This week- My return to cask and grim reality..or not?!?

For the past four months I have been (once again) enjoying life in France. This time I have been based in Paris and my beer experience of France has been better and much more varied than when I lived in the South. I went from a great selection of Belgian beer in the South to having a massive choice of French, Belgian, Dutch, American, British and Danish here in Paris. It has been a blast I have to say. I've met some of the coolest beer geeks, drank some of the worlds best and rarest beer and generally had a lark of a time. I should point out at this stage that my life isnt all sunshine and lollipops and that I have also had lots of university work and been through the wringer personally. However on a beer front its never been better.

So it is with a mixture of excitement, fear and confusion that I shall return back to the UK this week. On the one hand I am returning to the first ever European Beer Bloggers Conference . I think it will be a great time and the attendee list and the list of breweries has got me mega excited. Whislt I dont update this blog as much and offer such industry knowledge as some of my peers I have always loved writing this blog and hope to use my time at BBC to learn and grow my knowledge and skills. I will be bringing some French craft beer to the conference to share with others, I shall post about this later tonight.

On the other hand, in a few weeks I shall return to the UK for good. No more study abroad on the horizon, no more beer trips (currently) booked. So I am a little sad to be leaving. Plus I have yet to secure a summer job and that is going to have to be my focus after this conference (or during if I meet some nice brewers).

But you know the one thing I cant wait to do tomorrow? Is have a pint of cask beer. Shock! Horror! Have the French killed my love of keg and bottle? Well no, actually, but the thing is, the French just dont 'do' cask beer in the same way we do. Don't get me wrong..... I don't hate cask beer but it probably only accounts for 25% of the beer I usually drink in the UK. I do a lot of home drinking and I am lucky to have kegged WEST beer on my doorstep.  I do really miss cask though. Its hot here today in Paris and that made me miss it more. A nice pint of citrusy, easy drinking but flavoursome beer (served with a sparkler of course, Im from the North). I think it might be the first thing I do when I arrive in London tomorrow. In fact, I dont think; I know it will be.

For all those attending the conference I shall see you all on Friday and for those who arent well.........

Cheers and beers

M