OnTap Magazine

Guinness in Dublin Lambic in Brussels Berliner Weiss California Common in San Francisco De Koninck in Antwerp Pilsner in Pilsen Probably the beer most tied to a place, Guinness and Dublin are inseparable. Although Guinness can be found in almost every country around the world, most would agree that it just tastes so much better in Dublin. The city is dense with great pubs and most locals will have their own idea of which pub serves the best pint, so if you find yourself in the city be sure to get some recommendations. For centuries, or even millennia, we made beer using the magic of spontaneous fermentation. Then we domesticated yeast and largely moved away from spontaneous fermentation. However, brewers around the Zenne river valley near Brussels kept brewing their idiosyncratic sour beers using this method – sticking to historic traditions even when they faced dwindling consumer numbers. Nowadays these breweries are one of the great craft beer pilgrimages and drinking Lambic beers in the old cafes in Brussels is a truly wonderful experience. Another style intrinsically linked to a place, and a style that was nearly lost as tastes changed and golden lagers became ubiquitous. The style only just barely survived before being revived by interest in sour ales driven by craft brewers. Today this style is massively popular and most craft brewers have one in regular rotation. And in Berlin you can still find the one remaining pre-craft beer brand of Berliner Weiss in Berliner Kindl Weisse which is wonderful to enjoy in one of the city parks on a sunny day. Few craft beer styles have captured the imagination to the extent of the California Common, from the (mostly incorrect) stories told about its origins to the different interpretations of what a ‘classic’ version should taste like. One thing is certain, as a style it is tied to the city of San Francisco and to the historic Anchor Brewery – the oldest operating brewery in the US. Sadly, this won’t be the case much longer as the brewery will soon be closing its doors. The style will live on, though! Some beers are so ubiquitous in the place they are brewed that all sorts of affectionate inferences are developed around the brand. In Antwerp, the city beer – De Koninck - is available in all drinking establishments and most restaurants. But customers don’t need to order it by the brand name. Instead, most request a bolleke – an affectionate nickname for the beer referring to the ball shaped glass tied to the brand (a must for Belgian brewers and drinkers). Being the most popular beer style in the world has a way of making Pilsners seem unremarkable. But as most brewers are rediscovering, there is much pleasure to both brewing and drinking a great pilsner beer. Much of this has to do with the technical difficulty in truly nailing the style, which the Czechs did in 1842, and have been further perfecting ever since. Drinking a Pilsner at its birthplace in Pilsen makes this beer seem like the most special and remarkable style – with a gravitas lent to it by the beauty and history of the surroundings. 01 03 05 02 04 06 44 | Spring 2023 | ontapmag.co.za