Beer enthusiast Atis Rektins from Latvia (Dzeru alu blog – in Latvian only) kindly put together this short guide to Latvian fine beers and smaller breweries (in English). Cheers! Lithuanian translation can be found here.
Tag Archive for 'English'
It’s time for a subjective opinion of “Tikras alus” blog, of what gladdened and saddened us this year in local Lithuanian beer scene. The choice was based on values promoted by our organization – beer diversity and choice, appropriate customer information, no history falsification, litter reduction and no encouragement of drinking for teenagers and kids. And so we’re entering the year of the Bull:
THE HIGHS
Photo: Iki
Supermarket chain „IKI” and „Fulgor” brewing company deserve the award for installing a special display fridges for local live beer in every „Iki”/ „Ikiukas” chain shop in Lithuania. They are mostly serving „Dvariškas” (light), „Tamsusis” (dark) or „Kurklių I. B. Boiko” (special dry and yeasty type) traditional, unpasteurized brews in special 1 l size re-usable bottles. Though sometimes the empty shelves are filled by “Faxe”. But now we have where to direct the tourists craving for that „your [Lithuanian] unique alive beer we have heard about” (the quote is original, by the way). Big ups, and we wait for bigger variety of brands in 2009!
Photo: Bronius Talakis
„Pas Rudolfą II” pub in Vilnius, Gedimino 46 was the leader in the offering of the assorted world beers in 2009, event though other places („Rene”, „BoBo”, „Bunte Gans” and the magnificient local „Šnekutis” to mention a few) also contributed significantly in bringing new flavours to Lithuanian capital beer scene. „Pas Rudolfą II” is named after the Bohemian king and Holy Roman emperor Rudolf II (who was actually a grandgrandgrandson of Lithuanian Duke Gediminas, the founder of Vilnius), originator of the Royal Krušovice Brewery, so it’s supposed to be mainly about Czech beers. However, besides serving Krušovice and other it’s counterparts (Kozel, Staropramen, Gambrinus, Velvet), „Pas Rudolfą” also introduced Tucher, O’Hara, Witterkerke for local beer lovers.
- Hops in our garden
Hop growers for denying the myth that good quality hops don’t grow in Lithuania (allegedly because of unapropriate weather conditions). Lithuanian Hop Growers Association’s hop-garden in Kaunas accomodates more than 30 sorts of hops now, including the Lithuanian varieties (such as “Fredos Taurieji”) selectioned by three generations of hop breeders; our own experiments of hop growing, wild hops’ collection, and brewing with them; decision of one of the biggest traditional beer brewers “Fulgorum” (“Butautų dvaro”) to experiment with their own hop-garden several hectares big – all this confirms that hops grow and yeald pretty well in Lithuania.
Antanas Astrauskas for the book “Per barzdą varvėjo” ["The drinks ran over my beard"] – the first well-researched, multidiscplinary and highly enjoybale attempt on the history of fermentables in Lithuania. Published by “Baltos lankos”, unfortunately, still in Lithuanian only.
Homebrewing for providing an alternative, quality and association This year we ascertained even more firmly that one can brew better beers at home, simply superior and tastier than ones in the shops. We were exchanging recipes with fellow-brewers locally and globally; brewed local traditional beers as well as gruit ales, dunkelweisses, alts and imperial stouts; ordered ingredients from the only special shop in Kaunas, local markets or e-bay; brewed in kitchens, cellars and garages; enjoyed the results, exchanging and organizing degustations with others. Most importantly, we associated and collaborated!
International beer drinkers community and bloggers for inspiration. This year we got a lot of inspiration from fellow writers, writing about beer around the globe – from Great Britain to Poland and United States. Reading them, we discovered most interesting breweries and tasty beers, had a peek at what it feels like running a pub or crawling through stalls in beer festivals, delved deeper into beer history and tradition, participated in beer writing sessions. Big up!
THE LOWS
Foto: Vigmantas Butkus
Not effective plastic packaging recycling system in Lithuania – plastic bottles are not refunded, even though that’s been done by some neighbouring countries for years. If some “Green point” organizations and other toadies of plastic industry are claiming that this doesn’t affect pollution in Lithuania, let them go and see any outskirt, lakeside, beach, roadside… We ARE ashamed.
Expansion of “beer coctails”, obviously oriented at teenagers, assortment – no comments needed. The kids are drinking… At least the night trade of these chemical liquids (e.g. in petrol stations) was stopped recently by law.
History falsification when introducing new beer brands. We’re posting soon about one of such pitifull examples…
Boak and Bailey, a London-based beer blog, is the host for Beer Blogging Friday Session #15. The topic is: “the moment when you saw the light. At what point did you realize you were a beer lover / geek / enthusiast? What beer(s) triggered the conversion? Did someone help you along your way, or did you come to it yourself? In short; how did you get into good beer?”
I guess I laid a good foundation some good 13 years ago, when I was still a fresher at my Uni. Budget was rather tight those days so lunch, dinner (during weekends breakie as well) was substituted by a few steins of thick (and filling!), sweetish liquid bread, quite well known back then, called “Biržiečių”. I was very keen on it as well as on others, perhaps less nutritious liquid substances.
The culture shock and understanding that there can possibly be MANY varieties of good beer appeared to me when I arrived to England for the first time, through one of the student exploitation programs to work in a farm near Bishopthorpe, North Yorkshire. Here I had a first taste of my true local, where after grueling day I’d come to wash away my sweat n’ dust with a help of a few pints. The best known “foreign” beer to me at that time was “Guinness” and I was tempted to try something yet unexplored. Dewy beads running down the cold glass, summery rain watering the road and grass was greener whilst I was whistling my way back.
Two years later, my lab assistant position at Uni would give me a chance to do regular trips to London for a weekly frenzy of clubbing, record buying and drinking sessions. There was no hangover that couldn’t be successfully cured by a full english at a local greasy spoon and a few pints and I still have this special feeling about morning on a couch at the canal side pub, watching narrowboats and hangover passing buy. I was already getting used to vast selection of beers and ales and my fascination with the pub atmosphere, names, happy hours, old folks with daily papers under their arms, hand pumps and other paraphernalia was growing – even though I still didn’t bother too much to distinguish my bitter from stout. Just as I wasn’t able to tell the difference between my Kruskowice and Kozel on my jaunts to Chech Republic – but I could already taste the proper quality. The light was almost there.
The breaking point eventually came in autumn of 2005 when I was invited to work for a company in London. I was given a new apartment in Isleworth, a nice and green residential area in west London. The night after moving in I was strolling around and just a couple of streets away from my place I stumbled upon a pub with reggae vibes and lights shining through the windows and it’s banners dangling in the wind. I listened to the call, entered “Red Lion” and it became my teacher in ales and a favorite local pub ever. Later I read that the banners said “Voted one of the best boozers in London by CAMRA”. I didn’t yet know what CAMRA was but with vibrant community, live music bands, theater, poetry readings, beer festivals with BBQs at rear beer garden every bank holiday weekend I saw why it’s the best boozer. With 7 different beers on tap and 4 changing every night, I was hooked. With ales that finally struck me with shining light – Hog’s Back Brewery’s “TEA”, Timothy Taylor’s “Landlord” and the festival favourite – Hopback’s “Summer Lightning” – I was converted.
The person who brought the further knowledge of what I was drinking upon me, was C.J.J. Berry, well, it rather was his book “Homebrewed Beers & Stouts” that I bought in local charity shop for 50p. Reading how easy it is to brew your own beer gave me the impulse to order my first brewing kit, borrow a plastic bucket from co-worker, buy a thermometer in a drugstore and start my first batch in the shower room.
I was just about to move to another apartment at the time, but couldn’t wait. The estate agent was showing the place to the interested tenants while I was absent. I can only imagine her (and the potential tenant’s) face when they entered my shower-room-come-brewery with a plastic bucket spitting foam and funny smells. The next day I came to my hi-tech work, everybody knew about it and I was receiving winks and cheeky smiles.
The results were more than inspiring and so I’m brewing a new batch every now and then, learning on my way. I am not able to visit “Red Lion” every night anymore as I’m back to Lithuania, but I’m flying to London after-tomorrow – to try a few pints during their still ongoing Mayday Beer Festival. Let the light be with me.
