Dilemmas part deux

As previously mentioned, I was pondering whether £14 (plus p&p) was too much too spend on a bottle of Belgian beer. I hadn't come to any concusions, but on Friday night I was out with a friend of a relative of my girlfriend(!) and it turns out that he works in the brewing industry. I mention in passing Westvleteren to him.

"Oh yeah, me and some buddies drove out there last year and bought some. I've got some sitting at home, but I've been waiting to find someone who knows about before I get it out"

Looks like we'll be arranging a trip down to his in the New year!

I Really Don't Need Another T-Shirt

But there's at least three Howies ones I love at the moment

Dilemmas

Dilemma #1

I like outdoor swimming. I like Brockwell Lido. There are holding a Winter Swim next Saturday, the 20th, from 12 - 1. It will undoubtedly be cold, it will undoubtedly be "an experience", but will it undoubtedly be a "good idea" ? I can't decide.

Dilemma #2

I like Belgian Beer. Following reading an entry in the Freaky Trigger Advent Calendar of Booze I am very tempted to try Westvleteren 11.3% Trappist beer. It is only made in small quantities by the monks and, by the sound of things, the easiest way to get it is to actually drive to the monastery and pick it up. Having said that Onlyfinebeer sell single bottles for, ahem, £14! And they're only 33cl!!

If I really push the boat out and buy 6, I could get them off a bloke on ebay for a more reasonably 6 for £34.

Can any beer, really be this nice ?

Advent Calendar of Booze

1st of December

From Freakytrigger back in 2003, but still relevant now (no one's invented that much new alcohol in the last 5 years). A bit tricky to navigate to the next day, but normally the link will be lurking in the "Related Articles" side-nav.

EDIT: If you go to Freaky Trigger December 2003 you get a calendar in the top right-hand corner. You can then use that to navigate to each day's entry.