If you asked a beer fan a few years ago which beer they enjoyed the most, the chances that their answer would be traditional Pilsner were about as big as the odds of Real Madrid winning against a local tiny football club.
However, beer selection has become more complicated than ever before, and the liquid gold offering at local breweries is becoming more interesting and richer every day. While trying to order a Pale Ale at your local pub would have earned you a slap in the face a few years ago, today you can count on endless possibilities for exploring the magical world of beer. If you are a bit like us, tempted but confused by their selection, read on. For your inspiration, we went to the newly opened pivotéka in FreshMarket – Pivný raj and asked which beers from their wide range they would like to introduce and recommend to you.
DEUS – Beer instead of champagne
What if you had a beer instead of champagne? The perfect creative addition to any party. ”The Bosteels brewery brews DEUS beer at home in Belgium. After nine months, it is moved to the Champagne region, where it undergoes further fermentation, bottling and storage, just like champagne. Methode traditionelle meets beer! Serve it, as usual, in champagne glasses and feel free to offer strawberries with it.And if you think this is a fad, don't be put off, Bosteels knows what they're doing. After all, they've been brewing beer since 1791 and are one of the few breweries still in the hands of the original, now seventh generation, family of owners.
Delirium Tremens – Pink Elephant
Things get a little eccentric with Delirium. The pink elephant and its cartoon animal friends depicted on the bottle symbolize the state of mind when a person becomes delirious. In all seriousness, though, Belgian brewery Huyghe makes one of the best-rated beers in the world from its blue building in southern Flanders.This pleasant, golden Pale Ale is a great beer to try. At the first sip, you will immediately feel the warmth, as if the alcohol is smoldering in your mouth. You will immediately be amazed by the long-lasting strong taste, so typical of Delirium. And what's more, Delirium Café Brussels is the most famous beer pub in Europe - they offer over 2,100 types of beer. Thanks to this, it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Grandma
Despite its Russian name, this beer has its roots in Denmark. The makers of To Øl are one of the best examples of the so-called Pirate Brewers, who do not own their own brewery but use the spare capacity of others. Despite their homelessness, To Øl create fantastic beers, one of which is undoubtedly Babushka.The concept of Babushka revolves around the idea of port wine. The beer tastes exactly like port thanks to its dark and sweet malt, as evidenced by the strong taste of dates and plums. It is a great dessert drink, best enjoyed after a good dinner or as a solitary "goodnight drink".
Westvleteren XII
A real gem among beers that everyone who loves to treat themselves to a good beer should try at least once in their life. It comes from the small ancient Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus in Vleteren, Belgium, where the monks produce only enough beer to cover the necessary costs of running the monastery. The beer is not brewed for regular commercial purposes and is only sold in small quantities once a week directly from the monastery doors to individuals who have registered in advance.Their Westvleteren XII. rightfully holds the proud title of the best beer in the world and is also called the national treasure of Belgium. A semi-dark beer with a rich taste and hints of forest fruits, it will take you on a true Belgian beer journey. Remember, this beer is not drunk, but tasted.
Lanius Ice 36
A sweet spot at the end. The thirty-six-proof beer from the Trenčín brewery Lanius is a real gem among Slovak beers. The beer is brewed using an unconventional freezing method, where water is removed from the beer at a low temperature. It takes up to 6 liters of the original beer to freeze one liter of Eis beer. It is a very laborious and lengthy process, but the result is really worth it.The pleasantly sweet taste of plums, cherries, figs, chocolate and almonds will put a bigger smile on your face than any other dessert. We also call it beer tiramisu.You can purchase all of the aforementioned beers at the Pivný Raj store in Bratislava's Freshmarket, where they will also be happy to advise you on choosing others. A dictionary to help you get the hang of all those beer names: IPA – short for Indian Pale Ale. It is a top-fermented beer with a strong hop flavor, made from pale malt. It is especially popular among small, local brewers. Lager – a bottom-fermented beer that is brewed and fermented in a cool environment. Pale lager is the most consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world. Lagers are found mainly in the names of major producers such as Stella Artois and the American Budweiser. Stout – dark beer brewed from roasted malt and barley, hops, water and brewer's yeast. These are often stronger beers, with an alcohol content of up to eight percent. The most famous is Guinness from Dublin, which you will surely recognize thanks to its distinctive black color and beautiful, unbroken head. Pilsner – a light bottom-fermented beer that got its name thanks to the brewing method in the famous state-owned enterprise Pilsen. It differs from other lagers mainly in its more pronounced hop flavor. Pilsner-type beer still maintains high popularity and is brewed practically everywhere in the world. Porter – a dark, heavier-bodied beer that was very popular in Britain in the nineteenth century. It got its name because it was mainly consumed by street and dock porters. After a certain decline in popularity, it regained its popularity in the late 1970s and remains a favorite choice of many Britons to this day.
