Being in Cuba may awaken in you strange sensations. None of the typical things you feel when traveling, such as awe or wonder. Instead, you may feel a combination of compassion and despair that creates something akin to numbness. It resembles the symptoms of shock. Before I go on: I’m from Miami. I have Cuban family. I grew up eating…
“Going where I list, my own master total and absolute.”
Cultivating a home base for two years has been rewarding, but the universe is calling, like the blossom calls the bee. It’s time to hit the road. After returning from Japan this June, we will pack our things and go. Coincidentally, a friend sent me this poem today, Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road.” I’m sure all travelers can relate…
What is the best beer destination in South America? The answer might surprise you.
222 Brazilian craft breweries and 1469 of their beers entered this year’s Concurso Brasiliero de Cervejas. Remarkably, the craft breweries in Brazil are home-grown, not created or sustained by expats. This is unusual for a new beer country. The top craft breweries in Brazil are already good enough to compete in the local marketplace. Many are…
A pop-up blog about laksa!
If you want a distraction from whatever it is you’re doing, check out my new pop-up blog about laksa. It’s got pictures of laksa, reviews of laksa, and that’s it. Simple. Delicious.
Why I Might Not House Sit Ever Again
Notwithstanding friends and family, this is our second house sitting gig. It basically involves taking care of a house and usually pets + plants, and instead of payment you get a free place to stay. While there are many obvious benefits to house sitting, after our experiences, I think the drawbacks outweigh them and I’m…
Earth Day 2015
Enjoy the Earth today and every day!Live simply and peacefully. There’s a lot of us here, of many different types. Learn to appreciate the crowds as much as the solitude. When you know what it is you want, don’t be afraid to leave the comfort of your perch to go get it. And remember to relax…
Seeking to be plausibly ordinary? Get a Canadian passport.
I have two passports, an American one and a Canadian one. Thank goodness, now I know which one to flash when I’m on espionage missions. Canada’s is the passport of choice “for spies, state-sponsored assassins, terrorists and just about anyone else seeking to be plausibly ordinary across a range of languages, ethnicities and religions.” However, the Canadian…
Putin Huilo!
You can basically end the competition right now, because the 2015 award for best beer name has already been decided: Putin is a Dickhead. Go head, brewers. You have nine months to come up with something better. It’s not going to happen. The team here at Love & Barley have always known that beer is…
It’s Official! We are judging at this year’s Okanagan Fest of Ale.
I’ve always been prone to telling people what they should be drinking. Now I can do so with great aplomb! In less than two weeks, I will serve on a panel of judges at the Okanagan Fest of Ale. While Josh has done this kind of thing many times before, it will be my first time…
Keep a Lookout for These Mexican Craft Beers
Now that you know where to drink craft beer in Mexico City, it’s time to talk about the beer itself. We were impressed by the number of breweries, the diversity of their products, and the overall quality of the beer in Mexico. Influences are definitely north of the border, with lots of porters, stouts, American-style Belgian ales, APAs and…
Puebla: more than just the food.
Since the likes of Anthony Bourdain pimped Mexico’s fourth-largest city, Puebla has been on the hit list of many a foodie. Puebla’s namesake dish, mole poblano, is its most famous, but we encountered many layers to the food scene in just 3 days and nights in this charming, wealthy city. Eating was a primary purpose of our…
Mexico City in 204 Hours
204 hours is almost enough to scratch the surface of this lively, large, and laid-back capital. Based in Roma Norte, we spent 8 full days and nights like this: Skip to the summary. Day 1: The Day of Fermentation Drank nothing but juice and fermented beverages at 2 craft beer bars, 2 craft breweries, and 1 pulqueria. Pulque is…
Love and Barley 