Hi everyone,
A very short email to say two things:
Happy Christmas! Just before the big day, I went down to what might justifiably be called the most Christmassy café in Brussels, Le Saint Nicolas. And when I was there, I had one of my favourite ber styles - the Belgian Christmas beer. Even though it was a lesser entry of the canon - Gordon Xmas - I enjoyed its effects nonetheless. Link here and below.
I also wanted to send a short missive to apologise for the interruption in blog activity since September. It’s been an up and down period health-wise for me (nothing serious), and it’s been hard to find the time and energy to give the blog the attention it needs. I also, if I’m being honest, burned myself out creatively over the summer. But I promise, things will return to some kind of equilibrium in the New Year, with the editorial calendar more or less settled all the way through to the autumn.
And finally, a wee end-of-year clap on the back from me to, well, me. At the end of November I was delighted to pick up two awards - Best Self-Published, and Best Audio Communication - at the British Guild of Beer Awards. Also dleighted for David Jesudason as he hoovered up a couple of awards on the way to being crowned Beer Writer of the Year for 2023.
Thanks to all of you for reading, listening, and giving feedback to me this and in previous years. Couldn’t do it without you. Have a good holiday period, and keep an eye out for some new Brussels Beer City writing in early January.
Eoghan
The leatherbound menu at the café Le Saint Nicolas says in scrawled-in biro that they’ve a special Christmas beer on tap. What it actually says is that the beer changes every year so you’ve to ask which one it is. Only, when I do go and ask the elderly man shuffling around behind the bar, he doesn’t pull a glass under one of the tap fonts but turns away and pulls out a bottle of Gordon Xmas from a fridge behind him.
Just up the road I could be sitting in the back bar of the Mokcafé drinking a freshly tapped chalice of rich, beautiful, russet Bush de Noël. But instead I’m here, assenting to the offer of a treacly bottle of the original Belgian Christmas beer, my first of the holiday season, at the most Christmassy bar in Brussels. What has this country - this city - done to me? I used to hate Christmas.
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