Franconian Beer Message Board

Brauerei Heller tour...Journalists Version
Posted by Nick B. (formerly in Erlangen) on 2019-03-17 01:41:34
I lucked into the beer journalists version. Not sure if it was any different to what the "common folk" get, aside from more banter back-n-forth about beer. It was an interesting group though, come to think of it. Canadians (from both ends of that magnificent country), Americans, maybe a Briton or two, and then Horst. 

It was kind of funny, as I was invited along not by host Horst, but Lew Bryson. The coach (bus) tour had been through Buttenheim that day, and when I heard that, I said loudly, "I hope that St. Georgen Braeu didn't claim to invent Kellerbier."

Horst said (in his excellent diplomatic English, mind!), "That was in not implied in any way." A gal from Montreal piped up, "Well, that's the impression the impression I got!" Anyway...I guess you had to be there.

Lew raved about it later, thanking me for coming along and ruffling Horst's feathers (or something like that -- shall we say,  more colourfully) in his rustic Pennsylvanian way. I'd also never met Steve Beaumont, and was a sort of fan of his from my Oregon years. He's utterly nice. Actually, most beer writers are nice. 

Ended up having a discussion with Herrn Thurm about his childhood, addressing his grandparents formally. He's around my age, I think, 50-something. Or...? He speaks a lovely Hochdeutsch.

I miss the Nebraskans...have they ever gotten a tour of Heller? Have to ask on their farcebook thingy.

Enjoy yourself, it's fascinating in any case. I'd do it again, and pay for it.