Just as I reviewed the various beers and alcohol that we encountered in Asia, I reviewed the alcohol we encountered in Europe. With less time in Europe than Asia our selection was smaller, but we did get a good range to choose from. We spent the most time in Cyprus, which is really more the Middle East than Europe, but it is in the EU. We then spent time in Hungary and Serbia. I’m also including beer from Lebanon, because it just didn’t fit with the Asian review, despite it technically being in Asia.
Unfortunately, I am somehow missing a few photos, but most are here.
Lebanon
Almaza:
4.2 ABV: Light, slightly bitter, and hoppy pilsner. Bright with a clean finish. Excellent for accompanying standard Lebanese fare such as hummus and Labneh. 3/5
Cyprus
Keo:
4.5% ABV. 350ml can. Pours smooth with small head. Clean, but slightly bitter. Small metallic taste. Is alright. Very drinkable though not exceptional. It is the primary beer of Cyprus and can be found everywhere. The company also has water, wine, and spirits. 3/5
Inselburg:
4.5% ABV. 500ml can. Pours smooth with no head. Clean and crisp taste with slight fruity notes. Corn brewed lager. Cyprus in origin. 3/5
Finkbrau:
4.9% ABV. 350ml bottle. Pours gold with small head. Smells and bubbles like champagne. Short, dry, bitter finish with hints of fruit. 3/5
Fix Hellas:
5% ABV. 350ml can. Greek beer. Light and fruity. Very slight hoppy taste. Lager. 3/5
KrauserBrau:
4.8% ABV. 350ml can. Moderate head. light hoppiness. Bitter afternotes. Pretty good and very easy to drink in a session. 3/5
Carolo: White Wine
11% ABV. White Wine. Semi-sweet with a dry finish. Fruity aromas of pineapple and apple. Very smooth and easy to drink, but I found it to have an ever so slight fishy taste as well. 2/5
Carolo: Red Wine
12.5% ABV Semi-sweet with a dry finish. Not overly tart, with a clean crisp finish. Very easy to drink. Better than the white. 3/5
D’Angelo Lambrusco:
7.5% ABV. Sparkling Rosato wine. Sweet taste, with a clean crisp finish. Very fruity. Slight strawberry flavor. Bubbly, but not overly so. Tastes very good. 3/5
Karseras:
12.5% ABV. Red semi-sweet. medium bodied with a dry finish. Not very well filtered. Tastes ok, but the last bits are not very good as it’s filled with sediment. This was a local wine from the winery in Dhoros. 1/5
St. Panteleimon Red:
12.5% ABV Red semi-sweet. Medium bodied with a slightly sweet finish. Slight sediment at bottom, but tastes very good. 4/5
St. Panteleimon White:
12.5% ABV. White semi-sweet. Medium bodied with sweet finish. Very clean and well filtered. Excellent taste and highly recommended. 4/5
Karseras Commandaria:
20% ABV. Commandaria wine from the local Karseras winery in Dhoros. Hailed as the oldest dessert wine in the world, it is a specialty of Cyprus, and can only be produced in the Commandaria region of Cyprus from Limassol to Troodos. Excellent taste, very sweet, and very strong. 4/5
Serbia
Jelen:
5% ABV 500 ml can. Crisp Pale lager found virtually everywhere in Serbia. Somewhat hoppy, but mostly crisp. While not exceptional, certainly sessionable. 3/5
LAV:
5% ABV. 500 ml can. Very light and clean tasting. Very light carbonation. Smooth with a hint of fruit. Very good. 3/5
Tuborg:
4.6% ABV 500ml can. Crisp and hoppy taste. Clean finish, with moderate carbonation. Bitter, but not overly so. Light hints of citrus and malt. Very good. 4/5
Niksicko Pivo:
5% ABV. 500 ml can. Clean and a little light on taste. The after taste sets in with slight bitter notes. Light carbonation. Rather ordinary in flavor and not particularly notable in flavor. Lager. It’s alright, but not great. 2/5
Niksicko Tamno:
6.2% ABV. 500 ml can. Dark Beer. Rich, strong caramel flavor. Not overly hoppy. Mildly sweet. Thick, almost stout-like. 4/5
Somersby Blueberry Cider:
4.5% ABV. 500 ml can.
- Briana: Good… berry taste. It tastes blue. I like it.
- Kyle: Strong aroma of blueberries, somewhat artificial but nice. The taste is pleasant and not overwhelming, with a hint of apple. Sweet, but not too sweet. Light carbonation.
Dunderski Svetlo Pivo:
4.8% ABV. 500 ml can. Strong caramel and malt flavor while a little light on the hop. Nice mouth feel and a pleasant after taste. Not overly bitter, but not sweet either. Nice heavier drink. 3/5
Budweiser Budvar:
4.7% ABV 500 ml can. Dark lager with a strong caramel and malt flavor. Light hops flavor. Decent. 3/5
Lowenbrau Original:
4.5% ABV 500 ml can. Bright and hoppy with a strong mouthfeel. Somewhat malty with subtle notes of chocolate and citrus. Taste dissipates very quickly. Good. 3/5
Staropramen:
5.0% ABV 500 ml can. Strong and hoppy. Thick bodied without much extra flavoring. Quite good. 4/5
3ajeyapcko:
4.5% ABV 500 ml can. Bright and hoppy with a watery body. I have no idea how to pronounce the beer, and I’m pretty sure that is not how to actually spell it, but it’s the closest I can get without a Cyrillic keyboard. 2/5
Grimbergen Blonde:
6.7% 500 ml can. Very light and clean, with a hint of fruitiness. Belgian abbey beer. Finishes with a mild bitter note. Slightly creamy. Excellent. 5/5
Lasko:
4.9% ABV 500ml can. Dark and bitter lager. Very hoppy. Good sipping beer. 4/5
Kozel:
4.8% ABV 500 ml can. Czech Lager: Smooth roasted caramel flavor with a hint of hops. Full mouth feel with a medium body. Pretty good. 3/5
Visnja Rakija: (Cherry Brandy)
35% ABV. Smokey aroma with a touch of cherries and wine. Rakija is the drink of choice in the Balkans, especially in Serbia. It is a spirit, very similar to Brandy.
- Kyle: Warm and smooth with complex notes of smoked wood and cherry. Very sweet, but not syrupy.
- Briana: It’s like eating a little Christmas spiced candy. Feels weird on my tongue.
4/5
Plum Rakija:
40% ABV. Smelled like rubbing alcohol but with a slight plum aroma. Gave both of us headaches.
Briana: It’s a little rough. It reminds me of wine, but stronger.
Kyle: A lot more powerful than the Cherry. It feels like vodka, but with a hint of sweetness. 2/5
Hungary
Konigsbrau:
4.0% ABV. 500ml can. bright, hoppy lager with a fruity after taste. pleasant mouth feel. 4/5
Arany Hordo Vilagos Sor:
4.5% ABV. 500ml can. Light, hoppy lager with a crisp taste. 3/5
Barths:
8.3% ABV 500ml can. Strong, flowery, with a sharp bite. Reminiscent of an IPA, but not quite as strong a bite. 4/5
Kobanyai:
4.4% ABV 500ml can. Light and flowery taste. Strong taste of wheat with a light mouth feel. Leaves very little aftertaste. Very sessionable. 3/5
Frisch Fassl:
3.0% ABV 500 ml can. Completely uninspired. Tastes like natty light. Worst beer I’ve had abroad. Very cheap 1/5
Borsodi Bivaly:
6.5% ABV 500 ml can. Excellent chocolate and caramel notes, complimented with a smooth and heavy finish. Light amount of carbonation gives a light mouth feel to a near creamy drink. A very good Hungarian Lager. 5/5
Dreyer Bak:
7.3% ABV 500 ml can. Very hoppy taste, with a smooth caramel taste. Little carbonation. Mildly sweet. 4/5
Adelskronen:
4.9% ABV 500 ml can. Strong bitter taste. Slightly metallic. A little foamy. Some hints of citrus. 2/5
Soproni:
4.5% ABV 500 ml can. Bitter with a heavy wheat taste. Pretty pure on taste and unadorned. 2/5
