The (Zoigl) Stars Align 24 Years Later with Rich Carbonara the Beer Wanderer: Zoigl Trip

The (Zoigl) Stars Align 24 Years Later with Rich Carbonara the Beer Wanderer: Zoigl Trip - Part 2 of 13

This post is part of a 13 part series, if you want to start from the beginning, click here.

The (Zoigl) Stars Align 24 Years Later with Rich Carbonara the Beer Wanderer

Zoigl Trip - Part 2 of 13

Back Story

I’ve known Rich Carbonara since the early days of craft beer in Philadelphia. Back when the Philadelphia craft beer world was a small, tight community that was bound together by a great local beer press. Rich and his buddy Ed would make the drive from North Wildwood for the early Friday the Firkinteenths. Often they would crash at my place.

At that time, Rich worked summers at his family’s motel in Wildwood, and globe-trotted the rest of the year. In his travels, Rich met a lovely German lass, Doreen, and they would eventually settle in Munich.

During the 24 year run of the Grey Lodge Pub, without fail, I would send out a monthly email. Rich responded to one encouraging me to come to Munich for Oktoberfest. Rich and Doreen would be moving to Florida to be with his elderly parents, so this would likely be their last Oktoberfest as Munich residents. I had a very new, yet-to-be-stamped passport, so I thought why not?

Eventually Doreen and Rich moved back to Munich. I would return to Germany to do Starkbierzeit in Munich with a side trip to Bamberg with them , and again to do a Franconia brewery hike with Rich. Rich was planning a sideline as a beer hike guide, and I was sort of a guinea pig for him.

Rich Carbonara, Beer Wander

After much thorough (and tasty) research, Rich wrote the book on Bavarian brewery hiking (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/2940481822/) and became a professional guide. (https://www.beerwanderers.com).

I told Rich about my Zoigl quest, and we planned a trip for 2020, but you know what happened. By 2023, the Zoigl Stars had aligned again, and we were on.

Next post in this series: Newark and Lisbon Airports, and the First Beer of the Trip

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