Type: Beer – Porter
Name: Baltika Breweries #6 Porter
Price: $1.79
Made: St. Petersburg, Russia
Alc/Vol: 7%

OK first thing first, it’s Wednesday I know but hey after I drank this pint down at 7% I was feeling a little less like writing and a little more like dancing and singing and maybe napping.

When I think of Russia, I think of their beloved clear, odorless, tasteless vodka. I know some of you may have an odd look about you, but vodka without the added flavorings should not taste nor smell like anything. Vodka and Russia go hand in hand but when I pour this dark porter into my glass it seems to be the furthest thing from its favored cousin.

It pours a dark coffee color with a light caramel colored head that swiftly fades to a light ring of tan. It almost makes me feel like I should be sitting next to a roaring fire as I drink this hearty looking brew out of a mug.

The nose is almost non-present. It is light a touch of malts, as expected.

The taste is not overly malty or hoppy, but there is a slight bitter tinge at the tip of my tongue. A roasted taste with a bit of a sweetness undertone to it. I have to say I am intrigued.  It isn’t heavy, as you may expect from a darker beer. The taste gives off a slight toffee flavoring and something I can’t quite figure out, but it is good.

I like this beer.

I happily sit drink it down and enjoy it for all it is worth, which is why I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 bananas and according to the brewery I’m not the only fan of this beer.

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New Brew Tuesday: Baltika #6 Porter is a post from: Monkey Brewster

 

A trip to Hong Kong means that you’ll be embarking on a culinary adventure that will leave its mark on you for years to come. Hong Kong is already famous for its modern cityscape; high skyscrapers and high-tech everything. However, one of its greatest attractions is its gastronomic Cantonese heritage, which owes its renown to a little something called dim sum. Literally translating as “touch your heart”, dim sum is sure to impress you. What is dim sum, you ask? It’s a way of eating breakfast and dinner, once typically involving unique and separate dishes being carted around the place. Dishes are individually prepared and they come in portions of 3 or 4 and you order as many as you can eat! It’s the best way to pick at food and enjoy Hong Kong days and nights. Finding Hong Kong hostel and check out these top places.

The restaurant known as City Hall is among the most well-known of the Cantonese dim sum establishments in the city. You’ll simply love this place. Although dim sum was once served on carts, most restaurants have retired the practice. Not City Hall! This is one of the last places you’ll be able to call a cart over and pick off whatever dish catches your eye.

Cuisine Cuisine is another dim sum joint that exists among the best of them, offerings clients some exquisite dim sum dishes in scene that is anything but traditional. The restaurant makes its home in one of the city’s towering modern skyscrapers. Its modern design presents a truly enjoyable clash with the ancient dim sum dishes that they serve up. Just get ready to spend a bit more for the feeling of luxury.

If you’re more interested in the traditional, then head over to the Tsui Hang Village restaurant. This place is the complete opposite of Cuisine Cuisine. Here, the staff don traditional Cantonese dress and serve dim sum among traditional Chinese décor. The food is just as good as at the previously mentioned places, but here you’ll be able to save a little more cash, which is always in your best interests!

A cheaper and delectable dim sum joint to consider is at the Western Market building. This place speaks more to the traditional than to modernity, which is made even better as you sit to your dim sum dishes and watch a traditional tea dance!

One last place to check out in Hong Kong before checking out is the San Hing restaurant. They say that this place is your best choice if ending a long night on the town. In fact, San Hing opens after midnight and people pack the place to near overflowing!

Dim sum is one of the best things you can experience in Hong Kong. Typically you’ll find barbeque pork, egg tarts, prawn and pork dumplings included in a dim sum menu. The best thing about it is of course the wide range of choices you have.

Meet the Author: Madeleine Wilson Madeleine is a travel writer whose work has been featured on Lonely Planet and The Huffington Post. She is currently the editor of the HostelBookers blog and aside from pointing you in the direction of the best Hong Kong hostels, she can smell out some  tasty dim sum too…

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A Dim Sum Guide for Hong Kong is a post from: Monkey Brewster

 

 

Type: Beer – English Pale Ale
Name: Arcadia Ales - Anger’s Ale
Price: $1.59
Made: Battle Creek, MI
Alc/Vol: 5%

“The strikingly authentic English-style pale ale is brewed with all-English malts and a pound-and-a-half of Pacific Northwest hops per barrel. It is medium-bodied, crisp and well-balanced with a flavor profile featuring subtle notes of caramel, toffee and toasted malt, counterbalanced by the ideal level of hop bitterness. The delicare herbal hop finish is produced by Goldings whole leaf hops.”

Recommended food pairings: Buffalo Burger, Pizza, Club Sandwiches, Fried Chicken, Aged Sharp Cheddar, Roast Beef with Vidalia Onions.

It took me a moment to actually drink this beer since it took me three times to pour it. I thought at first it was just a bad pour but this beer gives a full airy head that leaves a lasting lacing on the glass. The beer pours a copper color that is slightly cloudy, which may be from the head. Once the head finally settled I was able to put my nose to get a deep breath of this brew. A sweet scent of caramel and malts but very faint in the nose.

Now on to the most important part of any beer testing – the tasting. The beer has a nice light flavoring of caramel and malts with a dry finish. The hops come through the beer from start to finish in a light balance to the flavoring, without being hoppy. There is a unique sour back taste to the beer that could be citrus but it hard to pin point.

It has a good overall flavoring to it that gives it a drinkability. Also it is a Midwestern beer, and while I’ve never done more than drive through Battle Creek on my way to Kalamazoo I tend to favor it because it brings positive attention to Michigan. With Detroit on the other end of the state a small independent brewery is something to take pride in. That is why I give this beer 3 and a half out of 5 bananas.

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New Brew Tuesday: Arcadia Ales – Angler’s Ale is a post from: Monkey Brewster

 

Type: Wine – Sweet Red
Name: Douglass Hill – 2008 California Sweet Red
Price: $5.99 on sale special
Made: California
Alc/Vol: 10%

Now let me say first and foremost that wine is all about personal preference. Studies and competitions alike have proven that outside the basic dirt cheap stuff, it all comes down to personal preference. Additionally, more and more wineries are looking to make a bottle of wine that won’t reach over $20 because people just typically wont spend big bucks on wine anymore.

In the United States a wine that is labeled a “table wine” doesn’t define it as much as it would if it were made in Europe. Here table wine is more of a general time, referring to a wine that is less than 14% alc/vol, the classification is up to the winery and the cost is generally at the bottom end of the cost spectrum. Typically the flavor is a more mild flavor that pairs well with anything or could easily be drank by itself.

The color is a deep cranberry red with a mild sweet scent that gives off a hint of spice. This wine has a soft sweetness to it followed by the spiced aftertaste that may be more familiar to a red wine drinker. It is a good blend of the sweetness that my wife likes but the deep richness that you get from a red that I prefer. Since my wife isn’t a big fan of white wines finding a sweet red that we like is always a big win.

While I found this wine mildly pleasant, she demoted it to a cooking wine. It’s not a stand out wine, but I don’t think it is that bad of a wine that I would send it over to the cooking shelf. It is light, sweet and refreshing and at the price I don’t think I could ask for much more. Yet, in the end it really is a middle of the road wine, fancy enough to not come in a box and even have a cork and that is about it – earning it 2 1/2 out of 5 bananas.

 

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New Brew Tuesday: Douglass Hill – 2008 California Sweet Red is a post from: Monkey Brewster

I’m a boy monkey but that doesn’t mean I can’t get behind a great day like this. I majored in History and minored in Ethnic studies which means not only did I take a lot of classes that addressed women or the absence of women in history books but I found them interesting and had some amazing professors. My favorite class was titled “Women in Nazi Germany” where we discussed Jewish, German, Lesbian, Gypsy and every other social group in between within Hiter’s era. Does that make me an expert, no – but it does mean that I am informed to an extent.

All that information is useless if not applied. I’ve already given you a list of over 100 great women travelers and travel bloggers, check out my first list of 50 and then my part two list of 60+ to catch the many greats that I missed the first time. I would recommend checking them out as a starter.

Where does this holiday come from, well it is thanks to the Socialist movement in the early 1900′s in the US and spread throughout the world until the 1970′s when it was officially recognized by the United Nations. Since then it has grown and developed to where there are events and festivities throughout the world, you can check out what is happeneing, or how to get connected by visiting InternationalWomensDay.com. This seems to come at a point when women’s rights are at the forefront defending the right to birth control as required aspect in Obama care. Now I don’t like to get all political here, but you can’t deny that it is a pressing issue today. Especially, when the review board on birth control was an all male committee.

As a traveler one can’t help but notice the differences in the rights of women and their role in society. I understand that at times we must respect another’s culture and religion but most of us can agree that a basic right to life and equality should be observed everywhere. While traveling we often see that line blurred or sometimes altogether ignored. I’m not saying that you should start putting in your two-cents on how they should fix their problems every time you see one. No, we don’t want to encourage the obnoxious traveler syndrome. However, where there is a movement for change helping out, spreading word, or simply sharing your support can go a long way and what better day then today. This is not a regional or cultural thing, but a world-wide movement and hopefully one that makes a positive impact on our future.

What are you doing for International Women’s Day

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International Women’s Day is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Type: Beer – Euro Dark Lager
Name: Guinness – Black Lager
Price: $7.99 for a six pack
Made: Dublin, Ireland
Alc/Vol: 4.5%

With all the commercials coming out over their new Black Lager, I had to try out this new addition to the Guinness family.Tie that into the fact that we are quickly approaching St. Patty’s day and it is very befitting.

The beer pours a nice dark almost black color. It gives a light coffee head with a only a slight lasting lacing. There isn’t much of a scent to the beer, sweet compared to your Guinness stout.

The taste is light and smooth, very smooth. It has a drinkability that comes standard with the Guinness name. The beer has a dry finish that washes over your tongue. As you drink it in, you can really get the roasted flavoring in this beer. It makes me want to drink it next to a campfire. There is a hint of sweetness to this beer, more so than I would have expected. Everything is good, smooth and light which doesn’t give it a defining characteristic, counter to what you think when you hear the name Guinness.

However, I am no expert with Euro Dark Lagers, in fact this is the first that I can think of so I don’t have much to compare it to. Overall I would give this beer 3 1/2 bananas out of 5. I enjoy this beer and would recommend someone to try it, especially if they are afraid of dark beers. Yet, at the same time the light flavoring doesn’t bring out much that really takes it away, leaving it in the middle.

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New Brew Tuesday: Guinness Black Lager is a post from: Monkey Brewster

My idea of a vacation doesn’t mean all-inclusive cruises and hours wiled away eating and lounging. I like all-day adventures complete with heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping activities. Of course, this kind of trip is always best in a beautiful locale.

Some of my favorites include a morning run through the towering redwoods followed by a terrifying yet invigorating bike ride along narrow, winding Highway 1, or a kayaking adventure through hidden coves before a stroll along a sea-glass covered beach. Others entail treks into dormant volcanoes and snorkeling adventures. All of them are near the ocean, encompassing the perfect beach adventure vacation.

Oahu, Hawaii

Volcanoes, rainforest, beaches and a rich, exciting urban center. What doesn’t Oahu have? For those starting small with the adventurous aspect of travel, rest assured you can get everything you need here. From a large selection of dining, shopping, Waikiki hotels and resorts to easily accessible outdoor activities, Oahu is perfect for an active beach vacation. Must-dos include snorkeling, hiking and surfing, all well within reach of many Oahu hotels. Hanauma Bay is one of the best places to snorkel, where hundreds of species of fish swim amid calm waters. Kuilima Cove is the most sheltered and serene spots for beginners to try their hand at snorkeling, with a white sand beach quiet atmosphere.

Hiking opportunities abound in Oahu. Whether you are looking for an easier trek or something bordering on extreme, every type of hike can be found. Diamond Head, just a short drive from Waikiki, is one of the most popular hikes in Oahu. The .8-mile trail is short and strenuous, gaining 560 feet of elevation from the valley floor, and offers an amazing 360 degree-view of the entire Island. On the complete other end of the spectrum is Oahu’s Olomana Trail. The 2.5-mile hike is steep, narrow and scary at times, but the 1,000-foot elevation gain rewards you with bragging rights and an awesome view. See for yourself!

The Big Island, Hawaii

Home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Hawaii’s Big Island is commonly assumed to be a barren land of deadened rock and Lava Rivers. However, this island offers a remarkable display of geodiversity. The rolling hills of Waimea are perfect for calm bike rides or horseback adventures. The jungle of the Hamakua Coast proves for awesome hiking, and the calm, inviting sand of the Kohala Coast offers a quiet beach refuge.

Big Sur, California

Where the Santa Lucia Mountains abruptly hit the Pacific, the wilderness of Big Sur is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous places in the world. Rolling green plateaus, dramatic towering cliffs and waterfalls on the beach complete this region as a gem of California. I like to start my day at Sand Dollar Beach with a peaceful stroll before embarking on a serious hike through the Ventana Wilderness. Nearly 170,000 acres strong, the unique area of rugged coastal mountains is characterized by steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges the range from 600 feet to 5,750. The quiet of the woods provides the perfect backdrop to truly connect  with this extraordinary locale.

Humboldt Redwoods, California

The biggest, oldest trees in the world are right here in the lush-fern filled rainforest. Colder and foggier than the Central Coast, the North Coast of California offers raw wilderness in a more rugged form. Agate Beach in Patrick’s Point State Park may be cold, rocky and a decidedly unsafe place to swim, but it is absolutely beautiful. Giant cliffs with the famous redwoods plunge into a wild surf, serving as the inspiration to get you moving up the steep trails into the forest.

Don’t settle for just one of two extremes, i.e. a lounging beach vacation vs. an adventure filled trek through wilderness. Do a little extra research and surely, you can have the best of both worlds when you travel.

Meet the Author: Leslie Leslie is a young travel writer who is obsessed with new adventures in new places, great food and good company. She describes herself as a simple girl from a big city looking to assert her imaginative vision against the creatures of the common place, in hopes of finding something extraordinary in the process.

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Where The Forest Meets the Sea—Beach and Hiking Vacations At the Pacific is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Type: Beer – Doppel Bock
Name: Spaten – Optimator
Price: $1.49
Made: Munich, Germany
Alc/Vol: 7.6%

Now I know I’m not a doppel bock fan but I have to try them out as they come my way – you never know if I could find the one doppel bock that tickles my tail.

The scent was sweet and light. It poured a light coffee color with a little head, almost looks like a semi-flat root beer. Although, to drink – it has a thick mouth feel so in that case it is not very root beer like.

The taste gives off a caramel sweetness to it on the back of the tongue. The tip of the tongue gives you a tinge of hops and carbonation. This doppel bock is not overly sweet, which is good because I think that is one of the main drawbacks for me.

However, it does have that malty deep fruit taste to it, but overall it is very drinkable. Even though I am still not a fan of doppel bocks I do have to say this was a worthy adversary against my taste buds. I would surely recommend it to any doppel bock lovers and because of that give it 4 out of 5 as a doppel bock, but on my personal enjoyment scale it would be a banana less.

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New Brew Tuesday: Spaten Optimator is a post from: Monkey Brewster

We did it, we finally did it. After 2+ years of blogging and some last minute interruptions we finally took a stand and said, “Yes I’ll have the one way ticket to South America please and thank you. No, our multiple destination flight stops after Rio de Janeiro, there is no return flight“. Oh that feels good, so good.

We are leaving December 4th through Detroit, MI to my wife’s hometown of Lima, Peru. We will spend xmas there as well as celebrate her 10 year high school reunion. On December 27th we fly to Rio de Janeiro for New Years where I plan on meeting up with friends I made while student teaching in 2008.

That is about it as far as solid plans, we figured we would visit Sao Paulo where my wife has family then to Iguazu Falls (Foz do Iguaçu), Brazil. After that Argentina, most likely Buenos Aires and possibly Patagonia. Then we considered Santiago, Chile and possibly the coast like Valparaíso. We discussed WOOFING in Chile or Argentina, especially since these are two of the more expensive countries in South America. After Chile and Argentina possible begin to work our way north towards Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (the salt flats). Once we make our way back to Peru, visit locations such as Arequipa and Cuzco before heading back to Lima.

To be honest we don’t know the time frame we are looking for to travel or if we will have enough money saved up to last us throughout our journey but as a best guess we figure 3 months and $25,000. I can’t tell you where I came up with those figures but it is a starting ground and well the time is flexible at least. Part of my rational is that other travels have shared what their total budget was such as Adam’s Budget from Europe, Chris’ Budget from Europe,  I know this is Europe and there are some for South America but I haven’t had the opportunity to really check around yet. As for while we are here in the US we’ve are living modestly and try and put away as much as possible into our savings before we ever see it – which at times can be hard since combined my wife and I make probably about as much as some individuals make. Also living with my in-laws helped as we could split the bills.

We will rely on friends and family in Brazil to make our experience less costly and the WOOFING in Argentina/Chile to help us spread out our finances there. Additionally, I will continue to blog and have a few ideas for trying to make money while traveling.

Once we get back to Lima I will look for a job and work there for a couple months before our next adventure – which I hope is landing a teaching job in Asia. Then ultimately possibly working on my PhD in Ireland. Everything is very fluid at this point except for our first two stops and after years of reading travel blogs I hope I can live simple enough to stretch out this experience from a vacation into a lifetime honeymoon.

I would love to hear your feedback on places to visit, share your tips or links to past posts below. Especially for Paraguay and Uruguay since I know very little about those two countries. Will you be in South America traveling about? Look for a blogging monkey, it may just be me. If he is sitting at the bar or at the beach with a beer in hand it probably is me.

 

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Purchase One Way Tickets – Check is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Minus the sea breeze in your hair, London knows how dish up a decent portion of fish and chips. There are a number of upmarket options should you prefer to sit in but if you enjoy mobbing up your chips in newspaper, a couple of take-aways really stand out from the shoal.

 

Sutton & Son’s

White tiled walls and chunky wooden tables give the place a refined canteen-style affair with daily specials chalked up on the blackboard. Fish is locally sourced – from their very own fishmongers across the road! They also offer a free delivery service (no deliveries on Fridays) on orders over £15. Traditionalists can enjoy a battered Mars bar or Snickers for pud.

Cod and chips: £6.90

Interesting alternative: Kennedy’s Pies

Alcohol served? Yes

Address: 90 Stoke Newington High Street N16

Tel: 020 7249 6444

Fish Central

A golden oldie that opened in 1968, the area is now primarily residential and a firm favourite with locals. There is real thought going in to this place with chargrilled swordfish paella for the more adventurous and deserts of fruit salad with banana leaf and mango sorbet to really cleanse your palette.

Cod and chips: £9.55

Interesting alternative: West Mersea rock oysters

Alcohol served? Yes

Address: 149-155 Central Street, EC1V

Tel: 0207 2534 970

Nautilus

Large portions are made more manageable with the Jewish-style matzo meal instead of standard batter. This makes your fish and chips deliciously light. The interior is not going to win any style awards – it has been owned by the same Greek family for over 50 years – but you are here for the great quality food and enthusiastic service.

Cod and chips: £7.50

Interesting alternative: A battered sausage is always going to be interesting

Alcohol served? No

Address: 27-29 Fortune Green Road, NW6

Tel: 020 74352532

 

Brady’s

Buying direct from Grimsby and Cornwall, they sell nothing but fish. It is often bustling inside and I suggest you indulge in a few fishy starters to make the most of the variety on offer including half pints of prawns, cockles and sweet herrings. I doubt you will get this far but the puds are homemade.

Cod and chips: £7.50

Interesting alternative: Cockles

Alcohol served? Yes

Address: 513 Old York Road, SW18

Tel: 020 8877 9599

Geales

With chips priced at £3.45, you know you are in for a fancier affair at Geales. It was proudly established in 1939 and touches like a scoop of blood orange sorbet with your desert, set this Notting Hill venue apart. All from sustainable resources, you can tuck in with a clean conscience too.

Cod and chips: £15.20

Interesting alternative: Geales fish pie or sweet corn and coconut

Alcohol served? Yes

Address: 2 Farmer Street, W8

Tel: 020 7727 7528

Sea Fish

Previously the Trawlerman, this is a great option if you are struggling to find a budget place to eat on Islington’s pricey Upper Street. It is nice and bright inside with bare brick walls and a chandelier for the full delusions of grandeur effect. They have a great lunch time deal of fish and chips for a fiver.

Cod and chips: £7.95

Interesting alternative: Spicy seafood soup

Alcohol served: No

Address: 205 Upper Street, N1

Tel: 020 7354 0276

 

HostelBookers is a budget accommodation specialist with some great cheap hotels in London  accompanied by customer reviews and ratings.

 

Meet the Author: Madeleine Wilson Madeleine is a travel writer whose work has been featured on Lonely Planet and The Huffington Post. She is currently the editor of the HostelBookers blog and aside from pointing you in the direction of the best London hostels, she can smell out some darn tasty fish and chips too…

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Where to find the best fish and chips in London is a post from: Monkey Brewster