Cabin Fever

HOLD ON A SECOND, you’re probably wondering, why is there a new Cabin Fever episode in my podcast feed? Didn’t Eoghan say the podcast was done when lockdown ended in the summer? Well, yes, I did, because I expected - or at least hoped - that there wouldn’t be a second lockdown. But here we are. And while Lockdown 1.0 gave us the Cabin Fever Podcast. Lockdown 2.0 is going one better and giving us the Cabin Fever Belgian Christmas Bonanza - a livestreamed evening on Thursday December 3rd, where we can celebrate the holidays together while enjoying a drink-along of a selection of Belgian Christmas beers! In the company of some of the world's beer beer writers (and drinkers), we'll drink 4 beers, play Christmas-themed quizzes, sing carols, maybe some prize giveaways, and whatever else happens on an evening spent drinking 10%+ beers. I’m delighted to have teamed up with London’s Hop Burns and Black, and Belgium’s Etre Gourmet on tasting packs for the event. In each of these we’ve put some superb Belgian Christmas beers, including these classics: St.Bernardus Christmas Ale De Dolle Brouwers Stille Nacht Brouwerij De Ranke Pere Noel If you order with Etre Gourmet your 4th beer will be Brasserie de la Senne's Winter Mess And if you order from Hop Burns and Black your 4th beer will be Anspach & Hobday's The Pfeffernüsse Stout And if you can't get hold of them, get something local and independently-brewed wherever you find yourself! We’ll be live on YouTube on December 3, so be sure to join. You can find the link to the youtube stream in the show notes, and more details will be coming across Brussels Beer City’s twitter, facebook and instagram. So, stay tuned and see you on December 3rd!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LddGvzbexLg

Hi everyone, Eoghan here. Wait, Wait Wait If you’re a regular Cabin Fever listener, you’re probably wondering thinking, Didn’t I say that the previous episode would be his last? Well, that’s true, to a point. But eagle-eared listeners may have also picked up in the last episode on my not so subtle hint about the possibility of a new, post-Cabin Fever project. And here it is the Brussels Beer City Podcast. The concept slightly different to Cabin Fever - and indeed predates it - for reasons that will be become clear. Instead of me locked away in my room talking to people in distant countries, each week I’ll sit down with someone from Brussels in their favourite bar for a chat. Have a listen to this sneak preview, and you can subscribe now to the podcast now on all the major podcast platforms, so if you’ve enjoyed Cabin Fever these past few months, be sure to give it a listen!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 20 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Matthew Curtis (@totalcurtis), co-founder of Pellicle magazine, where he is also the beer and cider editor, and is an award-winning writer and photographer in his own right, Jeff Alworth (@beervana), co-host of the Beervana podcast and author of several beer books including The Secrets of the Master Brewers and The Beer Bible, And Melissa Cole (@MelissaCole), award-winning writer and author of, among other books, including The Beer Kitchen. Over beers from Galway Bay Brewery, Wayfinder, Deya, and Big Drop, we talked about how much the world has changed in the past three months, bewilderment at the speed of that change, and optimism about the future - even if it seems grim right now. I hope you listen in, for one last time.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 19 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Stephen Beaumont (@BeaumontDrinks), editor of Original Gravity Magazine’s Canadian edition and writer of numerous books, including Canadian Spirits, Will Travel For Beer, and The Beer & Food Companion Ben Keene (@WhereandBack), beer and travel writer based in Washington state, former editorial director of Beer Advocate, and currently working on The Reporter’s Notebook for the North American Guild of Beer Writers (@nagbw) And Hélène Spitaels, guide and beer sommelier based in Brussels, and author of Brussels Beer City’s most-read article of 2020 Over beers from Deschutes, Brasserie de la Senne, La Source and Unfiltered Brewing, we talked about the impact of the anti-racism protests sweeping North America and the rest of the world, the heady anticipation of being able to drink in bars again, and we rhapsodise about the restorative effects of nature. I hope you listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 18 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Emily Sauter (@PintsandPanels), based in New England, creator of the Pints and Panel comic strip, beer educator and Advanced Cicerone. Jonny Garrett (@JonnyGarrett), one half of the team behind the Craft Beer Channel, staff writer at Good Beer Hunting and beer writer of the year 2019 And Jan Kemker, founder of German brewery Brauerei Kemker Over beers from Tempest, Lost and Grounded, Glazen Toren, and Unser Dorfbräu we talked about how it’s okay to not be okay right now, the rollback of lockdown where we are and the positives and negatives that come with it, and why Cabin Fever is a cat-free zone. We had wanted to talk about the Black Lives Matter protests and the brutal police reaction, but unfortunately technical difficulties cut short our conversation. I hope you listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 17 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Karel Boon, of Belgium’s Boon brewery Adam Harbaugh, co-founder of Lambic.info And Geuze enthusiast and good friend Rich Soriano Over beers from Boon, Cantillon, Jester King and Burning Sky we talked the particular challenges faced by a lambic brewery during lockdown, hurtling through your cellar stash, and the promises of greater freedom as lockdowns relax. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 16 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Susan Boyle (@miss_susanboyle), drinks consultant, international beer judge, and award-winning member of Guild of Beer Writers Miranda Hudson (@479hudson), co-founder of Norfolk brewery Duration Brewing And Jordan St. John (@saints_gambit), Toronto-based beer writer, educator and podcaster In this week’s episode, we talked about pining for local pubs, the growing importance of where we buy as much as what we buy brought on by the pandemic, and the benefits of drinking well and and drinking judiciously. Featuring beers from L’Ermitage (Temple du Ciel and Lanterne), Dan Kelly’s Cider, Duration Brewing table beer, and Amsterdam Brewery’s pure pilsner. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 15 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Breandán Kearney (@BelgianSmaak), award-winning editor-in-chief of Belgian Smaak and contributor to Good Beer Hunting, and co-founder of award-winning Belgian brewery Siphon Cliff Lucas (@clifflucaphoto), photographer and contributor to Belgian Beer and Food Magazine and John Rega (@john_rega), financial services editor at Politico Europe and regular contributor to Belgian Beer and Food Magazine. Over beers from Orval, Brasserie Atrium, De Dolle Brouwers, and cider from Ramborn in Luxembourg, we talked about Breandán’s annus horribilis (even before the coronavirus pandemic), parenting while on lockdown, and missing being around family. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 14 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Pete Brown (@petebrownbeer), award-winning author of Hops and Glory, Miracle Brew, and most recently Pie Fidelity - in defence of British food. Joe Stange (@thirstypilgrim), Managing Editor of US beer magazine Craft Beer and Brewing, and co-author of the Good Beer Guide Belgium And Zach Johnston (@ZTPJohnston), deputy editor of Uproxx Life, and co-host - with Joe - of the One More Road for the Beer podcast. Over the course of a couple of beers from Lost and Grounded, Brasserie Minne, and Augustiner Helles, we talk about the impact that the virus is having on the beer industry in the US, missing travel and the uncertainty of whether it will return, and the warming embrace of a north London enclave. We also talked Pete’s new book - details of which you can find here - but due to catastrophic technical failure, we lost the recording of that part of the show. Sorry, Pete! Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 13 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Melissa Cole (@MelissaCole), award-winning writer and author of, among other books, including The Beer Kitchen Steve Bentall (@BeerOClockShow), returning guest and co-host of the Uk’s longest-running beer podcast Hopinions And Emma Inch (@fermentradio), award-winning broadcaster and writer Over the course of a couple of beers from En Stoemelings, Adnams, and Harvey’s, we talked creative outlets under quarantine, the benefits of dry weeks, and local breweries starting to hit their straps. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 12 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Jonny Hamilton (@PellicleJonny), co-founder of Pellice magazine, former brewer at London’s Beavertown brewery and now in the process of launching his own brewery in Leith in Scotland, Newbarns Adrian Tierney-Jones (@ATJbeer), award-winning beer writer for, among others, The Daily Star and Sunday Telegraph And Stephen Beaumont (@BeaumontDrinks), editor of Original Gravity Magazine’s Canadian edition and writer of numerous books, including Canadian Spirits, Will Travel For Beer, and The Beer & Food Companion Over the course of a couple of beers from To Ol, Beau’s, Atrium, and Tempest, we talked the challenges of opening a brewery during a pandemic, trying to find writing inspiration when you can’t concentrate, and the joys of local sandwich shops. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 11 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Katie Mather (@Shinybiscuit), beer writer at Pellicle, Ferment and others, and author of the weekly The Gulp newsletter Claire Bullen (@ClaireMBullen), editor of Good Beer Hunting and co-author of The Beer Lover’s Table And Lily Waite (@LilyWaite_), writer, artist, ceramicist and much more besides, including author of this recent piece for Good Beer Hunting - which we discussed on the show Over the course of a couple of beers from Donzoko, Stockholm Brewing Co., and Brasserie Cantillon, we talked about the chaffing nature of lockdown restrictions, the yearning to get back behind the potter’s wheel, and why tuna should get back in the sea. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 10 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Em Sauter, (@PintsandPanels), based in New England, creator of the Pints and Panel comic strip, beer educator and Advanced Cicerone Stu McKinley (@Glidub), co-founder of UK/New Zealand/Australian brewery Yeastie Boys And Claire Dalton (@claire_dalton), co-founder of Irish brewery Dungarvan Brewing Company Over the course of a couple of beers from Dungarvan, Foxfarm Brewery and Yeastie Boys (they were all very on-brand), we talked about pre-coronavirus travel, missing the bustle of big cities, and planning for post-lockdown garden parties. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 9 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Matthew Curtis (@totalcurtis), co-founder of Pellicle magazine, its beer and cider editor, as well as an award-winning writer and photographer, and most recently a contributor to Good Beer Hunting Jeff Alworth (@beervana), co-host of the Beervana podcast and author of several beer books including The Secrets of the Master Brewers and The Beer Bible, the latest edition of which he just finished And Max Finnance (@maxfinnance), Education & Training Manager at Artisanal Brewing Ventures. Over the course of a couple of beers from Brasserie du Borinage, London Beer Factory, and Exale Brewery, we talked about personal care during a crisis, the yearn to travel to our favourite places, and the central importance of the pub to civilisation. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 8 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was delighted to be joined remotely in Brussels by: John Holl (@john_holl), co-founder and editor of the Beer Edge newsletter, host of the podcast Drink Beer, Think Beer and co-host of Steal This Beer, as well as many books and more besides Jules Johnston (@johnstonjules), Scottish by birth but living in Brussels and working as senior editor at The Brussels Times And Lauren Rankin (@laurenrankin), activist and freelance writer covering reproductive rights and feminist politics, whose work has featured in the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and Teen Vogue. Lauren was also, in a former life, the voice of US pharmacy chain Walgreens. Over the course of a couple of beers, we talked about finding positives - or at least inner truths - during lockdowns, planning for a wedding during a pandemic, and the importance of mastering the choreography of Frozen II. Beers featured in this episode came from Brasserie de la Senne, Three Roads, and Brussels Beer Project. Listen in!

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 7 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. I was thrilled to be joined remotely in Brussels by: Jonny Garrett (@JonnyGarrett), one half of the team behind the Craft Beer Channel, staff writer at Good Beer Hunting and beer writer of the year 2019 Steve Bentall, co-host of the UK’s longest-running beer podcast Hopinions (@BeerOClockShow) And Lana Svitankova, writer, representative of Kiev’s Varvar Brewery (@varvarbrew) and Ukraine’s first Certified Cicerone beer sommelier. We talked the wrench of being separated from loved ones, getting the band back together, and planning for travel when the global pandemic subsides. And we did it drinking beers from Mikkeller, Nanobrasserie L’Ermitage, Flugge, and Bitburger/Sierra Nevada. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 6 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. On today’s episode, I was joined remotely by: Jen Ferguson (@missjenferguson), co-owner of London-based award-winning bottleshop Hop Burns and Black (https://www.hopburnsblack.co.uk/) Evan Pike, co-host of the Pints and Provisions podcast (@pints_and_provisions) and based in Illinois And Martin Oates (@mjpo007), co-host of the UK’s longest-running beer podcast Hopinions (@BeerOClockShow). In today’s episode, we talk about the eeriness of empty London streets, how - even though it may not feel like it - some kind of normality will resume, and for the first time we talk about loss and the difficulties of comforting friends and loved ones from a distance. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 5 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. On today’s episode, I’m delighted to be joined by: Emily Sauter (@PintsandPanels), based in New England, creator of the Pints and Panel comic strip, beer educator and Advanced Cicerone. Michael Kiser (@mpkisder), founder and creative director of Good Beer Hunting And Mark Dredge (@markdredge), Beer, food and travel writer, and whose most recent book A Brief History of Lager was published in 2019 In today’s episode, we talk about Michael’s early decision to self-isolate as a family and the work that GBH is doing on the impact of the pandemic, Em’s working her way through puzzles and Patreon commissions, and Mark’s embrace of the new running routes that have opened up in London. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 4 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. On today’s episode, I’m delighted to be joined by: Ben Keene (@WhereandBack), beer and travel writer based in Washington state, former editorial director of Beer Advocate, and currently working on a top-secret project for the North American Guild of Beer Writers (@nagbw) Adrian Tierney Jones (@ATJbeer), editor of Original Gravity Magazine, weekly beer columnist for the UK Daily Star, and renewed blogger at Maltworms And Natalya Watson (@beerwithnat), advanced cicerone beer sommelier, host of the Beer with Nat podcast, and author of the just-published Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles In today’s episode, we talk Nat’s abortive book launch, why Adrian has relaunched his blog, and Ben’s commitment to staying positive during a pandemic. Listen in.

My name is Eoghan Walsh from Brussels Beer City, and you’re listening to episode 3 of Cabin Fever - less a podcast than a group therapy session for writers, brewers, and friends who like to enjoy a beer together but, well, can’t. There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and under normal circumstances we’d get together in the pub and thrash it out over a beer or two. But we can’t - because most of us now live in countries where it’s impossible to go outside, never mind nip around the corner for a drink. So, we thought we’d do it remotely, and on each episode of Cabin Fever I’ll be joined by friends from around the world to share a beer, talk through and process what they’re dealing with, and sometimes just have a bit of a moan. On today’s episode, I was delighted to be joined in Brussels remotely by: Pete Brown (@petebrownbeer), award-winning author of Hops and Glory, Miracle Brew, and most recently Pie Fidelity - in defence of British food Joe Stange (@thirstypilgrim), Managing Editor of US beer magazine Craft Beer and Brewing, and co-author of the Good Beer Guide Belgium And Peter Kim (@koreanbeerkid), originally from Korea but now living in leuven and managing the events and communications for Belgian lambic and gueuze blendery Bokke (previously known as Bokkereyder) In today’s episode, the four of us talk about the creative benefits of quarantine, succumbing to boredom, and how to meet the King of the Belgians in a Brussels brewery. Listen in