UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifiers Group C
Friday 16 June 2023
Played at Ta' Qali National Stadium
Malta Beer Ticks up to 37
My 151st England Away game
My third visit to Malta to see England play (previously 2000 & 2017). And, two visits for Sheffield United pre-season (2011 & 2012).
The dynamic is; Malta is a great place for holidays, various. There's the full on hedonism of Paceville. The historical capers. Some top notch hotels. Pushes a lot of buttons. But, for the football tourists, the stadium is in the middle of nowhere and "we" are still persevering with the ridiculous model of Minnows in with the Giants for FIFA & UEFA qualifiers.
So, you don't get a great deal by way of the football experience. If England get comfortable early, which they did, fans tend to drift off to ease their long journey back to alcohol. That all conspires to dull the atmosphere. But, fair play, the Maltese South End Core were in there loud & proud. Banners, tifo, noise. England fans matched them for (St George's) flags.
There is however, a new light shining for the Beer Ticking Tourist. That light powered by;
Huskie Brewery
Those beers have not featured on any of my previous visits to Malta. And the brewery sort of sits alongside Lord Chambray (Gozo) as the pukka Maltese craft beer brewers. The Carrier Bag Firm had great fun (obvs) searching for the Huskies.
We found some on Keg. We found some in bottles. But I'll tell you fucking what - we found them all. They list just five on their promotional flyers. My Beer App of choice (Untappd) lists seven. All duly bought, drunk, ticked by the Carrier Bag Firm. So you don't have to.
We hoovered - The Huskie Craft Beer Company;
Old Boy, Oak Aged Pale Ale on Keg at 4.6%
(at Salumeria Gardens, St Julian's)
Claims to be - an American Pale Ale aged over harshly cut oak chips from Whisky barrels. Pointless. I didn't get any oak off this reasonably decent Pale.
Down Under, Australian Pale Ale on Keg at 4.5%
(at Two Buoys, San Ġiljan)
Brewed (I think) as a one off for this (checks notes) Melbourne Themed Bar (FFS). A little bit of soap, with some tropical fruit in the finish.
Alpha, American IPA on Keg at 6%
(at Ta' Doni, Rabat)
A nice, rather malty, but old skool IPA. For me, the Hop bitterness didn't really go too far.
Baby Face, Tropical Ale on Keg at 4%
(at Ta'Doni, Rabat)
A neat pale. With the merest hint of the tropics. A bit of fruit after the interval.
Mosaic Pale Ale from a Bottle at 5%
(at Simon's Pub, Tas-Sliema)
A bit thin in your gob. But, nice and floral from the (single) Hops. With a gentle, but lengthy bitterness.
Chaos Stout from a Bottle at 5.8%
(at Simon's Pub, Tas-Sliema)
Nice, straight down the line, modern craft stout. Nicely balanced and synced.
And. Finally. Huskie Of The Trip was; Dark Times, Imperial Stout from a Bottle at an I'll fucking fight anyone 8.7%.
Simon (if that's who he was) of Simon's Pub was an odd fish. His gaff was unlit dark. And every time he needed to look in the fridges, he used the torch light on his phone. He preferred to serve the Huskie bottles by label colour, not name or style.
"Is it the Blue one?"
He kept finding one in the dark that I hadn't ordered. So, I'd be like;
"Fuck it, we're drinking them all anyway, give us two of whatever you've fucking found, we'll take 'em to a street light outside, and we'll see what we've got!!!"
Anyway. Dark Times Imperial Stout. Or Purple Black Label Thingy as Si believes. Sooooper. Latte head. Deep n rich. Magically gets thicker and thicker in your mouth. Red fruit. Bit of toffee to take home with you.
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