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Darius Sanai and the Smith team on the world's finest thirst-quenching, edge-taking-off brews
Remember that great beer ad of the 1980s that magicked Griff Rhys Jones into footage from the 1958 film Ice Cold in Alex? It played on the ‘long stroll in the desert culminates in heaven-sent pint’ theme to great effect. Every weary traveller can relate to exquisitely pressing thirst – and the joy when an icy, refreshing lager materialises at the tired end of a long journey. There is a world more to the drink than the big, bland brands. Many of the delicious lagers you’ll find in Mr & Mrs Smith destinations are brewed according to regional styles, so you can drink local, just as you’d eat local. Here’s a little guide to what to sup on your travels. Start with the golden rule: draught is almost always better than bottle.
If you’re in the Netherlands…
The Grolsch you’ll crack open in its homeland is quite different to the brewed-under-licence stuff in the UK: clean, refreshing and with a distint bitter bite from the aromatic hops. Another easy-to-find alternative to ubiquitous Heineken is Dommelsch, in a similar, palate-cleansing bitter-but-clean style. In Amsterdam’s cafés and bars, it’s well worth seeking out offerings from the country’s smaller breweries. Gulpener and Sint-Christoffel produce excellent, beautifully-balanced lagers with distinctive creaminess. True lager fans should go on a pilgrimage to Amsterdam’s Het Ij microbrewery, in the docks, where the Pilzen (pilsner-style) is unpasteurised and has a real hoppy kick.
If you’re in Germany…
Germany remains the spiritual home of the lager lover. In any big city, you can explore regional varieties, safe in the knowledge that everything is brewed according to the Purity Law of 1516. Start by seeking out some Flensburger, from near the Danish border: this is one of the world’s bitterest lagers, with a powerful herby-hoppy attack. A slightly less bracing proponent of the style is Jever, also from the far north. Both the country’s two biggest breweries, Bitburger and Warsteiner, make a lager with a dry, bitter attack, and some creaminess on the finish. In a different style are the lagers from the big Bavarian breweries, like Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. Lightly hopped, these are malty, soft brews that seem almost sweet by comparison. Try seasonal Bock beers in the spring and autumn; these are double-malted, for more alcohol and bite.
If you’re in the Czech Republic
It was here in Bohemia that the first lager was commercially produced, in 1842. Czech lager styles are distinctive and delicious, if sometimes a shock for drinkers accustomed to generic international products. As a rule, they are rich, rounded, and full-bodied, with plenty of malty creaminess, as well as an aromatic and bitter hop bite. Although you should taste the iconic Budvar on draught in its homeland, our recommendation would be to otherwise steer clear of names you see at home, and seek out offerings from the smaller breweries. Radegast has an amazing butterscotch flavour to it; full-bodied Kralovsky is nutty, creamy and aromatic; Ostravar is lighter and cleaner but still perfectly formed; and the Korbel brewery produces fantastically complex lagers with citrus, grass and sweetcorn notes.
If you’re in Italy…
Italy is a wine culture, with beer is something of a secondary interest. But even the big names produce lager worth sampling. As a rule, we prefer the balanced, light Moretti to the ubiquitous Peroni for easy drinking. Moretti also produces its Baffo d’Oro, an all-malt beer that has a distinctive grassy-grainy softness. That’s not to say Peroni should be ruled out: the company now produces an excellent ‘super-premium’ lager called Gran Riserva, a strong (6.6 per cent alcohol) Bock-style lager with excellent hoppy bite, a malty midpalate, and a hint of sweetness.
If you’re in Spain…
Spain’s lager industry is suprisingly regional, with brands that are available in one big city often unheard of in the next. Cruzcampo remains the default lager of choice for balanced refreshment. In Barcelona, the local offering, Voll Damm, is creamy, and suprisingly heavy for a lager in a hot, Mediterranean country. It’s great in winter but a mouthful in the heat. Anywhere in Spain, it’s worth seeking out Alhambra, the delicate and delicious beer of Granada.
If you’re in France…
France’s best lagers come from near its borders with beer cultures: Alsace, next to Germany, and in the north, by the Belgian frontier. Try the 1664 de Kronenbourg for a noble, powerful and completely different experience to its UK-brewed namesake. Also available nationally are Spalthaller, a dry, light and quenching lager, and Fischer, a lager in the distinctively dry and slightly aromatic Alsace style.
If you’re in Morocco…
Casablanca, which is virtually the country’s national beer, is well made, being balanced, clean, and above all utterly refreshing. Still a far better choice than the megabrands.
If you’re in New York…
The US has benefited from a microbrewing revolution over the past few years. New York’s own Brooklyn Brewery produces a distinctive, bitter and creamy lager. Samuel Adams’ Boston lager, which combines a hint of sweetness, aromatic hops and a malty body with drinkability, is an enduring favourite. Also widely available is the fabulous Sapporo Black Label: conceived in Japan, brewed in Ontario and unavailable in Europe. It is a delicious, Dortmunder-style lager, with a sweet maltiness that is addictively moreish.
If you’re in Brazil…
Like the country itself, Brazilian beers are light, refreshing and distinctly easy-going. The popular brands of lager, as some of their names suggest, owe much to German immigrants who brought their brewing know-how with them in the early 19th Century. Skol, Brahma, Antarctica and Bohemia are perhaps the most popular of these cool, clean beers. Among these heavyweights has emerged a small but growing number of microbreweries such as Devassa in Rio, probably the best, and certainly the most fashionable beer in town.
If you’re in China…
Chinese drinkers generally prefer light lagers and the country's booming economy is fuelling an increasing demand for high-status Western brands. Not that this outside influence is new; Tsingtao beer, the ubiquitous Chinese lager, was founded by German settlers in Qingdao in 1903. It's a crisp, refreshing beer gaining international recognition. Tsingtao also produces a malty, darker larger, more popular in the north of the country. Reeb ('beer' spelt backwards) is most popular in Shanghai, while Yanjing dominates the market in Beijing. Despite these national brands, countless local beers still account for 96 per cent of consumption. Often only available in a single town, the quality of these beers varies enormously, but tracking down the excellent ones can be quite an adventure. – Jim Whyte |
