The Search for the Perfect Pint
From Rome to Mandalay (or some places in between)
- This isn't supposed to be the ultimate guide to what is or what isn't a perfect pint but simply a travel (b)log of the search by myself and a few like minded friends for the satisfaction of sitting in a bar, pub, football ground, hotel, hovel or brothel with a nice pint in front of us and thinking "This was worth the wait".Although we wouldn't consider ourselves to be extensive travellers, we've been to a few places simply because we know the beer will be good (and normally cheap). We couldn't really care less if the sun has got his hat on or even if it's minus 30 degrees - we can always buy a pair of shorts or some warm gloves if the need arrives. In fact looking back the happiest times seem to be when we've been sat in an almost deserted football ground with a pint and a camera.The past couple of years has seen us sample ale and other things in Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Latvia, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Hungary and even England. If I can remember anything of interest, I'll write about it.
The Search...................
Here are a few varieties of beer among the wide range of beers that we supped over the past few beer travels
Alt: Alt beers are top fermented, dark beers from Germany. It is a malt, smooth beer with a tangy character. Alt beer is copper or amber to dark brown in color. One of Dereks' favourites -last drunk in Dusseldorf last year.
Blanche: a Belgian wheat beer, often enriched with flavoring. It is unfiltered and is characterized by its cloudy consistency and its light, acidic taste. Another of Derek's favourites - drunk when he is particularly thirsty.
Gueuze: a Belgian Beer that is produced by mixing old and new lambic beers and is filled in Champagne bottles. I've yet to try this, but I bet it's one of Derek's favourites.
Lambic: a Belgian beer made of barley, wheat and perennial hops by quick fermentation.
Kriek: a lambic-wier in which cherries are allowed to steep for several months. The success of this fruit beer has resulted in a series of further varieties, for example, strawberry, currant and even mirabelle and banana beers. Was one of Charlies favourites - God Rest Him
Pils: this beer is named after the Czech city of Pilsen where the first pale beer was brewed with bottom fermentation.Czech pils possesses a complex but balanced malt character, a fruity hop aroma and an astringent aftertaste. Found all over Europe and a particular favourite of Mike and leedsscum
Rauchbier: smoked beer is a Bamberg specialty in which green malt is kiln-dried with beechwood fire. This gives the malt, and with that the beer, its typical smoky taste. It is dark amber to brown in color. Norm loves this.
Stout: a British beer, almost black in color, top fermented brewed with strongly roasted malt. The Irish style is very tangy and thick but not too strong, while the flavor of the English stout is sweeter and more well rounded. Our Paddy chums like this - JP, JH and Tededned.
Weiße/ Weizenbier: white or wheat beer is a German top fermented beer brewed with wheat and barley malt. It is golden and somewhat darker than the Belgium Blanche. Wheat beer comes yeast-free (Kristallweizen) or yeast-clouded. German wheat beer is very carbonated, moderate to light and very refreshing, which has made it a popular summer beverage. The northern version, the "Berliner Weisse" is in contrast considerably more acidic and is therefore sweetened with woodruff or raspberry syrup to compensate for the sharpness. Unsurprisingly Derek names this amongst his favourites.
Bockbier: bock beers are strong but 'rounded' in taste and are exclusively a top fermented, malt-based brew. They are gold to dark brown and malt-sweet with a defined body.
Kölsch: Kölsch is a light blond, top fermented beer. It is moderately carbonated, accented with hops but hardly bitter. Supped in great quantity on the last couple of visits to Cologne.
Schwarzbier: black beer is bottom fermented. It is an extremely dark, almost black beer. This beer is full-bodied, has a malt aroma and a characteristic bitter chocolate flavor. One for me, Norm and JP
Steinbier: stone beer is a German specialty brewed by a method from the dim and distant past. Very hot stones are added to the mash to bring it to a boil. Caramelized sugar forms on the stones. The stones are then returned to the new beer during the aging process to initiate a second fermentation. The beer has a smoky but sweet flavor and is golden brown. We sampled quite a quantity of this in Saltzburg a few month ago.
Alt: Alt beers are top fermented, dark beers from Germany. It is a malt, smooth beer with a tangy character. Alt beer is copper or amber to dark brown in color. One of Dereks' favourites -last drunk in Dusseldorf last year.
Blanche: a Belgian wheat beer, often enriched with flavoring. It is unfiltered and is characterized by its cloudy consistency and its light, acidic taste. Another of Derek's favourites - drunk when he is particularly thirsty.
Gueuze: a Belgian Beer that is produced by mixing old and new lambic beers and is filled in Champagne bottles. I've yet to try this, but I bet it's one of Derek's favourites.
Lambic: a Belgian beer made of barley, wheat and perennial hops by quick fermentation.
Kriek: a lambic-wier in which cherries are allowed to steep for several months. The success of this fruit beer has resulted in a series of further varieties, for example, strawberry, currant and even mirabelle and banana beers. Was one of Charlies favourites - God Rest Him
Pils: this beer is named after the Czech city of Pilsen where the first pale beer was brewed with bottom fermentation.Czech pils possesses a complex but balanced malt character, a fruity hop aroma and an astringent aftertaste. Found all over Europe and a particular favourite of Mike and leedsscum
Rauchbier: smoked beer is a Bamberg specialty in which green malt is kiln-dried with beechwood fire. This gives the malt, and with that the beer, its typical smoky taste. It is dark amber to brown in color. Norm loves this.
Stout: a British beer, almost black in color, top fermented brewed with strongly roasted malt. The Irish style is very tangy and thick but not too strong, while the flavor of the English stout is sweeter and more well rounded. Our Paddy chums like this - JP, JH and Tededned.
Weiße/ Weizenbier: white or wheat beer is a German top fermented beer brewed with wheat and barley malt. It is golden and somewhat darker than the Belgium Blanche. Wheat beer comes yeast-free (Kristallweizen) or yeast-clouded. German wheat beer is very carbonated, moderate to light and very refreshing, which has made it a popular summer beverage. The northern version, the "Berliner Weisse" is in contrast considerably more acidic and is therefore sweetened with woodruff or raspberry syrup to compensate for the sharpness. Unsurprisingly Derek names this amongst his favourites.
Bockbier: bock beers are strong but 'rounded' in taste and are exclusively a top fermented, malt-based brew. They are gold to dark brown and malt-sweet with a defined body.
Kölsch: Kölsch is a light blond, top fermented beer. It is moderately carbonated, accented with hops but hardly bitter. Supped in great quantity on the last couple of visits to Cologne.
Schwarzbier: black beer is bottom fermented. It is an extremely dark, almost black beer. This beer is full-bodied, has a malt aroma and a characteristic bitter chocolate flavor. One for me, Norm and JP
Steinbier: stone beer is a German specialty brewed by a method from the dim and distant past. Very hot stones are added to the mash to bring it to a boil. Caramelized sugar forms on the stones. The stones are then returned to the new beer during the aging process to initiate a second fermentation. The beer has a smoky but sweet flavor and is golden brown. We sampled quite a quantity of this in Saltzburg a few month ago.
