Terry's Beer Tour of the World #11

Amstel 

One of my favourite drinks.   The complaint about this beer is that it comes from a major brewery.  Probably not “trendy” enough for the new-age connoisseurs of beer but as a fall back this is great. 

Korca   (Albania). 

Ok but nothing to write home about

Tirana  (Albania)

Good effort.  Would drink this in-country with no problems.  Had plenty in the restaurants, particularly in Taverna Fredi in Sarande.

 

Greece

Fischer

A bit bland.  Not something I’d try again.  I had a few, on tap and from a bottle but it didn’t impress me in any shape.

Alfa

Good.  My second favourite Greek beer.  If that’s the only name you hear on the list (usually with that crap Heineken, because they’re owned by the same brewery) pick the Alfa anytime.

Note re Heineken:  I’ve actually come across a couple more people who refuse to drink Heineken.  I tried to palm one off on our friend Rene and he baulked at it.  I’ve found a couple more since then.

Fix

 My favourite Greek beer.   Bar none. This has plenty of flavour, good head, long aftertaste.  The best.

Pils Hellas 

Very ordinary.  In fact, you could even say not nice.

Vergina 

A bit on the sweet side.  Luckily, you don’t see it all that often.

Krusovice

This is a great beer.  It is up with Pilsner Urquell and a few others in my top 5 in the world.

The last one I had was a bit flat, in the “Mr Troll” beer house in Rhodes.  I suspect the keg, not the beer as my introduction to it was outstanding.  I have this on my list of beers when we go to Czech. Rep. in the New Year.  This stuff was requested by Mad King Ludwig for his wedding.  From their website:-

Come and see for yourself how the Krušovice Brewery remains true to long established traditions going back to the 16th century. The royal brewery had its heyday when it was acquired by Emperor Rudolf II in 1583. A lot has changed since then, but Krušovice still attracts drinkers with several types of exceptional beer. Krušovice 10°, 12°, dark, Mušketýr, Malvaz and non-alcoholic beer Fríí are very popular, as are tours of the brewery. These acquaint visitors with the various stages in the production process as well as taking in the brewery chapel. It goes without saying that tours include a tasting session.

 

The last sentence is particularly appealing.

Brink’s Blonde and Brink’s Black

Made on Crete.  Brinks is a German chappy, so he knows one or two things about making beer.  And for sure, he makes good stuff.  This walks out the door on Crete to the tune of thousands upon thousands of litres (Happy Brit tourists!).  It is supposed to be called Rethymnian Beer and they’ve had to draw a black line through this on the labels (they still do as a protest)

There is some stupid Greek bureaucrat who says they can’t call their beer “Rethymnian ” beer because the law doesn’t say anything about you being allowed to call a beer after a place. It doesn’t say you can’t, either, but it doesn’t say you can. (It’s made near Rethymnos).  Fair dinkum, there is nothing quite like a Greek public servant for complete dickbrainedness, so they have to call it by the founder’s name.  The country that gave the West its ideas of individual and representation has descended into the sort of crap that philosophers dream of.  Imagine not being able to leave a port until you have given the Port Police your tax form – 0.81c it costs – or being ready to get your boat lifted out for work costing thousands and you can’t move because you have to give the lift operator your 0.81c tax form.  It’s absolutely no wonder at all that they are in the shit they are in because their private sector is functioning and their public sector is rooted.

 

Nobelaner Premium Pils

One of the ‘bespoke’ beers brewed for the big supermarket chains.  A bit rough.

 

Magnus Magister – from Rhodes. 

I sat in a café in Kos while Cal was checking out something next door and asked what beer they had.  The waitress was a bit rushed/harassed/surly/cranky and said Magnus.  Never heard of it so I asked for clarification.  Didn’t get much help second time around either so I said give me one anyway.  Lucky I did.  They call it “Knight’s beer” because of the Knights of St John.  This is good beer.  Try it if you are close because I don’t think much makes it far from either Kos or Rhodes.

 

Zythos Vap

This is made on Rhodes by the Vap P. Kougios Brewery.  Pale Ale/Pilsner type, 5%.  It’s very nice but that’s all I know.  There is no advertising, no marketing, no info on the bottle.  Zilch.  You make a good beer that would be in with the best of company and then you shut up and keep it a secret?  Anyway, there is no information on this at all, except maybe that for some reason they sell it in New Zealand???

Jupiter

From Belgium.  5.75%.  Very small bottle in the Mr Troll beer house.  Couldn’t really get an idea of the taste from what I had but I’m sure it’s nice.

Henninger-Brau AG Frankfurt. 

Brewed by Mythos.  Nothing remarkable but OK.  When you see it in the supermarket at 60c for ½ litre, buy it with confidence.

Mythos

I think I’ve reviewed this before.  Probably the most-sold beer in Greece.  It’s ok and I’d drink it before a lot of others but Fix and Alfa beat it hands down and you can usually get them in the same places.

Nobelaner. 

Same as Henninger.  Same sort of offering etc.  Again, if you’re stocking the fridge for Ron, put it in

Turkey

Efes Lager

Start with the best first.  This is a very good beer.  Good head, bubbles all the glass down, good crisp taste, nice aftertaste.  They sell this in Morocco, too, and it was good there.  Here it is in large cans and bottles (500cl) but it’s also more expensive.  Expect to pay $2 a can in the takeaways.  I paid 102TL or about $AUD54 for a 24-pack of 500s.  Still cheaper than Australia, but then what isn’t?

Efes Malt

not worth the extra alchohol.  No special taste – can’t tell why the “Malt” label is on it.

Marmara Strong Beer 

Very ordinary.  7.5% but why?  I almost didn’t finish it but the last bit in the glass kept looking at me.

Bomonti 100% Malt. 

No taste.  Ordinary.  Founded in 1895 so you’d think they’d have fixed it by now.

Ginger Rum Punch

For some weird reason, it’s almost impossible to get Dry Ginger Ale in Greece.  I asked a few times and the guy in the shop agreed – yep, it’s hard to get here.  (So, get some? Where’s the hard bit.  Some places do.)  Anyways, I have rum on board (you’re surprised?) and I like Ginger Rum Punch and this lack of Ginger Ale was getting irritating.  So, we made our own Ginger Syrup.  We’ve got it in a bottle in the fridge, and it’s plenty strong.  Made it with a packet of ginger, sugar and water, all boiled up then strained through muslin.  Bacardi Gold (or my Bahamian dark), some ginger syrup and some soda water and you’re on.  No driving after this lot and certainly no lifting the anchor to go anywhere.  The disturbance in The Force has been contained.