Best beer in Latvia is brewed in small Abula brewery

Unfortunately about 70% of the Latvian beer market is dominated by Scandinavian breweries – Aldaris, Cēsu Alus, Līvu and Lāčplēša. I am neither going to describe these beers, nor recommend them to anyone, many of these are totally the same as their Lithuanian counterparts, just the label and design (sometimes not even that) is different.

As usually, it is the small breweries that make the most interesting and best tasting brews. The most common breweries are Bauskas, Piebalgas, Užavas, Lodiņa and Tērvetes with mainstreem, but nevertheless comparably quality pale lagers that can be found in most supermarkets, especially in Riga. The easy way to find the better Latvian brews might be to skip the pale and look for dark beers (mostly European Dark lagers with occasional Baltic Porter).

The best place to buy bottled Latvian beers in Riga is Stockmann department store, in the very centre of Riga, between the main railway and bus station. There you will find plenty of both macro and micro beers for sligthly inflated prices.

However, there are some more breweries that are even smaller and much less known, as they account for not more than a few percent of the market and their production is not very widely distributed even in Latvia.

Abula (Brenguļu) beer. Of course, everyone has his favorite brews, but it would be quite safe to say that most of the Latvians who have tried Abula beer (there are two sorts – black (Schwarzbier) and pale (European Pale Lager)) think of it as one of the best Latvian beers. The main trick is to buy it – it is not bottled and for 1.20 Ls a liter can be filled in any reservoir you have brought with you to the brewery in Brenguļi (next to Valmiera). The beer is available on-tap in a few pubs as well and it is neither filtered, nor pasteurised.

There is one downside to Abula beer – although quite delicious, you can get a bad headache next morning if more than 2 or 3 pints are consumed. I would consider Abula the only true small-scale craft brewery in Latvia and they are almost the only ones (except for Tērvetes) that produce the malt themselves from local barley. The rest buys malt elsewhere, e.g. in Lithuania :)

Brūveris. Most of its beers are known under the brand name “Ingvera”, produced using Austrial recipes. As the name says, these are ginger beers – average according to European, but quite good for Latvian standards. One of the best is Ingvera Sarkanais (Red), a Vienna lager.

Brālis. Some of their brews are very interesting and certainly worth trying, especially the unfiltered Brālis (one of the few non-pasteurized and non-filtered beers in Latvia, dark and pale
versions exist) and Hincenberga Bavārijas. As usual with small breweries, there are just a few places where you can get Brālis beers – one where there could be better selection os outside the centre – take trolleybus No. 18 or 23 from the Riga central railway station till the stop “Purvciema tirgus”. Look for the sign “Dzērieni” (Drinks) on the first floor of a five storied building – there is a link to Google map info at the end.

LIDO. The only brewpub in Latvia, located in the monstrous building of quasi-traditional Latvian kitchen (Krasta street, Riga, look for a large windmill). It is accessible by tram no. 7 and 9 from Riga central railway station, the stop is called “LIDO Atpūtas centrs”.  Three different unfiltered/unpasteurized beers are brewed, none of them very good, but certainly above industrial beers.

A shiny new, youngest brewery in Latvia - Valmieruižas

Valmiermuižas. Its marketers describe their beer as “exclusive” andthat it has been brewed according to ancient Latvian recipes etc., etc. They invested more than 2 million euros, partly EU funds, in brand new equipment to establish the newest brewery in Latvia, brought in a German brewer and now are trying to conquer the market, rather succesfully I think. They produce only one pale lager, quite similar in taste to German Kellerbier that is above average Latvian standards and is available in more and more shops, their website has all the
details. Some darker brews are expected this fall.

As fars as I am aware of, the best selection of Latvian beers on-tap currently is in the open-air bar “No problems” in the very center of Riga, Doma square. Half a liter costs up to 1.90 Ls and some of the best micros are available there (Tērvetes, Piebalgas, Valmiermuižas, Užavas).

You can also try visiting Rock’n’Riga in the Old Riga (Skārņu 13) – a cozy rock bar where you will find Abula Pale and Valmiermuižas for 2.50 Ls.

Most of the bottled beers, as mentioned earlier, are available in Stockmann and largest RIMI and Maxima supermarkets. Interesting selection of some brews of less known Latvian breweries is available in otherwise very unattractive and dark space – the tunnel under the railway, leading from the Riga Central railway station to the Central Market. It is full of small shops with good selection of beers for attractive prices.

These places are here in the Google map

There are two more breweries in Latvia, but their beers would be very, very hard if not entirely impossible to find in Riga: Gulbenes Alus as well as the only brewery from Latgale region – Krāslavas Avots.

It is also possible to visit some of the breweries, but there would not be too much to see, as visitors rarely are allowed inside production premises. Tērvete charges ridiculous 8 Ls per visitor to be allowed to have a peek at production process through a glass wall and watch a video of brewing process. Some are slightly better, but I would suggest visiting Lodiņa and Valmiermuižas breweries for more interesting experience. And you will see some part of brewing free of charge when visiting Abula brewery when your bottle will be filled.

Of course, the situation is changing all the time, but I assume the above information could be accurate for the summer 2009.

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.

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…

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.