Traveling Canucks

Drinking Beer Around the World – Part Nine

By 52 Comments Categories: Asia Australia Beer Around the World Central America Croatia Europe Italy Romania

Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World

Well, it’s about that time again! Time for the next installment of our popular series about memorable moments drinking beer around the world.

As lovers of beer and travel, we try our best to take a photo of every beer that we sample while on the road, making for an awesome photo collection with over 300 different types and brands of beer.

Because tastes and preferences are so subjective, our goal for this series is not to find the “best beer in the world”, but rather to reflect on memorable beer drinking moments from our travels. Keep in mind, we don’t consider ourselves professional beer connoisseurs and our beer reviews can easily be influenced by how many were consumed that day.

The beer-tastic series continues with its 9th edition, serving up ten more unforgettable moments from around the world.

Cheers!

Hahn Premium Lager Sydney Australia

Hahn Premium Lager – Sydney, Australia

We enjoyed this 6-pack of premium lager with our hosts that lived in the Kings Cross area of Sydney. It was the first round of what turned out to be a whirlwind tour of several bars and clubs in the energetic mega-city. We were happy to have locals guide us through the city’s nightlife, introducing us to places we never would have experienced otherwise.

The beer verdict – Light, smooth, plenty of carbonation with decent body. We give it 7.5 out of 10

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BGI Beer Ho Chi Hinh Vietnam

BGI Tien Gang Lager – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This was the first of many refreshing beers in the backpacker district of Ho Chi Minh City. We had just scored a pair of cheap flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, saving us days of travel time. Although we sacrificed Vietnam’s popular north-south train journey, we were quite content spending a few extra days sampling the local food, drinks, shopping and sights. Vietnamese beer is not the greatest, but the spicy foods and humid weather easily disguise the average tasting brew.

The beer verdict – Cold and refreshing, but tangy and average. We give it 6 out of 10

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Silva Pils Beer Romania

Silva Original Pils – Bucharest, Romania

These tall bottles of Pils were consumed in an oddly decorated restaurant in the outskirts of Bucharest. We were staying with family friends that we had never met, and had a few hours to burn before they returned from work. They lived in the upscale expat area of the Romanian capital, with limited restaurant options within walking distance. We had just spent the better part of the day traveling overland from Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, so these late afternoon beers were a welcomed treat.

The beer verdict – Clear and light, mildly hopped with bitter aftertaste. We give it 6 out of 10

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Baffo D'Oro Beer Venice Italy

Birra Moretti Baffo D’Oro – Venice, Italy

After spending the morning exploring the tight cobblestone streets and canals in Venice, these tasty beers were enjoyed at a cute cafe located just outside the popular Piazza San Marco (the main pedestrian square). I don’t know why, but food and drinks seem to taste much better in Italy!

The beer verdict – Light and tasty, mild bitterness with decent body. We give it 7 out of 10

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Ozujsko Beer Croatia

Ozujsko Lager – Split, Croatia

This memorable moment in beer comes from our apartment rental on the Croatian coast just south of Split, the largest Dalmatian city and second-largest urban center in Croatia. This particular afternoon happy hour was spent snacking on a variety of cheese and cured sausages, overlooking the calm Adriatic Sea. Though not particularly eventful, it was a memorable afternoon of doing a whole lot of nothing.

The beer verdict – Malty and sweet, slightly bitter, flavourful but skunky after taste. We give it 7 out of 10

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Grasshopper Big Rock Beer Canada

Big Rock Grasshopper – Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Okay, so we had to add some Canadian love to the mix! Most Canadians will tell you there are better beers out there (which is true), but there are few better views than those found in Banff National Park. Plus, we felt it was important to drink Alberta beer during our time camping in Alberta. It’s easy to see why this was our favourite campground during our Canadian Rockies Road Trip.

The beer verdict – Clear wheat ale with full body, full bodied, sweet with hints of citrus and fruit. We give it 8 out of 10

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Jupiler Beer Antwerp Belgium

Jupiler Beer – Wheat Ale (left) and Euro Pale Ale (right), Brussels, Belgium

I know, I know. There are much better Belgium beers than the mainstream Jupiler Beer (don’t worry, we sampled several of them too!). But this moment stands out because it was an impromptu night out.

We were staying at a family friend’s apartment in the capital, located within walking distance to the stunning Grote Markt. With no expectations, we wandered around the neighbourhood and found a lively little pub that embodied the European ambiance we were looking for. It turned out to be the most memorable evening we spent in Belgium.

The beer verdict – We give the cloudy Wheat Ale 8 out of 10 and the light Pale Ale 7 out of 10

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Young's Special London Ale - London, England

Young’s Special London Ale – London, England

This full bodied ale was enjoyed in London with our Kiwi friends that we had met on our round-the-world adventure. We were staying at their flat for a few days when the United Kingdom received one of its biggest snowstorms on record, resulting in cancellations to all flights to London. With the severe weather relentlessly pounding the country and all airports shutdown, we were quite happy to have the comforts of good food, good company and good beer.

The beer verdict – Full bodied with great amber colour, sweet and tasty, good finish. Enjoyable on a cold winter evening. We give it 8.5 out of 10

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Gosser Beer Vienna Austria

Gosser Beer Mix (half dark and half lager) – Vienna, Austria

The biggest beer I’ve ever consumed (and witnessed for that matter). Yup – that is two litres of liquid goodness! We stumbled on this restaurant that had an “extra large” theme and figured we’d give it a try. The advertising didn’t lie! The hamburgers were the size of pizzas and an order of “regular fries” was enough to feed a family. This was the “regular” beer, which meant that there was a beer even bigger than this one (but that seemed a little unnecessary!).

The beer verdict – The combo of light and dark beer tasted surprisingly good, light but full bodied. Regardless, it’s a 2-litre beer so it gets an automatic 9 out of 10

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Belikin Beer, Caye Caulker, Belize

Belikin Beer – Caye Caulker, Belize

This photo does a fantastic job telling the story. Soft pastel sunset, cold beer and a table perfectly situated with unobstructed views of the calm Caribbean waters – what more can you ask for?! This beer was enjoyed at the popular Lazy Lizard, a beach bar located at the Caye Caulker Split (here is a better picture of the Caribbean beach bar). Belikin is the beer of choice in Belize, although it’s difficult to find alternative options.

The beer verdict – Crisp and refreshing, heavily carbonated with limited flavour. The bottles are way to small and deceivingly heavy. We give it a generous 7 out of 10

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Do you have a memorable beer moment that you’d like to share?
Share your experience in the comments section below!

 

Read more beer posts here – Memorable Moments Drinking Beer around the World

 

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Comments

  1. I’ve never seen a 2 litre serving of beer before. I thought the litre of beer I had in Munich was a big enough serving. And as an Albertan I like Big Rock beer. I usually go for the honey brown.

    Reply

  2. Mein gott! 2 Litres of beer…that thing is huge! How did it hold up for the drinking period? Love the Belikin photo! Beers like that deserve an automatic +1 to +3 depending on the setting / backdrop. They may not be the best, but they go just fine for a sunset like that.

    Reply

    • Indeed! The Belikin photo turned out great. It wasn’t the best tasting beer, but it is certainly one of the most memorable with a backdrop like that (okay, so maybe I had 3 or 4!).

      The 2-litre pint held up fine during the drinking period. It was the first of the night, so it went down fairly quickly (but I had to take a break after that one!).

      Reply

  3. Huge! And I love the Belize photo… Not only does it look ridiculously tropical, but it somehow illustrates how important and delicious beer is in that part of the world 😉

    Reply

    • Beer drinking and travel is the best combo – I fully support and encourage more beer drinking research! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Wow, that’s a monstrous beer – and that one sounds the best to me. However, I really like the setting of the Big Rock Grasshopper at Banff.

    Reply

  13. Wait…you like beer? I had no idea!! 🙂

    I love how you made the Canadian beer look the best with the beautiful backdrop. I would ask if you finished the 2 liter beer in Austria but I already know the answer to that one! 🙂

    Reply

  18. Let me know when you get to Upper Franconia (region in northern Bavaria), the region with the highest density of breweries per capita in the world. Let’s see what you make of the beers then. I suggest you take the beer diploma in Bamberg. Beautiful medieval student town plus tons of breweries = double trouble 😀

    Reply

  19. I once had a photo collection of what I called “the right beer in the right place”. I brought a Rainier to the summit of Mt. Rainier, took and picture and that’s what started the whole thing. Then I took a shot of a Kokanee on Kokanee Glacier, a Rogue on the Rogue River. You get the idea. This was back in the day before blogs. If I was blogging back then, the photo essay would have made it in. But I still have the photos. Your collection inspires me to get back out there and find more “right” beers to drink. When I was in Belize, I drank Beliken like it was water. Yes, you’re right. A 7 is pretty generous. But, when in Rome…

    Reply

  20. Pretty great collection of beers from around the world. I did a similar thing on our blog but focused on tasting every beer available in El Salvador. Mostly imports after the five locals. but its still fun, Im only about half way done at about 30 or so reviewed.

    Reply

  21. I love the photo of the Big Rock Grasshopper Beer from Alberta, Canada. I also love that beer stein of dark beer from Austria. Cool post for beer lovers

    Reply

  23. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to not steal this idea. I love beer and I love photography – it’s like torture, haha.

    Glad I stumbled across your blog. I’m RSSing as I type.

    Reply

  25. Wow, nice to see so many different beverages and your verdicts. I’m looking forward to more especially Germany or Czech Republic who are considered to be the beer countries of the world.

    Reply

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