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Ben Palmer

@johnzee7.bsky.social
575 followers 226 following 490 posts

British and German dual citizen living in Berlin. Brewing scientist and PhD candidate at VLB Berlin. Former brewer and maltster. Posts about beer, cycling and Germany.

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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Happy Oktoberfest from the Zollpackhof Biergarten in Berlin 🥨
Some glasses of Augustiner Oktoberfestbier and some wild hops on the table in the Zollpackhof Biergarten
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Boak & Bailey (Jess & Ray) @boakandbailey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
GOOD MORNING! Here's our regular weekly round-up of good writing about beer and pubs, with notes on pubs with too many rules, Norwegian pilsner and car park hops, among other things. boakandbailey.com/2026/09/news...
boakandbailey.com
News, nuggets and longreads 19 September 2026: Some People
Every Saturday we round up the best writing about beer from the past week. This time, we’ve got cheaper pints, Czech pubs and Belgian folk traditions.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Am I in the Hallertau for hop harvest? No! I discovered these in the car park of a Getränke Hoffmann drinks store in Berlin.
Hops on the bine in a Getränke Hoffmann car park.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
It's great to be in Rotterdam for the EBC Congress 2026! I'm proud to be presenting our scientific work carried out at VLB Berlin on the topic of flavour stability in beer.
I'm suited and standing next to my poster with a grin on my face
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Hostomice Fabián 14 on tap. In Berlin, at Muted Horn. My favourite Czech Dark Lager. 😍
A 0.4 litre Tübinger glass with Pivovar Hostomice Fabián 14, a Czech Dark Lager.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
What happens when Bristol darts expert @fredcook.co.uk comes over for his annual trip to Germany? We go to Bamberg and play soft-tip darts, of course.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I'm excited to present some of my PhD research on thiol stability in beer at the 40th EBC Congress this September in Rotterdam. The poster title is "An investigation of thiol disulfides as a potential indicator of ageing in dry-hopped beers" www.vlb-berlin.org/en/vlb-at_EB...
My poster title for the EBC 2026 conference in Rotterdam: "An investigation of thiol disulfides as a potential indicator of ageing in dry-hopped beers"
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
This weekend I'm on a Franconian brewery adventure with @fredcook.co.uk @louisekrennmair.bsky.social and @akrennmair.bsky.social We stopped for Brotzeit and beers at the Brauerei Göller in Drosendorf.
Louise, Andreas, Fred and me walking through the Franconian countryside Brotzeit and beers at the Brauerei Göller in Drosendorf
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Louise Krennmair @louisekrennmair.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Start of our summer holiday. We have possibly made a bad choice and gone to Bamberg with @johnzee7.bsky.social and @fredcook.co.uk First stop is Spezial, one of my favourites.
Four partly drunk glasses of beer sat on a table in Spezial, Bamberg.
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Fred Cook @fredcook.co.uk · 15/07/2026
First leg of three trains to see @johnzee7.bsky.social @louisekrennmair.bsky.social and @akrennmair.bsky.social in Berlin. Fingers crossed for no delays 🤞
A green GWR train at bristol Temple Meads
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
In our monthly Beer and Book Club, we discussed "Thin Places in Hard Concrete" by @raynewman.bsky.social It's a brilliant collection of short stories featuring memorable settings and subtle unease. Highly recommended!
Four copies of Thin Places in Hard Concrete by Ray Newman on the table in the Biergarten. There is a golden plaque and several glasses of beer.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
In Germany we say "wer schreibt, der bleibt"
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Boak & Bailey (Jess & Ray) @boakandbailey.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
GOOD MORNING! Here's our regular round-up of good writing about beer and pubs with vague themes around Bavarian beer culture and, oddly, that pub Lidl have opened in Northern Ireland. boakandbailey.com/2026/07/news...
boakandbailey.com
News, nuggets and longreads 11 July 2026: Bee Speaker
Every Saturday we round up the best writing about beer from the past week. This time, we’ve got Dortmunder, Helles and Obatzda.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
BLOG POST: A response to @boakandbailey.bsky.social's "What does Helles taste like?" through the lens of a brewing scientist. hopandschwein.wordpress.com/2026/07/09/w...
hopandschwein.wordpress.com
What does Helles taste like? A brewing scientist’s perspective
On a recent trip to Bristol, I met up with Boak and Bailey and local darts legend Fred Cook for some pints. Provocatively, I was asked what had happened to my blog. Since then, I’ve been sear…
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
My new book, Bavarian White Beer, has been out for almost two weeks, and so far, the feedback has been absolutely fantastic. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who bought a copy! Get yours now: waizenbier.de #beerhistory #homebrewing
A glass of Erdinger Urweisse behind a copy of my new book, Bavarian White Beer.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at Andreas's new book. It is incredibly well researched, full of fascinating stories and offers a glimpse into just how wild Bavaria could be in centuries past, at least from a political and historical perspective. Congratulations @akrennmair.bsky.social!
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
If you're looking for the perfect drink for today's Germany-Curaçao match, here's a 1970's beer cocktail for you: Isarwasser. In a 1 litre Maßkrug, combine a bottle of Bavarian wheat beer, half a litre of orange juice or orange soda (e.g. Fanta), and a shot of Blue Curaçao liqueur. Enjoy!
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Today I've been getting to know the locals on Hvar.
Me stood on a road with my back facing the camera. There are six cats standing or lying nearby.

Photo credits: @violavalenza.bksy.social
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Justin on eurostar @eurostarjustin.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
On this day 35 years ago, production of the Trabant car ceased. Here's a photo my brother took of a load of them in East Berlin in August 1990. #DDR #OTD
A row of Trabant cars in turquoise, beige, mustard, and powder blue in front of a building.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Happy German Beer Day! 🍻 Today I'm presenting some of my research at the VLB on the flavour stability of hoppy beers.
I'm presenting the topic "Assessing the chemical stability of volatile thiols in IPA and other dry-hopped beers"

Photo credits: Daniel Köning (@silentdan.bsky.social)
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Please consider taking a few moments of your Sunday afternoon to appreciate this beautiful sourdough loaf baked by @akrennmair.bsky.social It definitely tastes as good as it looks.
A golden brown loaf of breadThe cross section of the loaf with a small, even crumb structure
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
UPDATE: My colleague from the VLB microbiology lab has kindly given me 500 mL of 3.2 pH kombucha starter liquid. I've been advised to reduce my batch size to increase the starting acidity and hopefully prevent early mould growth.
A 500 mL clear Schott flask containing orange liquid
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Are there any kombucha brewers on here? Green/white fuzzy patches of mould have grown on the surface of my third generation SCOBY. This has happened twice now and I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
A SCOBY with white/green, fuzzy patches of mold on the surface
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
*Looks at train connections to Windischeschenbach*
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
German hop growing has officially been recognised as intangible cultural heritage by the Bavarian cabinet. I'm proud to support hop growers and merchants through our analytical work and hop research at VLB Berlin. www.about-drinks.com/hopfenanbau-...
about-drinks.com
Hopfenanbau in Deutschland ist Immaterielles Kulturerbe
Der bayerische Ministerrat hat die kulturelle Ausdrucksform „Hopfenanbau in Deutschland“ in das Bayerische Landesverzeichnis eingetragen.
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patto1ro.bsky.social @patto1ro.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
As promised, hop growing in the DDR. barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/03/hop-...
barclayperkins.blogspot.com
Hop growing in the DDR
When researching my recent talk on brewing in the DDR, I struggled to find much about the varieties of hops grown. Which was rather frustrat...
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Staying on the Oktoberfest theme, I wrote about the scandal of the Oktoberfest's first "giant tent" in 1898, and how it unfolded: dafteejit.com/2026/03/the-... #beerhistory #oktoberfest
dafteejit.com
The Scandal of Oktoberfest's First Giant Tent - Daft Eejit Brewing
In which I wrote about how the first large tent at Oktoberfest came to be, and why it was a scandal for the Oktoberfest restaurateurs at the time.
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Fred Cook @fredcook.co.uk · 26/03/2026
🎯 New dartboard review 🎯 The seven stars in Redcliffe: fredcook.co.uk/2026/03/19/T... I've also added a handy map of all dartboard reviews so far
A map of central Bristol with little dartboard icons showing locations of pub dartboards I've reciewed
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
I've blogged about beers at late 19th/early 20th century Oktoberfest many years ago. I've now been able to find complete lists of breweries for the years 1895 and 1896, which shows how much more diverse the beer choice was back then: dafteejit.com/2026/03/beer... #beerhistory #oktoberfest
dafteejit.com
Beers at Oktoberfest 1895 and 1896 - Daft Eejit Brewing
In which I'm presenting complete lists of breweries whose beer was served at Oktoberfest 1895/96, several of which were not from Munich.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
It has been a nice few days of pubbing around Sheffield and the Peak District.
The tiled interior of the Sheffield Tap. Photo taken by my wife ViolaA row of 10 hand pumps in The Fargate in Sheffield. A Thornbridge Jaipur pump clip is visible in the foreground.The wooden decorated interior of the Old Hall Hotel in Hope, Peak District A pint of Theakston Old Peculiar next to an open bag of Scampi Fries. The pub is the Three Tuns in Sheffield
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Fred Cook @fredcook.co.uk · 11/03/2026
Couldn't get the idea of adibass out of my head 🔺🔺🔺
Three logos in a row, on the left the Adidas logo, on the right the Bass beer logo, in the middle my amalgamation. It has the red triangle of bass chopped into 3 sections like the Adidas logo, slightly offset. The text underneath says adibass, in the curly cursive handwriting of the bass logo
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
BrewDog Germany filed for insolvency (article in German): www.morgenpost.de/berlin/artic...
morgenpost.de
Brewdog scheitert in Deutschland: Schließung aller Standorte angekündigt
Aus für Brewdog Deutschland: Nach Schließungen meldet der Craftbier-Riese Insolvenz an – Löhne bleiben aus, alle Standorte machen dicht.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Good news for German cycling fans via @tagesspiegel.de: the Tour de France Grand Départ 2029 might be coming to Berlin 🚴🇩🇪 The last time this happened was in West Berlin back in 1987. www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/berlin...
The Tour de France route of West Berlin in 1987. Picture from: https://procyclingmaps.com/product/tour-de-france-1987-livre-de-route-officiel-official-roadbook/
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
After a long and exhausting brew day (triple decoction mashing 😐) of a historic recipe involving 100% wheat malt, I wrote a brief article how I managed to lauter and sparge the mash without any issues, using a historic lautering aid. dafteejit.com/2026/02/laut... #homebrewing #beerhistory
dafteejit.com
Lautering a 100% Wheat Malt Mash - Daft Eejit Brewing
In which I briefly describe how I managed to lauter and sparge a 100% wheat malt mash without any stuck sparge using a historic technique.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Feierabendbier with @silentdan.bsky.social at the Eschenbräu brewpub in Wedding. The seasonal Rauchbock tastes like Bamberg.
Two 0,5 L glasses of Eschenbräu Rauchbock
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www.slowtravelberlin.com @slowberlin.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Some Berlin kneipen (pubs) have been around for more than a hundred years and they’re still going strong… www.slowtravelberlin.com/around-berli...
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, 2022. A satirical novel about a millennial expat couple who move to Berlin. My favourite quote: "Wedding, in the west, existed only very faintly on their mental map, even though with every year it seemed to take on more substance, as if slowly coming into focus."
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
My pal @fredcook.co.uk has been writing about darts boards in Bristol pubs. There seem to be quite a few pubs with dart boards in Bristol serving draught Bass. Is this just a coincidence or are these somehow intertwined?
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Boak & Bailey (Jess & Ray) @boakandbailey.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
“The dartboard itself is a fairly old school Nodor Supabull 2. It had clearly been rotated a few times, but still had life left in it. That said, due to the chunky wires, staples and certain well-used patches, bounce outs were a theme of the night.”
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Fred Cook @fredcook.co.uk · 04/02/2026
I'm starting a series of pub dartboard reviews! First edition. The Bell: fredcook.co.uk/2026/02/03/T...
fredcook.co.uk
🔔 Pub Dartboard Review - The Bell · Fred Cook
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Andreas Krennmair @akrennmair.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
I found this hilarious picture of the old interior of Schneider Weißbierbrauerei, presumably from before the rebuild 1901-1903. There's so much going on!
A picture of the inside of the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery restaurant. It's very busy. There's a man messing up pouring the beer from a bottle into his stoneware mug. The woman with him looks annoyed, while the man next to them at the table points at the mess he's making. The lonely man at the end of table looks like he just wants to eat his meal in silence.

In the background, there's already a waitress coming with a towel while carrying another stoneware mug. On the next table, a woman is sat and allows a child to drink from her beer glass. Next to them, three middle-aged men are sat, looking serious, while one of them is holding up a bottle. Behind all of that, more people at sat, one elderly guy in traditional Dachauer Tracht clothing, another one in a suit, and a another one reading in a newspaper. Behind them, there's a bunch of men sat on the last table. One of them is shooting the cork of an overpressurised bottle on the head of someone else, while the others are laughing. Another waitress is carefully pouring a bottle of beer into a stoneware mug. Behind the counter, another waitress is taking down notes in a book. On the counter, 5 bottles are stood upright, with more bottles placed in a tray just below the counter.

Source: https://stadtgeschichte-muenchen.de/bilder/d_bilder.php?id=2374
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Some Berlin pub toilet highlights, inspired by @willhawkes.bsky.social
Heavily graffitied pub toilet at the Bierhaus Urban in Kreuzberg A broken urinal at Alt Wedding in Wedding A urinal that is located right next to a sink, which makes it almost impossible to wash your hands when the urinal is in use. Photo taken at zur Quelle in Moabit (I think)A beige condom machine that sells London brand condoms and accepts DM
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Foersters Feine Biere in Berlin is permanently closing on 1st February 2026, according to a post on their Instagram. First Schneeeule, now this. Sad times for the Berlin beer scene. www.instagram.com/p/DTIgjE9CLT...
instagram.com
foerstersfeinebiere on Instagram: "Liebe Freunde des Foersters,das Neue Jahr hat begonnen und schon kommt eine schlechte Nachricht.Wie haben das Foersters vor zwei Ja…"
Liebe Freunde des Foersters,das Neue Jahr hat begonnen und schon kommt eine schlechte Nachricht.Wie haben das Foersters vor zwei Jahren übernommen und wollten im Sinne von Sven, der vor 12 Jahren diesen Ort für feine Bierkultur ins Leben gerufen hat, das Geschäft weiterführen. Mit Herz & Verstand haben wir Altes / Gutes beibehalten und mit neuen Idee erweitert. Wir würden aus unserer Sicht sagen, dass es nicht erfolglos war, doch leider hat es nicht gereicht. Veränderungen des Gäste- & Konsumverhaltens, Kostenfaktoren, sowie die alltäglichen Schwierigkeiten die das Business mit sich bringt, zwingen uns zu dieser schwierigen und traurigen Entscheidung.Wir geben zum 01.02.2026 das Geschäft auf und müssen das Foersters Feine Biere schließen.Wir bedauern diese Entscheidung zutiefst, danken allen Menschen die in den letzten Jahren zu Gast bei uns waren. Einen besonderen Dank an all die Stammgäste die Woche für Woche bei uns eingekehrt sind und ein Teil unseres Lebens wurden. Wir werden Euch vermissen. Vielen Dank für die 2 Jahre Foersters Feine Biere.Liebe GrüßeMarta & MikeP.S.: Natürlich gibt es noch ein AbschlussBier. Zum letzten Umtrunk begrüßen wir Euch am 30.01.26 - Fässer & Kühlschränke leeren. Aber auch an allen anderen Tagen, die wir noch offen haben, freuen wir uns auf Euch. P.P.S.: Ich werde zusammen mit dem Vermieter versuchen eine Lösung bzw. Nachfolger zu finden, so dass dieser Ort für Bierkultur erhalten bleibt. Nur nicht mit uns….
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
My @thestorygraph.com 2025 reading round-up. I read 57 books in 2025, which is the most I've ever read in a year by some margin. Here are my top 5 books that I read last year, in no particular order: 🧵📚
My StoryGraph Wrap-Up 2025
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
I'm travelling with the brand new @deutschebahn.com ICE L train from Cologne to Berlin. It was quite bizarre, but not completely unexpected, to see a České dráhy locomotive pulling the Deutsche Bahn train into the Köln Hauptbahnhof. 🚂🇨🇿🇩🇪
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
My Belgian #Crossmas trip may be coming to an end but not before a final stop at the Brauerei Päffgen for some Kölsch. I may have factored in a 3-hour stopover in Cologne on my return train journey to Berlin.
A 0,2 L glass of Päffgen Kölsch The entrance to Brauerei Päffgen in Cologne
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
My first visit to the La Fleur en Papier Doré in Brussels, in the excellent company of @elderberryst.bsky.social. It is such a cosy bar with the added bonus of Brasserie de la Senne beers on draught. #Crossmas 🎄🚴
The interior and bar area of the La Fleur en Papier Doré in Brussels The exterior of the La Fleur en Papier Doré in Brussels
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
It was especially nice to see the Belgian CX fans cheering on Wout Van Aert. It was a fantastic day out in Dendermonde. #Crossmas 🎄🚴
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
It's a beautiful day for cyclocross today in Dendermonde ☀️🇧🇪 #Crossmas 🎄🚴
The women's elite race at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dendermonde. There are several riders on a sandy section and lots of cyclocross fans cheering them on.
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Ben Palmer @johnzee7.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
No cyclocross today but instead I spent the afternoon in the excellent company of @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social and Theresa at 't Brugs Beertje in Bruges. Draught Stille Nacht from De Dolle Brouwers is probably the beer of the trip, so far at least. #Crossmas 🎄🚴
A 0,33 L stemmed glass of Stille Nacht from De Dolle Brouwers
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