Being a keen wine and beer blogger, I am always on the lookout for excuses to try out new drinks. All in the name of research of course! This weekend, I had a chance to try out some wonderful beers as I had friends to stay and took them on some trips to some lovely local drinking holes.

First stop was a local bar that serves a whole range of interesting and different bottled lagers from around the world. Being a big fan of premium lager, I opted for a Mexican beer that I had not tried before. It was fantastic; full-flavoured, dark and refreshing; just what you’d expect from a premium lager. My friends opted for a fruit beer and a Thai bottled lager; both were very pleased with their choices and we took no time at all in polishing off our purchases!

Next stop was the local Christmas market, which comes to town every year and brings with it a range of exciting stalls holding all kinds of handmade gifts and food, and of course the legendary Bierkeller. For the uninitiated, the Bierkeller is a Bavarian style drinking establishment with a lively atmosphere, hot bratwursts, live oompah bands and beer served in two-pint ‘steins’. It was a fantastic evening and those two pint steins certainly went down a treat!

For those not able to stomach quite so much lager in one go, mulled wine was also available in a range of delicious flavours, including raspberry, apple and strawberry, and served in pretty Christmas-style mugs. One of our party also let me try some of her alcoholic honeymead, which was tasty and sweet and very alcoholic; the fumes alone were enough to make you feel a bit tipsy!

At the end of all this ‘sampling’, we left feeling very merry indeed and glad we’d lined our stomachs with those bratwursts. If you get chance to visit a Bierkeller or Christmas market near you, I highly recommend you do!