Coming back to a rainy Belgian reality after 10 days of sun, sea and grilling on the Cotê d’Azur can hit you like a ton of wet bricks. Thankfully I can dull the pain with a variety of good beers. Something I missed while in the south of France (unless you call Kronenbourg 1664 and Heineken “a variety of good beers”). Now I do appreciate a nice wine, but sitting in the hot sun looking out over the sea while lil’ Smokey splashes around in her pool just doesn’t feel right with a glass of wine. A nice chilled beer in a glass that you can grab without your little finger sticking out feels so much better. That and the fact that I was finally getting around to reading Hops and Glory by Pete Brown meant I was really hankering for a decent pale ale.

I’m not going to give an in-depth book review here but if you like the idea of an awkwardly British man carrying a heavy keg of beer across oceans of mishaps while uncovering that the history of binge-drinking goes way back… well then this book is for you. Part Fawlty Towers, part Indiana Jones this book will make you laugh, cry, desire to travel the world by tall-ship and make you quite thirsty. Pete definitely has a knack for telling a good story and for getting himself into just enough trouble to make sure that story has some zest. So put down that copy of Twilight you’re reading and dive into the world of international beer smuggling, brazilian hookers and cartoon meat with Pete. (If you go to Pete’s blog you can order the book via an amazon link).

Now, down to the cellar to see what IPAs I have waiting for me!