A man named Manny Marshall has successfully completed 500 miles of hitchhiking between the UK and India by using only beer as currency in exchange for rides and accommodations. The man accepted the challenge from the Scottish craft brewer Innis & Gunn’s, paying homage to the “original IPAs of the 18th and 19th century that lasted the gruelling six-month sea trip from Britain to India.”
He started in Edinburgh and made it to New Delhi with the help of plenty of Innis & Gunn’s IPA beer.
“I’ve been hitchhiking for about 15 years. Pretty much non-stop for the last four. It’s a bit of a passion for me. Definitely, beer [helps] make connections. It was really awesome to be able to share that with the cool people who picked me up off the side of the road and hosted me as a ‘couch surfer’ in their homes. People’s generosity when I hitch is endlessly amazing.”
When asked about the trip highlights, he said:
“Dual highlights! Having an endless supply of beer was a great feature of the experience. The other thing that was unforgettable was the feeling I had when I met up with my friend Maria in Serbia and we hitched to Bulgaria together.”
The pub said that “Manny has been an absolute trooper throughout the journey, he has kept the team here entertained with his vividly described and hilarious tales from his trip.”
