Friday 20 June 2008

Time Travel Tours

Beer guides for time travellers. That's what I'm creating.

As soon as the first practical time machine is available, I'll book a weekend break in London 1926. I'm not sure about the summer hols. Perhaps one week in Bavaria 1880 and another Bohemia 1900. For Easter, Dublin 1870 is a near certainty. New Year has to be New York 1910.

What would be your time-travel tours?

7 comments:

Kieran Haslett-Moore said...

1890, East London. A pint with my great grandfather on the brewery dray.

Anonymous said...

i'll go with bavaria in 1880 - during the oktoberfest though to be more specific. i wonder if i would be the first of the horrible hordes of antipodeans if i could do it?

The Beer Nut said...

Ireland, 1964, and the launch of nitrogenated Guinness. For that classic Soylent Green moment.

Zythophile said...

God, Ron, where to begin? Back in Ur, I suppose, to find out just how the Sumerians brewed, and what it was like drinking beer from a straw. I might miss out the Egyptians, and go straight to Neolithic Britain to try henbane-flavoured ale. Forward another few thousand years to sample the wheat ales brewed at the court of Cunobelinus in Camulodonum in the first century AD. Fire up the Tardis again, and call in at a Saxon alehouse, then on to Southwark around 1460 to try the newfangled "biers" being brewed by immigrants from the Low Countries. Drop in on London again about 1715 to try to find out just what "three-threads" actually was, and what other brews Londoners were drinking at the time. Hop forward another 35 years and try to contrast and compare the porters being brewed by Truman, Halsey, Calvert and Parsons. Swing over to Burton upon Trent around 1780 and sample the beers Bass, Wilson and Worthington were exporting to Russia. Back to London 15 or so years later, drop by the Bow brewery and test the beers George Hodgson was brewing for export to India. Fast-forward four months and sample the same beers in Calcutta or Bombay. Beam into Barclay Perkins about 1800 to snaffle some of the stout being brewed especially for the Russian Emperor. Whizz through Dublin in 1810 to pick up Arthur Guinness's new extra-stout porter, then go back to London for sampling trips either side of 1819 to try London porters pre- and post-patent black malt. Return to Staffordshire around 1825 for some of the new Burton IPA, then follow that, too, out to India to see how it changed on the journey. London again around 1840 for some mild ales from Godings, Charrington and Courage. Fly over to Plzen in 1842 just in time for the first barrels of Herr Groll's new pale lager, and ask him where he got the idea from. While we're in central Europe, see what young Gabriel Sedlmayr is up to in Munich. London again, in 1910, and sample as many different beers, and beer styles, as possible, then jump 25 years and do the same thing again. Finally set the controls for 1955 and take a tour of the British Isles, calling in at breweries I know are going to be closing soon ...

Ron Pattinson said...

Beer nut, you're twisted.

Kieran, good choice. DO you know which brewery he worked for?

Anonymous, I doubt it. There were probably tourists there from year two.

zythophile, you missed out Broyhan and Koyt. You're worse than me.

The Beer Nut said...

You'll be needing a kebab after all that, Zythophile.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Beer Nut, for reminding me - last call, an Abrakebabra somewhere near St Stephen's Green on June 16 2004, then ...