Tuesday, 16 October 2018

Beer Hunting, Seville

Spain 2 v England 3
UEFA Nations League A, Group 4
Monday 15 October 2018
Played at Real Betis, Seville

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Did that really happen? Eric Dier has run 34.76 GPS recorded metres and absolutely cemented Sergio Ramos. He's gone down like a sack of Patatas Bravas. The Ref has run up, stood over the writhing Ramos & said “fucking get up, this is The Nations League, not some meaningless friendly”. Ramos has continued to protest from the deck.

The Ref listens, but then explains, "Dier has told me to tell you, there's some fucking more of that left, if you still fancy it”.
Did that really happen?
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Not quite. The Ref gave a free kick & booked Dier. But, there's still the example of the Nations League being competitive right there.

If this is a meaningless friendly….
Dier never makes that tackle.
The Bogus Official puts 2 minutes up so we can all go home.
Ramos has his feet up & isn't around to score on 90+8.
Ramos doesn't collapse to his knees in frustration realising that is the last header of the night.

A friendly is where two countries arrange to play each other 'cause there is fuck all else to do.
A competitive game is where the organisers say - you're playing them, a fortnight on Monday, and we don't want to hear any bollocks arguing.

At the end, people are going - if they beat them, but we beat the others, then we'll be Top. Spain were relentless at the start. But, our goals knocked them out of their comfort zone. They looked a bit shell shocked. Over hitting passes. Missing out on second balls. But, as it's a competitive game, they worked it & England worried about it. And Spain came back again & again.

A glorious night. The third has gone in. All I can think is TV viewers all over Europe, shouting into the kitchen - “come & have a look at what's happening here”.

Someone has got around a table & put together a little map/leaflet - Craft Map! Sevilla Craft Beer Guide 2018. We stumbled across it in the first gaff we were in on the first night. If you're ever Beer Hunting in Seville, track a copy down. Invaluable.

The AnAleyTicks show we did two breweries & ticked 18 Spanish Beers. Although, one of those was a gratuitous Industrial Beast Cruzcampo from the minibar late late late after that glorious win. Puts the Spanish ticks at 40 in total. The summary writes itself. Seville is a superb & compact Beer Hunting Town. Everywhere we went was welcoming. No one had any problems with my Geeky Questions in English. There were a few - how is he/she calling that an IPA (for eg) - moments. No - oh that is horrible - moments. And some Belters.

We got the cold sweats as we walked into the Rio Azul Taproom on Saturday afternoon. They were just putting the balloons up for someone's 30th Birthday Party. But, the barstaff told us it wasn't exclusively private, that we were welcome, and which tables to sit at. That session ended with the Brewer coming from behind the glass to give us a beer straight out of the fermentation vessel. He introduced himself, shook our hands, explained that he felt it was just ready, and he wanted us to be the first to try it.

I'll admit to being a bit emotional when Raheem Sterling dinked the third in. But, not half as emotional as when he's explained & given us that Beer. A Rio Azul, at the time unnamed Prototype Red IPA, gentle red berry, tangy in the finish.

I felt the Standout Rio Azul was the Runners Delight IPA, at a whopping 7%. Rich, thick n chewy. With a simple hop bitterness which comes in, gets there, is bitter, and stays. Exactly as required.

I'll give a very honourable mention to No-Lugar, The Art Company. A great, welcoming & quirky little restaurant with an interesting selection of bottles & cans in the fridge. The Mad Brewing, Camarillo IPA at 6.2% came in a tin. Spot on. Mainly about the Hops. Citrus, but not overpowering.

Son Brewing get it together out the back of The Maquila Bar. You can see the kit through the glass behind the kitchen. A small, but ever changing, menu of food specials. Four of their own on keg, one Spanish guest & Weihenstephan. The standout was the Son Brewing Nara American Pale at 5.3%. They ought to make that the Go Too Beer Of Sevilla. It had got bitter oranges running over, round & through it. With just the right amount of sugar to keep you from puckering up. Sevilla. In a Glass.

730/1518

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