Thursday 1 October 2015

Ten things you must know about Stockholm

1. I was there last week doing a bit of judging.

2. More people are growing beards. Mostly men.

3. It's going as brewery-crazy as everywhere. Despite a hostile environment.

4. You can survive on a cooked breakfast, beer and sausages.

5. The cask at Akkurat is more than decent. (Blind Tiger, I'm looking at you.)

6. It isn't as flat as Holland.

7. A combined beer and whisky festival doesn't necessarily incite anarchy.

8. Stockholm airport and Stockholm city aren't on the same planet. Barely in the same galaxy.

9. Dark Mild is available*.

10. If you're an unhealthily pale, blue-eyed pisshead, you'll always be addressed in Swedish.




* Sadly no trams or professional Rugby League, the other requirements of a civilised society.

6 comments:

Ed said...

Shame about point 8. Ⓐ

Matt said...

I'm reading England Made Me by Graham Greene at the moment, about an Englishman who moves to Stockholm in the mid 30's. One of the things he immediately complains about is how weak the beer is compared to the Younger's and Stone's Special he's used to drinking. I don't think he have that problem now.

On the dark mild/professional rugby league/tram point, I think we've had this discussion before and concluded that the only city to have all three is Salford.

Ron Pattinson said...

Matt,

at one time it was Blackpool. Doesn't Sheffield have a League team now? There must be Mild there somewhere. Though I remember it being crap for Mild even in the early 1980's.

Matt said...

Sheffield has a second division team who are semi-pro and an extensive tram network. Not sure about the availability of dark mild in its pubs though, unlike in Salford where it's available in either cask or keg form in the many Holt's tied houses and is also now being brewed there, at Hydes new brewery in Salford Quays.

AussieAusborn said...

I dunno about that. League separates the civilised states from the uncivilised here in Aus. But the states which follow League are the uncivilised. Mind you, soccer is worse.

Mike said...

None of you have NHL hockey teams, ergo none of you are civilized.