Imagine taking a year off of work or whatever it is that you are doing, and ask yourself, what would you do?  If you had an entire year to do whatever you’d like, and I mean anything, what would it be?    

As a homebrewer and avid cyclist, I can think of a few great activities, but when it comes to encompassing an entire year, I came up with an idea that I guarantee no beer lover (and bicycler) would get tired of doing.  

As of July 27th, I have embarked on a year-long journey around the globe to study all aspects of brewing cultures in twelve different countries. During this year, I will of course visit breweries and pubs, but I will also try to encapsulate everything else along the way that has to do with beer, including hop/grain farms, malt houses, homebrew clubs, advocacy groups, universities, distributors and political offices. For the entire year, minus plane flights, my bicycle will be my main source of transportation, and I will use it to discover what makes each country and each region’s brewing cultures and traditions unique.    

I graduated in 2009 from Law-rence University’s Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, where the cello was my main instrument. As an avid homebrewer for the past three years, beer is a great passion of mine, and although I may still pursue a musical career in the future, beer will always play an important role in my life. This trip is my chance to see the world, with my bike and a beer glass, before going on with the rest of my career.   

During my year of travels, I have acquired apprenticeships at the following breweries:

Fullers Brewery:  London, England (August 2010 - October 2010)
Kiuchi Brewery: Ibaraki, Japan
(November 2010 - January 2011)
Nørrebro Brewery:
Copenhagen, Denmark
(February 2011 - April 2011)
    
During the final three months of my trip, May through July of 2011, I ride through Belgium, the Nether-lands, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Without any apprenticeships taking up time during this period, I plan to focus even more on the many unique regions throughout these great brewing countries. I hope to not only learn more about many old and historical brewing traditions, but also discover the brewers that are pushing beer’s “limits” to new heights!   

Once I return to the US in August 2011, I plan to change the focus of my journey to share what I’ve learned about brewing with others. I will travel around the country to attempt to coerce students into discovering the greatness of not only craft beer, but also the history and traditions behind it. My political side will say there is no such thing as a bad beer in this world, just beers that I would chose not to drink myself.   

My goal for this second leg of my travels is to inform the masses about what beer really is and what it can be, and I firmly believe that once someone learns the basics, such as the ingredients in beer and how they are grown, as well as processes used in the brewery, that they will gravitate towards the wide world of beer.   

My journey still sounds like a dream to me.  I’d love to take everyone along with me during my travels, but since that may be a bit tricky, I’ve set up a website at www.bikeforbeer.
org where I will be posting updates on where I am in the world, articles, interviews and reviews every day during my travels. I hope my fellow homebrewers are as excited about my trip as I am, and I encourage you to check out the website and share your insight with me!

(Do you have a story to share with BYO? Send it to our editors at edit@byo.com!)