As we soon close the book on 2024, it’s fun to look back on the beerventures I’ve experienced this year. The craft beer industry continues to evolve and captivate enthusiasts around the world with its craft, myself included. Exciting collaborations, beers, meeting new beer geeks, and unforgettable events.
festivals & events
The beginning of 2024 was a bit slow for me, but still in January, I attended Lakeuden Panimojuhlat in Seinäjoki, Finland. At this festival, there were about 14 breweries and some distilleries, mostly Finnish breweries. In June, I finally got to visit Tallinn Craft Beer, something I’d been trying to do for many years. I loved the event, the venue, the breweries, and the people. It featured a wide range of local and international craft beers, with over 100 beers. It’s truly a popular gathering for beer enthusiasts from around the world, and I got to know a lot of new beer geek friends. In July, I was excited about an event in my (back then) hometown, Vaasa—the first Zinc Craft Beer festival at Vaasa market square in the city center. They had 17 breweries, many international ones that had never been to Finland, along with some Finnish breweries. This is definitely a festival I’ll mark on my calendar every year.
Summer passed quickly, and in September, I visited the Leeds International Beer Festival at Kirkstall Abbey, UK. This location was amazing, set at a ruined Cistercian monastery. It featured mostly UK breweries, with some international ones. In October, it was time for the Warsaw Beer Festival at Legia Sports Stadium near the city center. I had been looking forward to this one! I had so much fun trying out Polish craft beers with an amazing beer geek group, thanks to Filip @Builttotravel, our host, who put this together!
brewery visits
I’m not sure what happened this year, but I didn’t really have time to visit many breweries. Next year,
I’m going to do much better! During Tallinn Craft Beer i visited Pohjola Brewery & Taproom, what an awesome location! With the Finnish Beer Society, we visited Nokian Panimo in Nokia, Finland. The brewery emphasizes traditional brewing methods while also experimenting with innovative flavors and styles. We also visited Narvankylän Panimo in Narva, known for its small-scale, artisan approach to brewing.
Craft Pubs & Taprooms
At Tallinn Craft Beer, I visited some taprooms and craft pubs: VAAT Taproom, Purtse Taproom, Brewklyn Craft Beer Cafe, Uba ja Humal, Pohjola Brewery & Taproom, and last but not least, Koht Craft Bar. At Pohjola Taproom, you could easily spend hours, and Koht was one of my favorites—a small, hidden, and cozy craft bar.
Until September, I lived in Vaasa, a city on the coast of Finland. In my old hometown, I had my go-to place, and every time I go back, I visit this spot: Zinc Craft Bar, which has lots of international brews and is a perfect place to sit with friends and enjoy some craft beers.
In my new hometown, Tampere, there’s so much to choose from, but my favorite go-to place is Olutravintola Konttori. I also visited KUJA Craft Bar, Madfinn Taproom, and Oluthuone Taproom. There are still a lot of places I haven’t had time to visit.While traveling in the UK, I had time to visit Bundobust Taproom in Manchester, North Bar, and Brownhill Craft Bar in Leeds. During the Warsaw Beer Festival, I had to visit the PINTA Taproom, and on Saturday, we went with the group to White Crow. This craft bar was like one of my dreams if I were to open my own—small, rustic, and cozy.
beers
This year, I tried so many delicious beers that I have a hard time picking out some for this post. To be honest, I’m not the best at updating Untappd, so I think I missed a lot of beers.
At Tallinn Craft Beer, I tried Holy Mountain Brewery's The River of Oblivion, a 9th Anniversary Stout (13.5%). It’s a blend of Bourbon barrel-aged stouts with coconut and vanilla—YUM!
At Konttori Craft Bar, I had Sudden Death Brewing's Lode of Gold, a Double IPA (7.7%). I think it needs to be called "Hops of Gold." This delicious, hoppy, fresh, fruity IPA was amazing, just like SD usually does.
Last but not least, at the Warsaw Beer Festival, I tried Browar Rockmill's Friend or Foe? a smoked beer (12%) aged in Lagavulin Whisky barrels for 9 months. Really smooth and smoky—yum!
Cheers to a Fantastic Year in Craft Beer!
As I wrap up 2024, I’ve noticed something: a couple of years ago, I couldn’t even try dark, heavy stouts, but now they’re among my top favorite beers—amazing! I also met a bunch of new beer geek friends from all around the world. This year has been one to remember, so let’s raise a glass to the milestones and unforgettable moments that made this year in craft beer so special.
As I look forward to 2025, one thing is certain: the world of craft beer will continue to surprise, evolve, and inspire us. Here's to all the brewers, creators, and beer enthusiasts who make the craft beer industry so dynamic. I can’t wait to see what next year has in store!
kippis!
コメント