Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [103]
Perhaps the most memorable of all my homebrewing travels was in 1984, when 54 other homebrewers and myself journeyed together to the South Pacific islands of Fiji. Twenty five-gallon canisters of homebrewed beer and mead accompanied us. We anticipated that Fiji would be an island paradise with or without our homebrew, but having 100 gallons of our own stuff turned out to be a beer maker’s and drinker’s heaven.
With the permission of our resort, restaurant and ship’s management, we were allowed the freedom to enjoy our own beer in between thirst-quenching quantities of the country’s own Fiji Bitter. We used a magnum champagne bottle as a “pitcher” when serving our hand-pumped brews for dinner. What the waitresses didn’t realize was that we had our keg stashed in a cool room outside the dining room. Mysteriously and magically, to their astonishment, that one bottle seemed an endless pour of beer and mead for all 55 of us. The entire trip was pure paradise, with good friends, good feelings, great scenery, special experiences and the best beer in the world.
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SPARKLING MEAD—TROPICAL CHAMPAGNE
This is the simplest and fastest-maturing type of mead. Perhaps because of its relatively low alcohol and delicate nature, it is not very popular and is certainly not commercially available. Yet this is often the most enjoyable type of mead because of its resemblance to champagne, and you can enjoy more of it. I guarantee that if the idea of a light, effervescent honey champagne sounds good to you, then you will rave about this recipe. The recipe can be found in About the Recipes.
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But when you’ve had one great experience, why not plan for another? Three years later I led an excursion into the jungles of northern Thailand with 18 other homebrewers. In addition to bringing our own homebrew, we proudly hauled a round of Thai One On Pale Ale into remote hill-tribe country on the backs of several elephants (no, we weren’t drinking and driving on elephants).
The first day’s journey was delayed by several hours by the lack of elephants for our group. I ended up riding bareback and behind the ears of one of the elephants for five hours. We arrived at our first hill-tribe village after dark. It was a cool night. The fire felt good, and I recall the meal of chicken, chopped banana flowers, rice and homebrew as one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I think that the homebrew saved my butt, literally, after riding five hours on the ears of an elephant, whispering sweet nothings, through darkening jungle. You’d feel the same way about that homebrew as I did, I’m sure.
CHAPTER 13
Seeing Beyond the Beer
BY NOW I hope you’ve engaged yourself with a few beers. Where does the beer take you? You’ve read the reflections of several brewers in response to this question. You’ve imagined their songs, dance and poetry and what really makes them tick. You have been awakened to the spirit of the brewer and the personality behind every beer you enjoy.
I, too, get “taken by the beer.” Perhaps the opportunity to melt into a comfortable chair and gaze through the bubbles does not present itself as often as I would like, but perhaps that is the nature of being involved with special experiences. They happen, but they do not happen every moment—that is why they are so special.
What is an ultimate beer experience? For me, there are so many. Though, curiously, I recall this experience in the Caribbean as one I would wish to reincarnate in a thousand different ways. Whenever I do have an ultimate beer experience, the beer is always something I see beyond, in the world of my imagination.
An Ultimate Beer Experience
Kriek, Cassis and the French Caribbean
ABOVE ME loomed Mt. Pelée, a volcano that 85 years ago exploded and instantly killed the 30,000 people who had resided in St.-Pierre, a picturesque town on the French West Indies island of Martinique. Below me beckoned a perfectly chilled glass of Belgian-made ale, Leffe Brun. Beyond the