Trip to the Farm

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Originally just for Saisons, this badge has been widened to include a range of other Farmhouse Ales.

Have 5 beers from any of the following styles to claim this badge: Farmhouse Ale (Saison, Sahti, Other, Bière de Garde or Bière de Mars), Grisette or IPA (Farmhouse).Farm

Saisons are a signature Belgian style. A refreshing pale ale that is well carbonated, slightly sour, spicy or fruited and traditionally low in alcohol. Originally brewed on farm to refresh the workers in summer, they share some similarities with the German Radler and French Bière de Garde styles.

A Sahti is a Finnish style of farmhouse ale that is flavoured with Juniper. A darker, cloudy beer that is strong in alcohol, the yeast used usually gives off some banana flavourings.

The final distinct style of Farmhouse Ale is the Grisette. Another Belgian style, the beer was actually consumed primarily by miners rather than farmers. It is a low alcohol brew with a distinct tartness and can almost be described as a cross between a Saison and a Gose!

Here Come the Vikings!

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The country badge for Norway. Have 5 Norwegian beers to earn this badge.Vikings

Like in many countries, the beer market in Norway is dominated by only two main players. The international Carlsburg group and the local Hansa Borg Bryggerier.

Any beer that is above 4.75% ABV can only be sold through the state owned liquor stores, which means many international brands produce a lower percentage version of their flagship beers for sale in Norwegian supermarkets.

Norway arrived relatively late to the craft beer movement but already has several notable breweries. Look out for Ægir Bryggeri, Kinn Bryggeri or Lervig Aktiebryggeri.

I’ll Be Bock

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Have 5 Bocks to gain I’ll Be Bock, Untappd’s badge for Bock beers. A Bock is a style of strong, malty lager that originated in Germany.

Untappd recognises six substyles of Bock, and they all count towards this badge: Single/Traditional, Doppelbock, Eisbock, Hell/Maibock/Lenteboc, Weizenbock and Weizendoppelbock.

Bock

A traditional Bock sits at around 6 or 7% and is rich and malty. Made by traditional lager techniques, Bock also means Goat in German and so goats often feature on the label.

A Doppelbock is a stronger, maltier version that ends up anywhere between 7 and 12%. An Eisbock is even stronger, it is made be slowly bringing a Doppelbock down to freezing and removing the ice as it forms on top. This reduces the water content, intensifying the flavour and strength. Eisbock’s also have their own badge, From the Cold.

As the name suggests, Weizenbocks are made from wheat instead of barley. Unusually for a wheat beer, they are brewed using dark malts and are a similar strength as a Doppelbock.

Finally a Maibock or Helles Bock is a light Helles lager that is brewed to Bock strength. As it is a combination of the two styles, any Hell/Maibock/Lenteboc you check in also counts towards the Helles badge, Hella Delicious!

Beer for Keeping

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For this badge, have 5 different beers from the Bière de Garde or Bière de Mars styles. Note that Bière de Champagne/Bière Brut don’t count.BeerforKeeping

Bière de Garde (literally, beer for keeping) is a strong, farmhouse style of beer brewed in the North East of France. It has some similarities with the Saisons from neighbouring Belgium. The most famous example of the style is 3 Monts.

Bière de Mars or beer of March, is a Spring beer traditionally sold in March. It is a top fermenting beer that is usually lower in alcohol and somewhat drier than a Bière de Garde.

Which ever style you go for to gain this badge, they are both excellent traditional examples from France, a nation not especially well known for its beer.

Flamenco

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The country badge for Spain. Have 5 Spanish beers to get level 1.

Spain is not especially known for its beer but it does produce a number of lagers that suit its hot climate.Spain

The most well known are Madrid’s Mahou San Miguel, Barcelona’s Estrella Damm and Moritz and Galicia’s Estrella Galicia. Unusually, none of these brands are owned by any of the big multinational conglomerates that dominate most of the World’s beer production.

The exception to this rule is Seville’s Cruzcampo, which is owned by Heineken.

As you can see, Spain has a large number of regional lagers that compete for market share.

Johnny Appleseed

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The cider badge. Have any 5 ciders or perry’s to claim this badge.

Appleseed

Especially popular in Britain, cider has been produced there since before the Romans invaded in 55BC. Made from Apples (unless it’s Perry which is made from Pears), cider is brewed in a similar fashion to beer.

Untappd recognises ten types of cider: Dry, Non-Alcoholic Cider / Perry, Herbed/Spiced/Hopped, Ice/Applewine, Graff, Other, Other Fruit, Rosé, Perry and Sweet.

Wee Bit of the Scotch

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Check into 5 Scottish Ales to gain this badge. The three Untappd styles that count towards the badge are Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, Scottish Ale and Scottish Export Ale.WeeHeavy

A Scotch Ale is a strong, malty ale that can be rather sweet. Also known as a Wee Heavy, they have been referred to as the Scottish equivalent of a Barley Wine.

Scottish Ales and Scottish Export Ales are similarly malty but are not necessarily as strong. Some have a smoked flavour. Try the Original by craft brewery Innis & Gunn.

Drink Like a Kiwi

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The country badge for New Zealand. Have 5 beers from New Zealand to gain level 1. It levels up to 100 (that’s 500 beers).NewZealand

New Zealand is known for its hops, especially its fruity varieties such as Nelson Sauvin and Motueka. It stands to reason then that the style of New Zealand Pale Ale is a fruity, hop forward version of Pale Ale.

The brewing industry in New Zealand is dominated by Lion breweries (Kirin) and Dominion Breweries (Heineken) with a third player trailing some way behind: Independent Liquor (Asahi). The big two have also bought up many small breweries such as Emersons, Macs and Panhead (all Kirin), Tuatara and Monteiths (Heineken).

Despite this, New Zealand has a wide range of active craft breweries. Ones to look out for include Garage Project, Moa, Behemoth, Epic and Stoke.