Drinking Through Europe

It seems fitting now that we’re in Munich to give an update on the beer consumption of our past couple months. Usually the easiest beers to find are the mass produced watery/ugh ones of the nearest brewery (Budweiser, Heineken, etc), but in Munich it’s really hard to find a poorly brewed beer. Anyway, most of the beers I’ve had are alright, but a couple times I’ve been surprised with a damn fine product.

Starting off in Italy, the main beers (that we could find) are Peroni and Nastro Azzurro (and along with Birra Moretti are the main Italian beers you can find in the USA). Both are mass produced and Peroni is Italy’s most consumed and enjoyed beer. Incidentally, Peroni brews Nastro Azzurro also and is based in Rome, which could explain why they were more prevalent than Birra Moretti. I prefer Peroni, but there were plenty of better choices for imbibing at the Irish Pub. The beers are easy to drink lagers and that’s about all I can say.

The beer served all over Barcelona is Estrella Damm. If you wish you are able to find other beers at supermarkets. I wouldn’t go as far to say you should do this, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion of Spanish beer. My second opinion was San Miguel (Especial). If you try Estrella Damm and then San Miguel I would suggest that you get a third opinion. Despite the fact that we were in Barcelona for a month I don’t remember trying any other beers, I was probably somewhat saddened by my choices up to that point. San Miguel isn’t really necessary. Well, the Especial is bad, but a quick Google tells me that they do offer a cerveza that is somewhat appreciated. Estrella Damm can be refreshing sitting out in the sun, but don’t expect to be wowed.

Budapest had a whole slew of brews that seemed difficult to pronounce, but once you get the hang of the letter ’s’ you’re in the clear. I was able to try Borsodi Borostyán and Soproni. The Borostyán was ok, but like many of the other beers already mentioned it was just another thing to pour down your throat. I was actually really surprised by the Soproni. I only got to have it once, but it was remarkably refreshing and easy to taste (not amazing, but not boring either). It went wonderfully with my meal of Chicken Soup and Chicken Wrapped in Bacon with a great plain of mashed potatoes. I should also mention that all this cost somewhere in the region of cheap.

In Stockholm I was fortunate to have a go at three beers; Pripps Blå (Blue), Falcon, and Karhu III. I got a 6-pack of the Pripps Blå and managed not to finish it, so take what you can from that (although I did finish the San Miguel pack and that was definitely far worse). The Falcon was also ‘just another beer.’ A bar we went to, where I tried the Falcon, seemed to have this strange phenomenon of everyone buying the same beer. Sure, there were some renegades (me for one), but in general about 85% of the beer purchased was Karhu III, which wasn’t on tap. So I fell in line, if only to see what all the conformity was about. I wasn’t blown away, but I did find this Finnish beer (maybe all the Finns in Sweden go to that bar) much better than the two Swedish beers I had had. There is a bear on the bottle (swedish = björn, finnish = karhu). Bear beats Falcon not to mention whatever a blue Pripp is.

Copenhagen is the home of the Carlsberg brewery, famous for being the shirt of Liverpool FC, an English football (proper) team. What you should also know is that their motto is extremely considerate at “Probably the best beer in the world.” Also their main brews are more of the “just another beer” variety. If you try some of their seasonal or special brews you can find a pleasing drink. However, the beer I will talk about is an experience in itself. Mikkeller is a young (2006), small, Danish brewery that makes craft brews instead of simple, tasteless beers. One day we were walking down a street winding our way back home. In the window of a store I spotted a display of beer and in that display I spotted an enticingly named beer. The store was closed so we wrote down the address and made sure to return a couple days later. We returned and from the severely out of place looking cashier (bodybuilder does not scream wine and beer merchant) I got my Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast. This is a heavy beer. People tend to say that Guinness is a meal in a can, but this beer is like a days worth of food. I was only able to drink half of it (large bottle) with my dinner the first night. Then I finished it during the course of the incredible USA-Spain match.

In Berlin I had a Hefeweissen that I don’t remember the name of and a bottle of Hans’ favorite, Jever. Generally I’m not a huge fan of bitter beers, but Jever is an exception and a good one at that.
Beer in Munich is pretty freakin’ awesome. Biergartens and Brauhaus’s galore. If you can’t find a beer you like here then you’re either not drinking beer or you’re not in Munich. Another great thing, beers come in half liters or liters! German Hefeweizens are absolutely incredible and second to none (they did invent it) and the other beers aren’t anything to be disappointed in either. At the Hofbräuhaus, which, if you’re just passing through Munich for some reason, you should definitely make a stop at, a liter or two of beer and a brotkorb (bread basket of a slice of bread, a roll, and two pretzels) will keep you happy and nourished for a good while. Beer and pretzels are two good reasons to come to Munich…and stay there.