We didn’t land in Normandy, nor did we have our D-Day. It was more of a B-Evening, for #beersaturday. And it definitely wasn’t any B-list kind of fun. Quite the opposite; it was the liveliest night of the entire Hive Open Days. A little bit impromptu. Then again... when traveling with me, can a craft beer session ever truly be unexpected? I think not! But let's take it from the top.
Others have already covered the program in Alicante. In the style of professional reporters. Or festival enthusiasts. Or just however their pen happened to flow. Look up the reports from the Clean Planet Walk if you're craving the details of that very day. I took advantage of a sleepy moment on the boat back to Alicante (and the fact that doesn't stomach these sailings all too well) and began pulling strings like a seasoned puppeteer. Or pub-peteer. How about we head out for a beer tonight? We'll grab a shower, catch a little siesta, and meet up at La Mala Buena in an hour and a half. I’m sure it’ll be much more buena than mala.
It worked like a charm. Whoever wanted to come raised their hand. And apparently, even those who kept their hands down showed up. For twenty hands, we needed nearly thirty chairs. Luckily, both camareros were way more chill than the staff on the pirate island (wouldn't you expect it to be the other way around?). Or anywhere else, for that matter. We didn't even spook them with our rather unusual request for a reservation for twenty thirsty throats in fifty minutes flat. Perhaps because and I stopped by in person.
Then a shower (we had, after all, actually been picking up trash) and back we went. The tables seemed inflatable; there was always room for one or two more Hiveans. After all, in Spain, there is simply no such thing as a full bar. Which is exactly why physicists from all over the world flock here, trying to describe this phenomenon for future generations. But when it comes down to that spacetime paradox, even the sharpest minds of Nobel laureates fall short against all those cañas, pintas, jarras, chupitos, and mostly, the liquids contained within them. But that's a story for another time. Or space.
The evening stretched out until closing time. Some took my recommendation and tasted a beer they hadn't even known existed. Among the ladies, various Gelato Sour Ales from the Polish microbrewery Funky Fluid were a massive hit. and
spread the beer gospel, while
,
, and
tasted with gusto. The gentlemen stuck to more conservative beer styles, but everyone found their sweet spot. Or bitter, most people leaned towards the bitter brews.
But above all, had there been a physicist in the bar, they would have appreciated our Brownian motion around the pushed-together tables; everyone mingled with everyone, toasting and tasting. The food was worth it too, though Nina might write more about that.
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And as the evening leaned toward its end, it was time for a sweet finale. For , an Imperial Stout with a fish on the can; for me, a DDH TIPA fittingly named Looking for More. We shared these drinks with the last castaways of our pushed-together table archipelago, and then simply boarded our lifeboats and set off for home.
The best night, the greatest memories. Thanks to everyone who braved "one of my infamous beer journeys," as my love called this hoppy excursion into the land of flavors and aromas.
Till the next time!
I’d love to invite... well, everyone to participate in #BeerSaturday hosted by . What's your take on La Mala Buena?