You don't have to go to the big beer festivals to have a good time.

I was in Munich in June - I think in 2015. I found this sign in a shop window…

A small beer festival in a small town. 30 degrees. Mellbygatans Beerfest in Lidköping, Sweden. Proper food, too. Bliss.

Last post from Germany for now - I couldn't leave Düsseldorf out, could I? Off to Sweden again tomorrow for a small, local beer festival. And to avoid the mayhem around here when Norway meets whoever on Friday evening.

Why not. I’d be interested to know about the beer range, though.

A rural Norwegian brewery today: substack.com/@knutalbert/...

Suburban Altbier before venturing into Düsseldorf. The detours are often the most charming. #BskyBeer

I spent a stupid amount of time writing & rewriting this, so I hope it ended up being an enjoyable read. I have to admit, I didn’t fully appreciate what has happened with Norwegian cider till I visited, and that context, the integration with farming, tourism, gastronomy, is something rare.

Ballantine, 1957. This ad's got layyyers...shifting consumer tastes, early nods to light beer, highlight specific hop varieties (in the 50s!), and using ale vs lager distinctions to juice the stats.

Brewing true Norwegian beer - in a building with a peculiar history. #BskyBeer

A Pentecost Festbier from the amazing Franconian brewery Knoblach. Grainy goodness, bitter tail. Full body, 5,8%. Bought in Sweden.

As my Cologne Substack post proved very popular, I need to follow up with Düsseldorf. A pity my favourite brewery and their restaurant closed last year. #BskyBeer

Enjoying a Maibock from Remmarslöv Gårdsbryggeri in Sweden, brought home from a quick border crossing yesterday. Full bodied, apples, a hint of apricots. Low bitterness, but not sweet. #BskyBeer

Yeast has been growing in Oetzi the Iceman's guts for thousands of years, scientists have discovered. The lead researcher told me they reproduced the yeast to make a "very, very good" sourdough bread -- and are working on brewing beer. My story for @en.afp.com: www.yahoo.com/news/science...

Cologne. Go for the cathedral. Stay for the beer. Just don't expect soiltude. #Bskybeer

BLOG POST: Pub people love to chuck around the term 'Britannia table' – but what is it, exactly? Why do we call it that? And what does this type of table *mean* to people? boakandbailey.com/2026/05/the-...

That’s a new warning for me. If you walk on the sidewalk, however, you’re likely ti be run over by an electric scooter. Stay at home!

How much of a loss are the breweries willing to make?

Watch out! The Danes are coming.! Hand picked guests at Haandfest. #bskybeer

In case you find yourself in the Faeroe Islands open.substack.com/pub/knutalbe...

Here we are. 48 hours past a frost warning. As many until Victoria Day weekend begins. I like Victoria Day. It’s the Boxing Day of springtime. More meaningful than Easter Monday but not by much. A celebration of the vestigial, like an appendix or clothes that no longer fit. Here’s the beer news!

My last report from the Stockholm beer scene - for now.

Explains a lot.

This week’s beery notes were brought to you by many including @knutalbert.bsky.social @vinepair.com @totalcurtis.bsky.social @stanhieronymus.bsky.social @thetimes.com @saintsgambit.bsky.social @morrighani.bsky.social but not one duck! No ducks!!!!

Deer, beer and monks. More from Flanders.

Very interesting! Would love to see more of them about, fwiw...

There will be more substack posts shortly. Have overcome my writer’s block. And have several years’ worth of material, including photos.

New shoots and old machines - hop growing in Flanders. #BskyBeer

C. Feigenspan's Bock ad, c 1887, out of Newark, NJ. I'm all for bock, but maybe a little less culty bock?

An excellent tribute to Bierhuis Kulminator.

Are hop shoots to be found on menus in Bohemia, Bavaria and England as well? #BskyBeer www.toerismepoperinge.be/en/content/d...

Another Swedish brewery visit - still more to come!

I see the Artemis crew came back okay.

This week’s beery news notes were brought to you by many - including: @larsga.bsky.social @knutalbert.bsky.social @willhawkes.bsky.social @thebeernut.bsky.social @boakandbailey.bsky.social @morrighani.bsky.social @pelliclemag.com as well as astronauts and bootleggers!

A few hidden Belgian beer gems. #BskyBeer open.substack.com/pub/knutalbe...

Getting home after being out all knight…again - late 13th/early 14th century, BnF Français 2164, f. 34v

More from Sweden, a brand new brewery pub in Trollhättan #BskyBeer #Breweries #Beer

Dave is hitting Scandinavia, happy to be back home after five days in Västra Götaland, Sweden. Lovely scenery, and a few brewery visits I’ll come back to shortly.

Special order at Systembolaget, a Tripel from one of my favourite breweries, Närke. Very balanced, sweetness, fine herbal notes. #BskyBeer

Well, there's one for the photo library. It'll be handy, this.

Writing a book about Norwegian food history in 2025 and not using @larsga.bsky.social as a source for the beer chapter is ignorant, lazy - or both.

I continue my quest for new Swedish breweries. The next one is Ölkemi Bryggeri. #BskyBeer

Anton Deuringer (Bobingen, Bavaria), circa late 1920s. Beer from the brewery...a novel idea, to be sure. (via Bavarikon)

Pre-war Bohemian brewery promotions from the Sudetendeutsche Museum in Munich. Memories of normality from a world long lost. @beerpuffery.bsky.social

On my way to work, I was happy to see huge Belgian flags flapping in the wind. Slightly disappointed that someone had put on a beer festival without inviting me. But it’s a state visit by the king of Belgium. Surprised he wants to come, Epstein files and all.

Some historic beer ads and why they had to change the name of the Norwegian Easter Brew. @beerpuffery.bsky.social #BskyBeer

More from Stockholm, the first of several brewery visits. #BskyBeer

Sneaking out from my conference hotel in Drammen, Norway, where Carlsberg has full control. But down the next street, Rekord Bar has Brains SA Bitter on tap. Goid selection of local beers, too. #Bskybeer