New Artisanal Beers from Gozo - Lord Chambray Ales

A new range of pale ales has hit the (selected) shelves in Malta.  Hailing from Gozo, this is the Lord Chambray trio of beers - and we felt duty-bound to investigate them on your behalf.

First off: these are pretty expensive, certainly by Maltese standards.  We paid €10.35 for the 3-pack, so the local Skol drinkers are unlikely to be tempted.  Still, worth a minor splurge once in a while, I mean you're not going to be able to find these very easily once you've left the island.

Top Ten Things to Eat (and Drink) in Malta

Humans like top ten lists.  (Especially the Men humans, they makes us feel as though there is organization and righteousness to the universe, which is always reassuring).  So here is my list of the top ten things - in very particular order - to stick in your gullet during your stay on the island:

1.  Maltese Sausage: Maybe it's because I've recently returned from a Muslim country where pork is hard to come by, I don't know.  But that first pasta with Maltese sausage just tasted absolutely delicious.  In fact they've been a favourite of mine since I first came to the island.  I don't know whether it's the garlic, the coriander or the rosemary, but they just taste great.  And speaking from my vast experience on the subject, it's a shame more local restaurants don't include Maltese sausages in their English breakfasts.

Maltese Beers

Cisk: (pronounced "Chisk")
- This is the most popular of the Maltese beers and the one you'll find in all the pubs.  It's a nice lager, and particularly nice on a hot Maltese summer day.

Farson's Lacto Milk Stout:
- I've only seen bottles of Lacto available in supermarkets.  I think Maltese people generally use this stuff for cooking rather than drinking, but I thought it was quite decent.  Kind of flat, coffee/caramel taste to it.  It's also the Maltese beer the good folks at www.ratebeer.com reckon is the best of the bunch.