When picking a holiday destination, why not bear in mind places in the Czech Republic, Mexico, Australia, France and Spain that are the homes of some of the world’s most famous alcoholic drinks?
Plzeň, Czech Republic
The fourth largest city in the Czech Republic has become almost a pilgrimage site amongst lovers of high quality beer. It is home of Pilsner Urquell, unquestionably one of the finest drops in the world, but more importantly, it is the birthplace of the pilsner style of lager. The light, hoppy style has been mimicked all over the world, with brands such as Lowenbrau, Heineken, Becks and Grolsch being famous examples. A tour of the brewery is pretty much essential for a lesson in brewing history, science and theory. Oh yes, and sampling.
Tequila, Mexico
Whilst the mere name may induce shudders in anyone who has had a bad experience with salt and lemon, this central Mexican municipality is home to the world’s favourite/ most dreaded party drink. Officially, all tequila has to be made from the agave plant in the area surrounding the town, although in practice, much is bottled in the US and owned by global corporations. Perhaps not coincidentally, the state of Jalisco in which Tequila lies is also the birthplace of mariachi music. The best time to visit is early December, when the National Tequila Fair leaves the whole town sozzled.
Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Whilst known as a nation of beer drinkers and wine producers, arguably Australia’s iconic drink is the acquired taste of Bundy rum. 385km north of Brisbane, Bundaberg is Australia’ sugar capital, and an excess of molasses produced by refining sugar cane led to a rum factory being built. Today, this factory pumps out millions of litres of the stuff, and you can tour round the factory, seeing how is made. This includes the massive pits of molasses, huge vats in which the rum is stored, and exceptionally generous tastings at the end.
Champagne, France
Whilst wine-tasting can be done all over the world, a tour around the area that produces the quintessential bubbly stuff is the ultimate for those wanting to live the high life. By law, any sparkling wines not produced in this region of North-Western France cannot be labelled as champagne, and world famous names such as Dom Perignon, Veuve Cliquot and Moet et Chandon are based here. When not touring vineyards, the area has other attractions to offer, such as the world’s largest man-made lake, and the old cities of Reims and Troyes.
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Bizarrely, it’s the Persians that we have to thank for sherry. During their occupation of this small area of southern Spain, they wanted to produce a wine similar to their favoured shiraz. The result, of course was completely different, although the sweet, fortified wine became popular everywhere, especially in Britain. Jerez is also rich in history, Spanish, Jewish and Moorish. It’s also one of the original centres of flamenco dancing, and hosts a motorcycle grand prix every year. These days, the sherry brand is protected, and must come from this area, so Jerez is the only place in the world where you can do genuine cellar door sherry tasting.
This article was originally written for the Sydney Sun-Herald. Copyright David Whitley.
