here
You did the league proud I think, for a small club really…
I agree with you, there was a bit of negativity saying why should they, they are only first division, and its UCD and they are going to embarrass us, but we won our first game against a Luxembourg team here and then we travelled away a week later and it was just an incredible emotional match in Luxembourg because the players were out on their feet by the end of it but we went through into the next round.
And what about this season so far, how do you think its panning out?
It’s slow at the moment, Limerick have set their stall out, they have won six games out of six , and they look like they will completely dominate the league, so it’s for the lesser places, 2nd of third or play off places so we will really be fighting for that but it’s not over yet for the first place but we have Limerick next week, but at the moment the signs are they will dominate the league, but we will look to get off into the play off places again and hopefully we will get up through that.
And just one or two players to look out for, we should note?
We have a centre back Maxi Kouogun, and it’s his second season here
He is very strong!
He is strong at the back, and he is scoring up front, he is our leading scorer at the minute with 4 goals and they have all come from headers from corners from Kieran Marty Waters, so Maxi as a centre back, and maybe a new player for us is Georgie Kelly, he came to us from Derry City, and he always looks lively, and hopefully he will be a good player for us this year, he is a new player.
How did you manage to get Kieran Marty Waters?
Well he would be one of the lets say part time professionals if you like rather than just graduates, I think we just gave him traction
Because he came from Shamrock Rovers, didn’t he?
He did come from Shamrock Rovers, he was having a quiet time there and he wasn’t getting much off a game, I think there was a few people ahead of him, so we just obviously gave him a package, and invited him to say what we are doing here and he was attracted to it.
So why do you think people should pop along to their LOI team?
Cause its local, you are going to meet people that you probably didn’t know, went to games from other circles in your life, you are supporting players who are playing at the top league in the country, and this is the best that is available, there is great friendliness and hospitality at ALL LOI grounds, I mean you go anywhere, and yet there is still a kind of a solidarity as well between us as well because we feel we are up against it with even other sports in the country as well as football in neighbouring countries as well. We fell there is a lot of emphasis on other football but not Irish football, so we have a solidarity there between ourselves and also then at the matches themselves you have small groups singing and chanting right through the game and there is a lot of colour and you can be part of the noise or you can sit and watch the noise.
I mean the package is ok too, I mean tonight’s game, it was good I thought, a good game
Yeah we had 4 goals in the first half
A lot of chances as well
Exactly, yeah Drogheda equalised twice, and we are a bit disappointed about that, but that’s how tough the first division is, there is about 4 teams that are all about similar standard and they are looking for two play off places.
Ok thanks, that’s grand
Ok thank you
Overall impressions:
Always like going to see UCD, two reasons, a nice little ground, and they always entertain, always play decent football, on the ground the way it should be played.
Was good to have the chat with Stephen who gave me all the low down on the club, and for joining me for a few pints after, was good.
By the way its ace that you can get good broadband at the ground, one of the definite advantages of playing within UCD!
Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale Mechelen, Belgium
With a name like Lucifer, well, how could you not buy a beer with a name like that, all hail the dark lord.
First introduced back in 1980’s by Brouwerij Riva S.A. In 2009, Brouwerij Het Anker obtained the right to brew and sell Lucifer.
Het Anker Brewery is a Flemish brewery in Mechelen, originally founded in 1471 by a community of Beguines. In 1872, the brewery was acquired by Louis Van Breedam, who renamed it Het Anker (“The Anchor”) in 1904.
Review: Bottle of Lucifer Beer: ABV: 8.00%
Bought in Lidl and brewed by Het Anker. Attracted by the name and the imagery on the bottle, a very retro look, Lucifer himself holding a pitchfork surrounded by fire.
Very bubbly on opening, an awful lot of carbonation, Jesus!
Too much head, HUGE, that sticks around, forever. Takes ten minutes to die down, half the beer fizzled away, Must be the bottle, A murky yellow colour, not a good start.
I dont know if it was the bottles but too much fizz, ridiculous, nearly undrinkable.
The smell was quite strong on the nose, wow. Can really smell the hops. Even though its strong it is pleasant to smell. A lovely beery aroma, with a sweet lemon citrus note.
Very sweet taste, sweet malts initially, with a bit of fruit,
Deep aftertaste, Ok, very bitter in the end, earthy hops, and lingers long
Nice enough I guess, Manageable
Very strong, can definitely feel the alcohol!
Not sure about this one to be honest. Didn’t really enjoy at the start, but there was enough in it to make me think again, perhaps that was the alcohol kicking in, which does creep up on you in this beer. Had a cunt of a head the next day, was hellish! Lol
Brewed by Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd Style: Strong Bitter/Ruby beer Witney, England
Was planing on having a taste of this beer for a long time. Always stands out in the supermarket with its very interesting name, and its conspicuous label of what I guess is the ‘Hobgoblin’.
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous grotesque dwarf-like demon or monster that appeared in European stories and accounts during the Middle Ages. (Yes, I had to look that up, thanks Wiki!!).
Either way the label does look pretty cool. I am sure the brewery has cornered the beer market for the gaming geeks and fantasy fiction aficionados who like their fantasy and all that jazz. That is if they can manage to actually get their arse out of the house and off the computer, and down the shops to buy the stuff!
Wychwood Brewery is a brewery based in Witney, founded in 1983, on the fringes of the ancient medieval forest of Wychwood in Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, owned by Refresh UK, a subsidiary of Marston’s, and is the United Kingdom’s largest brewer of organic ales. The company’s flagship brand is Hobgoblin, a strong real ale that is well popular amongst the beer drinking masses of the UK
Review: Bottle of Wychwood Hobgoblin Ruby Beer: ABV: 5.2%
There is no doubt that this beer stands out with its very amusing logo, inspired by the local myths and legends of the ancient Wychwood forest.
The appearance didn’t look good at all to be frank. It looked like coca cola, no head to speak of, very flat, dead and unappealing.
The colour was a deep ruby red, and on pour I got a big head, very frothy but dies, and no real lacing. Nice colour but the overall look was disappointing.
A lovely aroma, smelt like a nice stout to me! I got a smell of caramel, toffee and roasted malts, and a slight sour smell, but overall I liked the smell, pleasant.
Taste: Didn’t like this one bit, which was surprising to me as it is very much a hyped up beer. I really wanted it to be good, but alas……
Not much of a beer at all. Too strong for me, had a really strong bitter taste and could feel the alcohol. Very hoppy throughout, too hoppy for me.
Very sour creamy aftertaste,
Harsh flavours, chocolate, toffee and sweet malts, a lot of flavours in it alright, very robust and thick
I found it very hard to drink to be honest, one to sip, definitely not for a session, that’s for sure, for me anyway, lol.
It is a popular beer, but I do wonder if people are more swayed with the hype and the vibe than the actual taste.
Now I know they say that if you are a lager drinker beware, I would say that’s true. I think this is definitively an acquired taste, and perhaps with all the hype one for the nerds who like their war craft or whatever, or an English man and his real ales……….
This is reflected in their ad campaign where they challenge drinkers of pale lager to try a brew with more distinct flavours, “What’s the matter Lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?”. Could be true, lol!
Brewed by Guinness Ltd Style: Porter Dublin, Ireland
Not wanting to get left behind in the craft beer market, and with the old men in pubs market reducing in size, Guinness have released a pair of craft beers of their own, Guinness Dublin Porter and Guinness West Indies Porter. The brews are “based on” old recipes dating back to the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Of course sitting on those formulas for all that time, just like that!
Guinness West Indies Porter first appeared in 1801 and, to maintain its freshness on long sea voyages to the Caribbean and afar, it was matured in wooden vats that were sea worthy and made with more hops and higher gravity that guaranteed best quality upon arrival, in the days when preserving the freshness of beers was difficult.
Based on that 1801 export recipe Guinness has reintroduced West Indies Porter, albeit with less hops and a lower strength and a slightly different recipe, onto the craft beer market.
Review: Bottle of Guinness West Indies Porter: ABV: 6%
The bottles come in lovely looking labels, colourful, and nice to look at. Definitely eye catching.
Appearance: The usual Guinness look, dark brown with tan head
Head wasn’t great at all, a bit surprising there, not good at all, dies a death. No lacing to note.
Had the usual porter aroma, was strong, smelling of roasted malts, caramel and toffee. Nice
Taste is, if I am honest, not great at all. I found it very tough to drink, very bitter and pretty shite really. Not smooth, and not nice, urgh!
Basically it is toffee and bitter coffee flavoured all over, bittersweet, from start to finish, with not much else.
The ABV is clear, it is strong
Might impress the foreigner who cant get good Guinness, but it aint going to wash with your average Irish Guinness drinker, like myself. Guinness please stop, just stick to what you do best…………….
Brewed by Moosehead Breweries Ltd. Style: American Pale Lager Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Haven’t really drank much Canadian beer at all. I think I might have tasted Labatts once and Molson Coors a few times, which was very unimpressive. Noting the rather cool logo of a Moosehead, and with my Canadian friend in mind, I decided to purchase a few bottles of this lager in the local offy.
Moosehead Breweries is Canada’s largest and oldest independent brewer, located in Saint John, New Brunswick. The brewery was founded in 1867 by Susanna Oland. Originally called The Army and Navy Brewery, the brewery is still owned and operated today by the Oland family, now in the sixth generation of ownership under Derek Oland.
They’ve had quite a rocky history, with a variety of name changes, devastating fires that burnt down the brewery, including an explosion that killed Conrad Oland in 1917, regressive trade barriers that stopped them selling all over Canada, and the turmoil of both the Prohibition and the Great Depression, but each time they survived to come back stronger than ever.
In 1931, the symbol of the moose came into existence as George Oland launched Moosehead Pale Ale. The success of its Pale Ale, prompted a name change to Moosehead Breweries Ltd. in 1947.
Sold throughout Canada and the USA, and further afield, Moosehead Lager has won awards, in 2003, winning a Gold award at the World Beer Cup, and in 2005 winning Gold at the prestigious Monde Selection.
They are one of the last independent breweries in Canada and are proud of this fact, not pandering to fashion or the latest fad, this is as real as it gets.
Review: Bottle of Moosehead Lager: ABV: 5.0%
The flagship brand is one of the most consumed beers in Canada
Pours a really lovely clear golden yellow that produces a nice big frothy head which hangs around
Is fizzy, a lot of good carbonation,
A pretty clean lovely looking beer
Aroma: Real lager smell, hoppy, sweet and lovely, liked it, the light grains and malty aromas. Nice
Taste: Extremely smooth beer, very easy to drink, such a shame I only got the two bottles as I would have easily devoured a 6 pack of these no problem.
Very creamy on tongue
No real strong stand out flavours per say, couldn’t really taste the hops, but nice all the same
I did, though, get nice big mouthfuls of barely and malts. Very smooth finish, not a heavy beer, very refreshing, I like it.
So overall I liked it. Looks good, smells good, tastes good and very smooth, and clean and crisp. That’s all the boxes ticked, and its a beer I will pick up again. I wasn’t expecting much from a Canadian beer, so it was nice to be pleasantly surprised. Definitely a beer for a sporting occasion or a hot day, very sessionable.
Brewed by Charles Wells Brewery Limited Style: Banana Bread Flavoured Fruit Beer Bedford, England
Charles Wells Brewery was founded by Mr.Charles Wells in Bedford, in the east of England. A family brewery dating back to 1876, and now incorporating the brand Wells & Young, with a history of brewing distinctive beers, from the well-loved Bombardier, Young’s, Courage and McEwan’s ranges through to their quirky brews such as Banana Bread Beer and Double Chocolate Stout. They also run a chain of successful pubs, 200 and counting…..
Review: Bottle of Wells Banana Bread Beer: ABV: 5.2%
This unique brew combines all the traditional ale recipes of the brewery with the subtle flavour of ‘Fair trade’ bananas, creating an intriguing and flavorsome pint. In 2002 the banana bread beer was awarded “Beer of the Festival” at CAMRA’s London Drinker Festival
On pour got a very fizzy drink, a lot of carbonation. When it settled down a decent sized frothy head appeared, looked decent. Head looks good, nice and creamy looking.
Head does die a little and there is some slight lacing.
The colour was dark amber, with a tint of red, and overall the beer looks the part…..
The aroma is of…..well, bananas!
Lovely clear, fruity smell, gorgeous, and I dont even like bananas, ha ha! Strong but not overpowering, very pleasant and very tempting.
Smells of banana bread, with a hint of toffee……
Taste: Well it does exactly what it says on the tin, its all banana
A beer with banana, tastes like beer with banana! But its lovely, very smooth, doesn’t taste a lot like beer at all. Very sweet, but still smooth enough to drink. A bit of caramel noted as well.
At first I thought the alcohol content of 5.2% wasn’t apparent, but I think it does kick in near the end.
Everyone in the house had a try, went down a storm, all liked it.
There is a slight hoppy aftertaste that is a bit urgh, and it could do with more body, but overall very smooth. It is different, so hats off to the brewers for trying something new, refreshing and all good. I am not sure you could down a lot of these in a session, but definitely would be great to sip on a hot day. Recommended, and looking forward to trying this beer out again soon.
Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co Style: Vienna Lager Chico, California, United States
Craft beer is a big thing these days, Christ you can’t walk side ways what with some hipster nattering on about some craft brew he picked up in some god forsaken trendy bar in down town London/New York or wherever the fuck they infest. But you know it wasn’t always like that. There was a brewery banging out craft beers well before the bearded ones appropriated our beer culture. That company was Sierra Nevada, the early pioneers of craft brewing.
Way back in 1979, in Chico, Califronia, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co was founded by home brewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi. The name, of course, coming from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range to the south of Chico.
Starting small, with loans from family and friends, the company grew overtime to become, today, one of the top craft breweries in the United States, behind the Boston kingpins Samuel Adams, creating a kind of American East West craft beer feud.
The brewery focuses on flavor, character, style, and craft, while at the same time respecting tradition and innovation. Perhaps that’s what makes the beers so special. Its this attention to detail and doing the right thing that make the brand what it is. With a nod to the environment, ethical farming, and locally produced ingredients, and taken into consideration their small upbringing and community based outlook, all this has led to Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. winning the US Environmental Protection Agency’s “Green Business of the Year” award in 2010
This serious commitment to the environment, included recycling spent grains, using hops and yeast as cattle feed, having enough solar energy to power the brewery, and recycling and composting most of their waste. They also have their own water treatment plant. If that’s not all hipster enough for you then I dont know what is…
Review: Bottle of Sierra Nevada Vienna Style Lager: ABV: 5.30%
A Vienna style beer is a light coloured amber lager that has a delicate balance between sweet caramel malts and floral hops
Aroma: Lovely smell, I got toasted biscuit tones, sweet caramel and malts, all of which were absolutely lovely to smell, wow, really liked the aroma, good start……………..
Appearance: On pour I got a clear amber looking colour, and a massive head which was very frothy, but it does settle down quick enough to peter out, no real lacing, and ok to look at
Lovely taste, really enjoyed drinking this beer, was dead smooth and easy to drink from start to finish, a type of beer to saviour long into the night, excellent.
Tasted a lot of malt, also got caramel and toffee
Really full of tastes, sweet but not too sweet, and all flavours balanced and drinkable
I liked it a lot, a beer that is clean and very smooth. Definitely will be checking out this beer again. Enjoyable and very easy to drink. Recommended..
La Gauloise is from Purnode, in Wallonia, and, unusual for that part of the world, not tied in with any Trappist monks or monastery. The family owned and independent enterprise, the Bocq brewery, is one of the largest breweries in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of southern Belgium. Since the 60’s though, the agricultural side of the business was abandoned, with the drinks industry pushed to the forefront as it was seen as a more profitable industry than farming!
A World Cup of beer silver award winner, coming in a cool looking 330ml bottle and bought in Lidl. Sure why not!
The taste was savoury, varied flavours, fruity, caramel, well balanced but very light and easy on the palate.
The Efes Group of breweries produce a wide range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages within Turkey and surrounding countries…..Russia and its former territories, central Asia, and in the Middle East, and is popular wherever you see Turkish expats.
Got a lot of fruits on the nose. Nice aroma
Founded in 1992, by at that time Amsterdam’s youngest Coffeeshop owners hence the reason its called “The Rookies” situated close to the Leidseplein area, and not too far off the main drag, past all the nice restaurants (we had some decent food in a Uruguayan joint)
I really liked the place, don’t know if it was the coffee, the cake or what but the ambiance was well chilled…. and also it didn’t have a touristy feel, felt more homely, well laid back, Amsterdam style.
help cure your morning afters. When you drink alcohol you dehydrate, you lose water and important nutrients (amino acids and vitamins), you will get that sore head unless you can rebalance the loss. Now the experts always say you should drink some water during the night or before you go to bed, but people rarely do that in all honesty. So the HIC have come up with the miracle cure called RESET
All that walking around De Wallen and admiring the views (or gawking at the ladies!) was thirsty work. Noticed this bar dead centre in the area of the red light district. Had a distinctive big red Rolling Stones tongue on the outside, and sure enough inside there was a rocky feel to the bar. Good music, cozy atmosphere, a nice and relaxing bar. I liked it as it was like a cocoon to all the crowds and the madness that was happening outside. Was good to escape the craziness of De Wallen for an hour.
We had our accommodation just around the corner from Weteringschans, an intersection of trams and streets, near the Rijksmuseum.
They have a pretty impressive array of beers, mostly German, and all with weird sounding names. Was lucky to get a seat as the place was pretty packed. Sat down on a lovely comfortable armchair, taking in the nice vibe, sipping a tasty stout, and was able to enjoy the chat. Called after the German poet Bertholt Brecht, the place did have a very arty feel, but it was not at all pretentious or too full on. It was more quirky and laid back than anything. Liked it a lot and if I ever return to the Dam will definitely will return. A good place for a nice beer.
Hidden away in what was once Amsterdam’s stock exchange and very easy to miss, Cut throat is a unqiue experience that’s for sure. Don’t you just hate waiting to get your hair cut, I know I do anyway. Well why not spend that time waiting, by drinking beer, or coffee, or having a decent meal. Have to say, this is a cracking idea, and fuck me why didn’t I think of this! A barber shop that also is a coffee/bar. Brilliant idea.
Didn’t get anything to eat, but heard that apparently the tacos are good. Damn missed that, as the Chinese I had in town later was rank. Opportunity missed. The bar itself wasn’t too bad, a nice friendly chilled atmosphere, the service excellent, was kind of interesting to see the hipsters with their perfectly pruned beards and all, the delicate flowers. Nice enough bar, but I like the sawdust on the floor, blood on the wall kind of joints, and this is a little too bit too pretentious for me, sorry!
The area is an interesting tourist attraction, not just for the lonely man looking for some relief, but is also usually bustling and packed every evening with thousands of tourists and/or punters, gawking at all the scantily clad ladies waving at the passing trade. Apart from the red lights there is also a variety of sex shops, peep shows, two sex museums, and a few coffee shops, bars and clubs. Apparently some men also offer their services but I didn’t notice that! One must note that it is strictly forbidden to take a photograph, and doing so might get you a free bath in the canals of the city, so be careful!
So coffeeshops can sell cannabis products in small quantities as long as the shop adheres to a number of strict regulations, such as no advertising of drugs, no hard drugs, alcohol, or tobacco smoking on the premises, no sales to anyone under the age of 18, no sales of quantities bigger than 5 grams, amongst other health and safety considerations. If these rules are followed then the shop will not be punished for selling cannabis, which as I said is illegal.
Founded in 1854 as the Catholic University of Ireland, later established as UCD, the University College Dublin was where all good Catholics were sent to for further education. The University has over 32,000 students and is easily Ireland largest university. Like a small town, its that big, situated on a 133-hectare (330-acre) campus out in Belfield, not that far from the city centre, south of the Liffey.
As I was over ten minutes early for the Dublin bus (I took number 11, The Clonskeagh entrance to Belfield, but you could take other options), I decided to sneak into Madigans just around the corner from O’ Connell street, on Lower Abbey Street, just across from the Luas stop. Always a safe option for a good pint of plain. Quick pint, no problem, good stuff.
A bit early for the game, so I went looking for a student bar. Every college has some sort of student boozer, so sure enough, after a brief search I came onto the UCD Club House Bar. was packed to the rafters inside, as it looked like some rugby types were having an end of season do, all booted and suited, and a lot of drink taken. A very modern interior, with a decent bar, and more importantly they also served food. I had some sausages and chips, soaked in vinegar and red sauce. An unhealthy option but I was hungry!
Founded in 1989 by Liam La Hart and Oliver Hughes, with the first one in Bray, they now have six bars in and around Dublin, and one in both London and New York
lso more importantly it is said that Socrates, the legendary Brazilian chain smoker and sometime footballer, played for the team when he was a student of UCD back in the day.
Struggling in the 80’s and not really making much of an impression, the club decided by the end of the 1982/83 season to turn semi-pro, and players outside of the college were allowed to represent the first team, a practice that is still maintained today, albeit with still a heavy emphasis on graduates playing for the for first team. This seemed to have the desired effect as UCD wont their first piece of real silverware, winning the FAI cup in 1984 (sorry Leinster Senior Cup doesn’t count!), beating Shamrock Rovers 2-1 after a replay.
Of course winning the cup saw UCD qualify for European competition – the old European Cup Winners Cup – for the first time. They were drawn against Everton. As hard as it is to believe now, they were once a top class team and had a pretty decent side, a team of illustrious players such as Andy Gray, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy and Neville Southall, amongst others. Drawing the home leg 0-0, a heroic display for the part timers, they bowed out at Goodison Park, losing 1-0 win, despite hitting the post late on. The rest they say is history, as Everton went onto win the entire competition (they also won the English First Division that season). Small margins!
Cracking first half, it really was. Four good goals, end to end action and all round good football.
And did you attend UCD yourself as a student!
With a name like Lucifer, well, how could you not buy a beer with a name like that, all hail the dark lord.
Bought in Lidl and brewed by Het Anker. Attracted by the name and the imagery on the bottle, a very retro look, Lucifer himself holding a pitchfork surrounded by fire.
The smell was quite strong on the nose, wow. Can really smell the hops. Even though its strong it is pleasant to smell. A lovely beery aroma, with a sweet lemon citrus note.
Was planing on having a taste of this beer for a long time. Always stands out in the supermarket with its very interesting name, and its conspicuous label of what I guess is the ‘Hobgoblin’.
There is no doubt that this beer stands out with its very amusing logo, inspired by the local myths and legends of the ancient Wychwood forest.
I found it very hard to drink to be honest, one to sip, definitely not for a session, that’s for sure, for me anyway, lol.
Guinness West Indies Porter first appeared in 1801 and, to maintain its freshness on long sea voyages to the Caribbean and afar, it was matured in wooden vats that were sea worthy and made with more hops and higher gravity that guaranteed best quality upon arrival, in the days when preserving the freshness of beers was difficult.
Had the usual porter aroma, was strong, smelling of roasted malts, caramel and toffee. Nice
Moosehead Breweries is Canada’s largest and oldest independent brewer, located in Saint John, New Brunswick. The brewery was founded in 1867 by Susanna Oland. Originally called The Army and Navy Brewery, the brewery is still owned and operated today by the Oland family, now in the sixth generation of ownership under Derek Oland.
In 1931, the symbol of the moose came into existence as George Oland launched Moosehead Pale Ale. The success of its Pale Ale, prompted a name change to Moosehead Breweries Ltd. in 1947.
Aroma: Real lager smell, hoppy, sweet and lovely, liked it, the light grains and malty aromas. Nice
Charles Wells Brewery was founded by Mr.Charles Wells in Bedford, in the east of England. A family brewery dating back to 1876, and now incorporating the brand Wells & Young, with a history of brewing distinctive beers, from the well-loved Bombardier, Young’s, Courage and McEwan’s ranges through to their quirky brews such as Banana Bread Beer and Double Chocolate Stout. They also run a chain of successful pubs, 200 and counting…..
This unique brew combines all the traditional ale recipes of the brewery with the subtle flavour of ‘Fair trade’ bananas, creating an intriguing and flavorsome pint. In 2002 the banana bread beer was awarded “Beer of the Festival” at CAMRA’s London Drinker Festival
A beer with banana, tastes like beer with banana! But its lovely, very smooth, doesn’t taste a lot like beer at all. Very sweet, but still smooth enough to drink. A bit of caramel noted as well.
Way back in 1979, in Chico, Califronia, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co was founded by home brewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi. The name, of course, coming from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range to the south of Chico.
A Vienna style beer is a light coloured amber lager that has a delicate balance between sweet caramel malts and floral hops
Lovely taste, really enjoyed drinking this beer, was dead smooth and easy to drink from start to finish, a type of beer to saviour long into the night, excellent.