It is impossible to remember all of the tasty beers I consumed in the three week journey around Poland. So here is a top 10 list of my favorite frosty adult beverages that I enjoyed while on my trip:
- Zywiec – The king of Polish beers! Zywiec is to Poland as Guinness is to Ireland or Budweiser is to the USA. This pale lager was such a pleasure to drink while going out in Krakow, Raciborz and Zakopane. It sure was the perfect drink to help wash down some of the amazing Polish cuisine I devoured on my trek through this amazing European country. Zywiec was purchased by Heinken in the 1990s
- Okocim - I have been drinking this for some time in the States, but still preferred it when Zywiec was not around…which in Poland is pretty rare. Okocim has been brewed in the same city since 1845 and was purchased by Carlsburg in 1996.
- Tyskie - A big bottle of the tasty Tyskie beer was seen quite often in front of me when hanging out with friends in Raciborz. One of the more popular beers sold in Poland and I am not surprised since it is such a great tasting beer!
- Zubr - You cant miss this beer in the pub or supermarkets of Poland, since it has a big old buffalo smack dab on the front of the bottle. This delicious adult beverage has been brewed for over 200 years on the edge of the Bialowieza Forest in Poland.
- Warka - The smell of the beer is underwhelming, but the taste is surprisingly enjoyable. I loved me some Warka (pronounced “Varka” since Poland uses a V sound for the letter W).
- Harnas - Yet another tasty golden lager that goes down easily and works well with some Polish grub.
- Tatra - Although sold all over Poland, I found myself drinking this beer the most while hanging out in the mountain city of Zakopane, which happens to be in the shadows of the Tatra Mountains.
- Ksiazece - Made by the people at the Tyskie brewery, this subtle and slightly bitter beer was a pleasure to drink on a hot Polish summer night.
- Redd’s – Now I normally do not like flavored beers. But this company that specializes in producing cranberry, orange and apple flavored lagers, was pleasantly refreshing on a very humid day hanging outside in Raciborz’s town square.
- EB - Produced by the Zywiec people and introduced in1997, this beer is popular among younger drinkers and available outside of Poland as well.
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One last note about Poland. If you are thinking of checking out this country, then you might want to do it sooner than later. The Polish zloty’s weak exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, Euro and many other currencies make this already enjoyable locale super affordable.
One U.S. dollar will give you about 3 or so zloty, one Euro will give you about 4 or so zloty, and one British pound will give you an astounding 5 or so zloty! But rumors are that Poland will change over to the Euro as soon as 2012. So book that trip to Krakow or Warsaw soon and enjoy a 4-star trip on a 2-star budget.
