What a year this has been! Quite fun around here.
Writing for the magazine Bar&Beer has been very interesting and seeing my name in print is still a great feeling. I don't know how much the magazine's readers have enjoyed my articles, but I did enjoy writing them and also researching for them. Thanks to that, I had perhaps the greatest beer experience of my life. I already have a few topics in my mind for next year that I believe will be quite interesting. But Bar&Beer won't be the only magazine I'll be writing for next year. The other day I submitted my first piece for Pivo-Bier-Ale, a new specialized magazine that should hit the stands some time next month and for which I will write reviews of imported beers.
The presence of Pivní Filosof in the media during 2010 was not limited only to paper, it was extended to TV. The reactions to my appearance in Clase Turista were amazing, 3000 visits on one day (1000 after the re-run), loads of messages and comments on the blog, on Facebook and by e-mail and the offer to have an even bigger (and this time, paid) role in another TV show, which I've been told will air in March or April (we had a lot of fun that day, and some people at Zlý Časy are still talking about it).
Not related with those above, but more related to the blog was the work I did with Viamedius during that hectic four day trip back in November. Another fantastic experience, and I'm looking forward to see the final result on the website in a couple of weeks.
Regarding the blog itself, I'm happy with what I've written this year. Yes, some of the post are better than others, but overall, I'm satisfied with my job and hope to keep on improving next year. However, the best of all has been the people that I had the chance to meet thanks to the blog, some of whom have become great friends whom I hope to see again soon.
After some brooding, I've decided that next year I will write less. I want to dedicate more time to some other projects I have, the most important of which is my book, which I want to have finished by the Spring.
And since I'm around, here's my version of "The Golden Pint Awards":
Imported Bottled Beer of 2010
I had a lot of truly fantastic beers this year. If it was limited only to those that I reviewed here, the choice would be really difficult, maybe even impossible if we are talking about beauties like Aquavita Porter, Don Toto or Fuller's Vintage Ale, just to mention a couple. Fortunately, there were many more beers that went down my throat without getting any reviews or tasting notes, and it is one of them that takes the prize: Brauerei Weber Landbier Rauch, a drop of heaven that I hope Hanz will bring again soon.
Imported Draught Beer of 2010
A much easier decision, the offer hasn't been that wide. It was great to be able to drink on tap Hardcore IPA and 5AM Saint (which pleasantly surprised me), but the prize also goes to Germany: Schlenkerla Urbock (though, that Gose that showed up in summer wasn't that far).
Czech Bottled Beer of 2010
Another easy decision, Eggenberg Nakouření Švihák, it might not be my favourite smoked beer, but because is a very good product from an industrial brewer that tends to go unnoticed and it has become a usual dweller of my cellar.
Czech Draught Beer of 2010
It was harder to choose here. I could have picked some of the seasonals that showed up throughout the year, or some of the non-lager stuff from Matuška, Kocour or Třebonice. I could have picked something from Kout or Tambor. I also thought about the Černý at the brewpub in Kladno, among the many wonders brewed my Czech micros, but I chose one that I like more and more every time I drink it, and which I can drink quite early if so I choose, Tmavá 10º de Polička, as tapped at that small café in Žižkov.
Beer Blog of 2010
In Spanish: 2D2dspuma, por favor. It is interesting to see things from the other side of the counter, without that automatically meaning that they want to sell you something, and better stil when it is done with a great dose of irony and sense of humour (not to mention the sometimes funny debates some of the posts generated).
In English: Pete Brown's, specially for his series in response to the neo-prohibitionists and his comments on marketing bollocks. Honorable mention for Martyn Cornell and his experiment with an IPA.
Beer News of 2010
Easy. On the one hand, the amazing number of new micro breweries that have opened (does anyone know how many have there been this year?), on the other, the "crisis" at the multinationals and the success that some regionals are having, which has generated some curious responses by Plzeňský Prazdroj. The best of all is that it seems the trend will continue during 2011.
So, what do you say? What are you beer highlights of the year? What are your beer plans for 2011?. Whether you want to share your thoughts or not, I just want to wish all of you nothing but success in the coming year. I hope it'll be at least a bit better than this one.
Na Zdraví!
Reserve yourPrague hotel and win a walking tour.
Writing for the magazine Bar&Beer has been very interesting and seeing my name in print is still a great feeling. I don't know how much the magazine's readers have enjoyed my articles, but I did enjoy writing them and also researching for them. Thanks to that, I had perhaps the greatest beer experience of my life. I already have a few topics in my mind for next year that I believe will be quite interesting. But Bar&Beer won't be the only magazine I'll be writing for next year. The other day I submitted my first piece for Pivo-Bier-Ale, a new specialized magazine that should hit the stands some time next month and for which I will write reviews of imported beers.
The presence of Pivní Filosof in the media during 2010 was not limited only to paper, it was extended to TV. The reactions to my appearance in Clase Turista were amazing, 3000 visits on one day (1000 after the re-run), loads of messages and comments on the blog, on Facebook and by e-mail and the offer to have an even bigger (and this time, paid) role in another TV show, which I've been told will air in March or April (we had a lot of fun that day, and some people at Zlý Časy are still talking about it).
Not related with those above, but more related to the blog was the work I did with Viamedius during that hectic four day trip back in November. Another fantastic experience, and I'm looking forward to see the final result on the website in a couple of weeks.
Regarding the blog itself, I'm happy with what I've written this year. Yes, some of the post are better than others, but overall, I'm satisfied with my job and hope to keep on improving next year. However, the best of all has been the people that I had the chance to meet thanks to the blog, some of whom have become great friends whom I hope to see again soon.
After some brooding, I've decided that next year I will write less. I want to dedicate more time to some other projects I have, the most important of which is my book, which I want to have finished by the Spring.
And since I'm around, here's my version of "The Golden Pint Awards":
Imported Bottled Beer of 2010
I had a lot of truly fantastic beers this year. If it was limited only to those that I reviewed here, the choice would be really difficult, maybe even impossible if we are talking about beauties like Aquavita Porter, Don Toto or Fuller's Vintage Ale, just to mention a couple. Fortunately, there were many more beers that went down my throat without getting any reviews or tasting notes, and it is one of them that takes the prize: Brauerei Weber Landbier Rauch, a drop of heaven that I hope Hanz will bring again soon.
Imported Draught Beer of 2010
A much easier decision, the offer hasn't been that wide. It was great to be able to drink on tap Hardcore IPA and 5AM Saint (which pleasantly surprised me), but the prize also goes to Germany: Schlenkerla Urbock (though, that Gose that showed up in summer wasn't that far).
Czech Bottled Beer of 2010
Another easy decision, Eggenberg Nakouření Švihák, it might not be my favourite smoked beer, but because is a very good product from an industrial brewer that tends to go unnoticed and it has become a usual dweller of my cellar.
Czech Draught Beer of 2010
It was harder to choose here. I could have picked some of the seasonals that showed up throughout the year, or some of the non-lager stuff from Matuška, Kocour or Třebonice. I could have picked something from Kout or Tambor. I also thought about the Černý at the brewpub in Kladno, among the many wonders brewed my Czech micros, but I chose one that I like more and more every time I drink it, and which I can drink quite early if so I choose, Tmavá 10º de Polička, as tapped at that small café in Žižkov.
Beer Blog of 2010
In Spanish: 2D2dspuma, por favor. It is interesting to see things from the other side of the counter, without that automatically meaning that they want to sell you something, and better stil when it is done with a great dose of irony and sense of humour (not to mention the sometimes funny debates some of the posts generated).
In English: Pete Brown's, specially for his series in response to the neo-prohibitionists and his comments on marketing bollocks. Honorable mention for Martyn Cornell and his experiment with an IPA.
Beer News of 2010
Easy. On the one hand, the amazing number of new micro breweries that have opened (does anyone know how many have there been this year?), on the other, the "crisis" at the multinationals and the success that some regionals are having, which has generated some curious responses by Plzeňský Prazdroj. The best of all is that it seems the trend will continue during 2011.
So, what do you say? What are you beer highlights of the year? What are your beer plans for 2011?. Whether you want to share your thoughts or not, I just want to wish all of you nothing but success in the coming year. I hope it'll be at least a bit better than this one.
Na Zdraví!
Reserve yourPrague hotel and win a walking tour.
An amazing year in Prague, just so many great beers. Hightlight was Trebonice, just superb beers and hopefully I can visit soon. The specials at U Medvidku, Bulovkas lezak and Chyne's specials were all amazing.
ReplyDeleteHoping for more of the same this year and be less lazy and start writing some blog posts myself.