During 2 months of backpacking I made it a point to try at least one local beer in each country. Here are my thoughts, which I’m sure many of you will beautifully hate me for!
NOTE: The views below are entirely subjective and based on my own beer preferences (can you guess what those are?) I also focused mostly on “mainstream” beers, ones you can easily get a store or in a pub (with few exceptions). I know these are not the finest picks and much better microbrew or local varieties exist, but I wanted to try the “popular” choices in each region.
Poland
Żywiec (Lager) – surprisingly decent white. Smooth with a bit of sweetness but not overwhelming. While not particularly sophisticated, it makes for a refreshing drink on a hot day afternoon! The draft was also definitely much better than the bottled version
Książęce Jasne, Czerwone and Ciemne (White/Amber/Dark) – probably one of my favorite lines of mainstream Polish beers, coming in 3 flavors: Jasne (pale white), Czerwone (amber) and Ciemne (dark). Each one has a pleasant taste that fits their description, with the amber being my personal favorite. Very enjoyable!
Prażubr (Lager) – unpasteurized beer with noticeable malty taste, slightly on the bitter side. Not my preference. While it wasn’t particularly bad, I did not feel like finishing the bottle.
Fortuna Czarne (Dark) – tastes oddly similar to cherry coke with caramel hints. Way too sweet for my taste, but not a bad choice for those who dislike beer (and love coke).
Lech Free (Non-Alcoholic) – While rather on the blend and weak side, it was one of the better NA beers I had. It did not have the odd tiny/metal-y aftertaste I get from a lot of NA beers.
Lwówek Lager Wiedeński (Lager) – an interesting rich flavor with thick mouthfeel and caramel notes. Not much bitterness but I was starting to be a bit sick of it by the end of the bottle.
Mirosław Pilzner (Pilsener) – I heard a lot of good about this one but felt slightly disappointed. Light and flavorful but not nearly as amazing as I was led to expect.
Namysłow Pils (Pilsener) – a decent flavor with slight sweetness, although not as distinct or memorable as some of my favorite Pilsners.
France (Belgium)
Note: all the beers except Pelforth I tried in France turned out to be actually brewed in Belgium. Oops!
Pelforth Brune (Brown) – pretty tasty brown, although without anything particular distinct about it. Decent pick after a long and busy day of arriving in France.
La Chouffe (Belgian) – the draft was amazing, with just the right level of sweetness and bodiness, with slight bit of a hoppy aftertaste you don’t find in most Belgians. However, the bottled version I had a while later was noticeably less flavorful with more hoppiness.
Val Dieu Blond (Belgian Pale Ale) – a mediocre white. Nothing stood out, just a generic white beer.
Tremens Red (Belgian) – While I love the regular tremens, the red was overly sweet and fruity. Tasted more like juice than beer. Very disappointing.
Italy
Menabrea 150° Anniversario Lager (Pale Lager) – another generic white. Smooth and drinkable but without anything standing out about it.
Birra Moretti (Pale Lager) – soso white. Smooth and drinkable but without anything standing out
Switzerland
Stammheimer Hopfen Brau (Pilsener) – a pretty good white grown in Stammheim, the very town I was staying in Switzerland. Nice and smooth with a distinct taste. Better than the average, but not amazing.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei (Non-Alcoholic) – another terrible NA choice wih an odd metallic/tinny aftertaste.
Austria
Wieselburger Bier (White) – a mediocre white. A little too smooth and tasteless. It had a bit of an odd and hard to describe taste that made it bit more distinct than the others, but not in a particularly good or bad way.
Ottakringer Helles (Helles Lager) – another of my favorites. Very flavorful, just the right amount of sweet and hoppy. Would drink again!
Zipfer Urtyp (Helles Lager) – a pretty good one. Very flavorful and sweet but a bit of bitter hoppy finish made it less enoyable for me than the Ottakringer
Slovakia
Urpiner (Pale Lager) – pretty good white reminding me of Polish Żywiec. Smooth, slightly sweet, enjoyable. Not amazing, but just right when you crave that sort of taste.
Zlatý Bažant (Pilsener) – another good Slovak beer, mixing smoothness with slight sweetness. Again, a great pick on a hot Saturday afternoon!
Sweden
Given the government-run liquor stores close at 6 in Sweden, low-alcohol and alcohol-free is quite popular here. Here’s some of the choices I had.
Pripps Blå 2.8% (Low-Alcoholic Lager) – one of the worst beers I had, tasting more watered down than American Budweiser. Sadly it’s all I could get at the time given the government-run alcohol stores close down at 6pm in Stockholm.
Mariestads Alkoholfri (Non-Alcoholi) – surprisingly one of the better NA beers I’ve ever had! It had an interesting sweet-sour taste to it, almost falling into cider territory.
Rekorderlig Premium Passionfruit Cider (Cider) – interesting flavor for a cider, but ungodly sweet. Would make a better base for a mixed drink than on it’s own. The regular Rekorderligs are some of my favorite ciders, though.
Åbro Bryggmästarens Premium Gold (Lager) – while it was nothing to write home about, it had a pleasant sweet flavor one would expect from the light yellow color. While drinkable, it was a little on the weak side, and nothing truly memorable.
Finland
Koff (Lager) – pretty generic lager in every way. While not unpleasant, nothing about it stood out for me.
Karhu III (Lager) – another rather generic pick. Even the cool bear logo could not make it particularly memorable.
Lapina Kulta III (Lager) – this one slightly worse-than-generic, tasting a bit watered down. Skip it.