When Tulips and Windmills Just Don't Cut It

Mr Wort Hog and I have taken a few "beercations" over the years, from weekend trips to St Louis to our week-long honeymoon in Northern California. We're part of a large group of beer-lovers who travel specifically for beloved beer destinations. While Belgium and Germany are traditional beercation destinations, the US provides plenty of opportunities for travel. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, California, Colorado, Washington - there is more to see and do than likely possible in one trip! It's hard to decide to spend thousands of dollars on a beer vacation abroad when it's so much cheaper to spend a week in San Diego drinking beer from Green Flash, Stone, Port Brewing, AleSmith... you get the idea.

At the same time, many Europeans are now taking note of America's beer culture and following suit. Not only are they coming to the US to visit breweries, European breweries and beer bars are adopting American craft beer culture. Mikkeler, a Danish brewery, has made a strong name for itself by creating American-style beers including several fabulous IPAs. Nøgne-Ø, a brewery in Norway, has partnered with American breweries such as Stone and Jolly Pumpkin.

And now, the first American-style beer bar in Europe! BeerTemple in Amsterdam brings the American beer bar experience to the Old World. They carry beer from Flying Dog, Great Divide, Southern Tier, and several other great American breweries. "Beer Culture Promoter" Peter van der Arend took his own beercation to the US a couple of years ago and documented his experiences in a fun read on the beer bar's website. It was entertaining to see how foreigners perceive the American craft beer and beer bar culture, even if it was just one viewpoint.

I'd love to check this place out. Though it seems a little silly to go to a bar on a different continent that copies the culture I live in, I enjoy seeing what gets lost in translation (and what does not) when traveling. And besides, I could get some beer from Three Floyds and Port Brewing.

photo from BeerTemple's photo album