The Classic Tour

Friday

• Fly over with Ryan Air from Stockhom to Dusseldorf-Weeze on the 1355/1545 flight.
• You will be met at the airport by Andy.
• We travel in a Mercedes 29-seater (for 20 people) luxury coach complete with qualified driver.
• We drive 20km over the border for a brewery visit and tasting at the Hertog-Jan brewery and ‘prouverij’! The brewery is a great place to start the weekend, also the pub sells all Dutch and Belgian beers, so you can try some of the more extraordinary Belgian beers such as the Trappiste (monk) beer as well……. Beer snacks are also available here. It is one awesome place and one of the best beer-cafes in Holland!
• Private coach to hotel in Kaldenkirchen, drop-off bags, time to freshen up.
• Meet in pub for around 9-30pm.
• Beer-Buffet of over 80 German beers complete with welcoming presentation (around 2 hours) in my local pub. Most months there is a band (blues) playing so it can be pretty lively.
• The Beer-Buffet involves a display of all styles of German beer-around 80 bottles with their ‘clones’ in the cooler to be consumed! Frikadelle is also included.
• Those wanting more food after the pub…..kebab, pizzas places etc are all within 30m of the pub! There is also the possibility to base ourselves in Venlo in Holland after July. Advantages of this would be that any women (and men) can get some shopping in Saturday if they do not wish to go on the tour! If you would rather do that then let me know.

• Leave hotel around 1030, this is a big 11-hour day of 3 brewery tours, be prepared!
• We basically go on a 130km circuit in the ‘beautiful Niederrhien countryside’ visiting a choice of 5 breweries.
• Brewery 1-beer, brewery tour to micro-brewery Schmitz-Mönk or Stefanus, beer tasting/drinking. These places are excellent.
• Brewery 2-beer, brewery tour to bigger-brewery Boltens (oldest Alt brewery in world 1266) or Gleumes, beer tasting/drinking and food.
• Brewery 3-brewery visit to the Diebels brewery (the biggest Alt brewery in the world). This is the highlight of the day, we don’t actually go into the working brewery, we stay in the old brewery, then the cellar bar for the tapping of the barrels….then food (pork knuckle). Everyone gets a certificate as well to certify that they have passed the ‘course’, it’s incredible as we join other groups as well, it’s a real good laugh and we meet loads of other people.
• Diebels is a good night in itself every Saturday, the place is quite lively later on!
• We leave at around 9-30pm to get back to Kaldenkirchen for 10pm. For those who wish to stay longer at Diebels, I have an agreed price with a taxi firm and will give out the taxi business card.
• The rest of the night is free, I think somehow that most people might go to bed!

• Leave the hotel around 1030 for the short journey to Venlo, the Netherlands (7km).
• Limburg/Dutch beer-culture- LimburgsBierCafe-beer ‘seminar’ with Louis (a renowned Limburg and Holland beer expert). Beer on arrival…a look-around some of old Venlo with some explanations of buildings that used to be breweries!
• (Optional extra-4 course meal cooked in beer. This must be experienced to be believed, I had the meal 4 weeks ago, incredible). I would recommend the meal, it’s worth the extra as it’s unique.
• Back to bier-café for buffet-lunch (with a beer) and a chance to drink all the beers Limburg has to offer, which is quite a few. By the way Limburg beer is not Heineken!
• We leave Louis’ place (boohoo) around 1415 and drive 30 minutes up the border then across to the airport! We can stop on the way for a leg-stretch and some fresh air! We drive through a nature area and a great relaxing drive.
• Flight leaves at 1610, there is a café/restaurant at the airport.
• You will get on the plane wondering where you have just been all weekend! Really.
• You will return to Sweden very happy!

• All transport by private luxury coach in Germany.
• All food and beer consumed within the tour.
• Beer and food consumed ‘within the tour’ means
  • 2 beers at the Friday brewery visit.
  • All beer at the Beer-Buffet (around 2 litres per person and snack)
  • Buffet lunch plus 2 x beers on the Sunday.
• 2 nights’ hotel accommodation and breakfast.
• All brewery fees.
• Airport transfer Friday night.
• Tour leader….
• Limburg Beer ‘seminar’ with the fabled Louis!
• A good time.

• Beer and food consumed outside the tour.
• Single supplements.
• Transport outside the tour (ie Saturday night taxi-home!).
• Insurances such as medical etc.
• Optional extras.

The reality is you will not spend much-a bottle of Belgian beer is around €2-50 to give you an idea. The brewery trip on Friday is changed from the usual Sunday visit to account for your flight times. You’re lucky as they don’t do tours on Sundays.

Anyway! These tours are an incredible opportunity, they are pretty unique as there is no-one doing these type of ‘beer-sans-frontieres’ tours!