Welcome to Hillardsbeer, my outlet for travel writing and beer testing.
I am Damien, an ordinary bloke from Kent and not your average traveller, so please bear with me as I get used to this blogging malarkey.
Since I was a teenager, I have loved beers and used to constantly pester my father to buy new ones for me to try, it kind of became a tradition that he would buy me a crate of the most unusual beer for Christmas each year and that tradition has stuck, even after all these years.
Hillardsbeer was first creating during a trip to Morocco when I was on the hunt for a refreshing beer after a long day of sightseeing. As a Muslim country, I thought I would struggle to find a decent bar let alone a local beer but low and behold, I stumbled upon a real gem.
I wanted to share my experiences with others who may also be seeking a cold beer in the Moroccan heat and people read my recommendation so much I dedicated to have a real go and blog about my journey on the quest to find a beer from every country.
Geography has never been my strong point (I achieve an E at GCSE) and so my next destination solely relies on me dropping an atlas and seeing where it lands. It’s not the most organised but it is quite fun and keeps me on my toes.
I do have a few rules I like to stick to, I don’t do any research on the beer or alcohol before I go on a trip, I don’t exchange any money and I have a strict ban on friends and family giving me any clues before I leave. As soon as I arrive I make a b-line for the first pub I see, excluding the airport, and my trip goes on from there.
More recently, though, I have opted to take one day off per trip, of not only beer but any kind of alcohol and see the country stone cold sober. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a drunken idiot every other day but I’m not getting any younger so having that one day alcohol-free gives me a little boost.
I have travelled to some incredible countries from Iceland to Mexico, Wales to the Dominican Republic, forever discovering incredible new beers and cultures I never knew existed.
I am often joined by my best friend Santi, however more recently my younger brother Rory has been by my side, sampling beers with me and making me green with envy when he wakes up hangover free.
I would love you to join me on my journey as a travel around the globe trying a beer in every country and I would love to hear your stories and recommendations too.
Please get in touch via my contact page if you would like to know a little more about me, have any recommendations for blog posts of would like to join me on my next trip.