h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It will be Or rather, it would be if it wasn't for the ridiculous alcohol laws and regulations imposed on us by the Texas legislature You can't just go in there and drink what you like. It's a bit convoluted and arcane but the upshot is you have to buy tokens from the organisers to exchange for beer because the brewers aren't allowed to sell you their beer, and they're not even allowed to pour it themselves - non-brewery people have to do that. Isn't it great to be living in a state where the lawmakers are southern baptists and the wholesale beer distributors have enough money to get what they want

Well, I'm sat here with the missus and Phil, and it's pretty bloody good

Shame I'm stuck in Swindon

Some photos for your entertainment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasteyh2g2/sets/72157631703159970/

Comments and questions...

What a gorgeous pile. I really miss old buildings like that, and it makes me miss Manchester in general

Which Stone?

Whose chocolate chilli stout?

Tell me more about the blood orange beer - brewer, style, review etc.

Just look at all those beer pumps

Cantillon on draught? We can't even get bottles of it in Texas

Was Joseph Holts there?

And did you need a taxi home?

Victoria Baths is a gorgeous building. Looking forward to seeing what they've done with it for an evening event.

It was a Stone Anniversary one, can't remember which.

Bitches Brewing Chilli Chocolate Stout.

The Blood Orange was Quantum Brewery (who brewed Don't Panic for us for the meet in February) and is a very light ale infused with Blood Orange tea, lots of peel, blossoms, hibiscus etc. *Very* refreshing drink.

Cantillon on draught is rare here too. First time I've ever seen it.

"Was Joseph Holts there? "

After an afternoon here we then crawled back into town, visiting a few pubs, with the lass who owns Metalman Brewery in Ireland. And then we ended up drinking cocktails in Font until late night

I hope you get a chance to try Stone's 16th Anniversary IPA. I had one a few nights ago - deelishus They have an interesting new project http://www.stonebrewing.com/enjoyby/ and I believe the next batch is destined for somewhere in Texas. Hope it's Austin

You'll have to 'splain the joke about Joseph Holt

Josepth Holt beers are crap. Mass produced bland dross these days I'm afraid.

It was the 16th anniversary, and it was lovely.

I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of the Baths that Phil took on FB. I saw them win restoration and it's great to see inside. Sorry I couldn't make it..

Joseph Holts beers were never top of the range for sure, but sometimes even the crap stuff can have a sentimental place in your heart just because of a connection with a particular time in your life, and late 70s Manchester, which just happened to be when I frequented the Claremont Hotel Moss Side just about every night, was a particularly good time for me The Smirks, The Buzzcocks, The Factory, Joy Division, The Fall, Rafters, The Electric Circus, The Plaza, and Boddingtons still being brewed at the Strangeways Brewery. That was a good time to be in Manchester.

Sounds it Gosho. Now is a good time to be here too. Not so much for music, but for beer. The number of truely excellent pubs and bars is astounding, more so when you notice that the *average* age of people drinking these progressive craft beers is mid thirties. In some pubs (Font) it's early twenties.

The city is leading the vanguard of a revival of an interest in beer, and I think the beer con this weekend proved it. All the brewers I talked to much preferred it to the old style fests because they could chat to the customers, the twenty and thirty somethings, about their beers, and about what the customer wanted. They were also able to show off a bit more with the key kegs they brought along, beers that they could produce in small batches and not worry if it went horribly wrong. In fact one beer on sale was a sour wheat beer. It got an infection during brewing, but the brewer kegged one anyway and brought it along to let people see what an infection could do. It sold well, people liked it.

I'll always think of Manchester as a good beer town. It certainly was when I was living there.

And Austin is currently America's best kept beer secret. I had some world class beers yesterday including a sour stout, a recreation of an ancient Swedish ale called Gotlandsdricka, a dark English mild brewed with the brewery's own yeast and a beer made with Kombucha.

And that was from one brewery! http://jesterkingbrewery.com/beers/

Also had two delicious English strong ales and so many others I can't even remember now. It's amazing how you can get on four ounce samples Not so amazing when you spend more than five hours there and know most of the brewers personally

Next year we're heading Stateside, don't think we'll make it into Austin, but we won't be that far away.