After many years of working overseas in hot climates, my wife and I agreed that we could never settle back in the UK again with its predictably dismal climate. There followed a lengthy process of elimination regarding our eventual retirement location. After considering and rejecting far-flung possibilities, such as Australia, Thailand, etc., we agreed that our European roots would always be a lure to us. It would also provide reasonably easy/quick access to family in the UK, which is essential. So, we quickly dismissed all of northern Europe (after all, the weather is not much better than in England) and settled for a very southerly point of the mainland continent: Algarve, Portugal. Having made the decision and bought a property, we spent a lot of time getting to know the place and people, never regretting our decision. However, even with the lovely people, fantastic food, low cost of living, and wonderful climate, there was an important element missing: decent beer. Portugal...