You know, the life of a Gambrinus soldier is not an easy one. Sometimes we must learn to put a cross on our sleep. Ahh, life's so hard on us!

I would like to tell you about one of our secret mission. Now that it is concluded in success we can lift the veil on this affectation.

The great Éponge had contacted us in the outmost secrecy two weeks before D day. A band of homebrewers from Vermont where getting ready to send a convoy of Gambrinus soldiers to Massachusetts. Using his legendary cunning and clandestines contacts, the great sponge succeded to get us some passes. We where now able to surreptitioussly infiltrate the convoy. Not as surreptitioussly as you say with our frogs accents!

Our secret mission? Judge the gambrinal capacities of those southern soldiers for, in the future, be able to participate in in-beer-nationals exchanges...

So on D day...

Satursday march 5th!

4:30 AM, hearing the buggle song, the army corps get up. Speak for yourself 4:30, I was up at 4:00! Everything is dark outside. The sergent-major of land tranportation Denis "BeerBuzz" Lefebvre was rigning the doorbell of my dormitory. Papers in hand, my mission orders secretely hidden in my backpack, the lowly second class Hugues "Yowie" Gauthier was joining a great adventure.

5:00 AM! Still dark outside. Silently we grab our Communication Officer Sylvain "Altaïr" Dupuis. The team is compleate... Our Official scribe was missing but she was on anothe mission... You bet her presence was keenly missed! There will be other missions...

Direction Richmond! As this famous Bull Run batle we only had one goal in head "To Richmond! To Richmond!" We had to be there to join the convoy at 8:30. We where so efficient that we arrived at Burlington at 7. We got time to go to the mess...

We can see on this picture that our captain, Yowie seems to be more awake after emptying his messkit but his cerned eyes are witness of his cruel lack of sleep.

It's with a full belly that our unit infiltrated the convoy at precisely 8:30 AM. First thing that struck us, the mashers, those Gambrinus soilders, have a lot of experience. Those are not rookies. Most have reached their forties... How to explain that Vermont soldiers of the divine beverage have more experience than those of "La Belle Province???? Mystery! Would you have somthing against people in their forties?? I myself know some "Bièrophoux" in their forties...

The convoy left Richmond at 8:33. We where able to smootly infiltrate the group. Our Communication Officer was already on the task. That's me! We where verry proud of his efficience to mix himself in the group. Even if language was a problem, we where greeted with open arms. It was a bit early to be greeted with an open beer.

We could see already that the group was well organised. To kill time - deadly for any good soldiers - the officers in charge of the unit had brought around 20 VHS casettes. With the convoy technology, we where able to see many films including a Monster Garage: How to transform a firetruck into a mobile brewery unit!!! With Stone and... Coors head brewers. Always good to know...

First stop: The Berkshire Brewing Company in Deerfield, Massassuchet.

A very interesting visit of this brewery. We already knew this one because it was often present at the july Vermont Brewer's Festival in Burlington. These are correct beers without any apparent defect but no more.

But time fly and it's not with underfed soldiers that you can expect to win wars. It was time to feed the troups, hence our stop at the Amherst Brewing Company.

This university town worth to be seen with it'S tipical New England architecture. Again this brewpub presented beers without defect, corect but no more... Even if this brewpub was making us lick our lips in advance with quite a few seasonnal beers: A Doppelbock, a chocolate porter... They even had Corsendonk Pater on tap! Quite rare we must admit. I quite liked to look at all the differents beer posters: Cuvée de l'Ermitage, Palm, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Affligem, Corsendonk, Vlaamsch wit...

But like all generals, the Mashers officers prefered to keep the best surprises for the afternoon. And this begun at the Moan and Dove in Amherst:

It's a beer bar, not a brewpub. Rather strange that a place of this quality, so small, exist in a residential area... Because it is in fact a very good beer bar!!! They even had Cantillon on tap!!! I discovered a "Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout from the Harvey & Son brewery. A true chocolate liquor (cherry is also present). The 9% ABV does not announce this kind of beer... One bottle is a bit too much for a person unless you streach it over a whole eavening!!!

A gambrinus soldier must not be out of work and munitions. He must think to bring back some work at home for his free times. Hence the next stop at Table and Vine:

Ha, it's so good sometimes to be a soldier of the divine bottle!!! Rows of the most exiting beers... As foreing soldiers we where aloud only the equivalent of a case of 24. I took four "90 Minutes IPA" from Dogfish, three "Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout", three Stone's "Double Bastard", Two "Fred" From Hair of the Dog, four Thomas Hardy, three "World Wide Stout" from Dogfish, a Fuller's Vintage Ale and one "Hercule Stout from Ellezelloise brewery.

Our army bags full, we followed our dangerous mission... Next stop: The People's Pint in Greenfield!

Big problem ahead: the brewpub is full and may not permit access of a whole unit. What the hell! The owner seams decided to honor us by showing us his brewery situated not far from the brewpub. Naturally, he made us taste some beers directly from the fermentor... The only that impressed me was the Braggot: a mix of mead, malt and cider!!!

And how to miss our last stop: the famous McNeill's!!!

As expected, veteran of many missions, we new this brewpub. We made our first campain as shock troup at this establishement. And since we brought back good memories of this place, it's always a pleasure to get back. But you have to love hops... Because McNeill's beers are full of it, but we always find a marvelous ballance showing a sturdy know-how! A nice blackboard that day: Cask ESB, the Ruby Ale, the Oatmeal Stout, the Pullman Porter and the Imperial Stout! We took the oportunity of this last stop to take more time to talk with our new friends. Because we have to say it loud and clear: The Mashers are St-Arnould's soldiers with all the nobility that goes with this title!

Our mission finally over, we can go back to Quebec with our head high... but the spirit not all there! 23 hours up on a mission knock a man like it or not! Thanks to the bus ride from Bratelboro to Burlington, we where not afraid of DUI but afraid of falling asleep. So all the way back to Montreal Yowie talked to BeerBuzz while i was sleeping in the back. We got back to Montreal the heart full of joy and proud of our success. The future will say if there will be more in-beer-national relations... But all seams that we got a positive reaction!

Last update of this page : 2005-10-04