Way to Russia Talk Lounge

sputnik · Lounge Lizard Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 141

So.. Not necessarily Russian brands, but what you actually drink in Russia. I will make a 'real' poll out of it as soon as i got a few names collected.

Camrade · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 1:31 am Post subject:

my favourites:

Nevskoe
Sibirskaya Korona (Siberian Crown)
Tinkoff

Don't drink "Tolstyak" (Fat guy) - it's a pure shit Smile

mr. barley · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:45 am Post subject:

As a homebrewer I had a problem with Russian beers. They were all pretty much the same and I didn't think much of them. I was there (Moscow) for three weeks in January and wasn't real excited by the beer although I always had some in our hotel refridgerator.Toward the end of our trip I got a Baltica wheat beer (I think #7?) that I thought was pretty good but by that time I was game for anything. But I brew at home and I'm pretty fussy about my beer. I found it all a bit pilsnerish (is that a word?) for me. I drank alot of Guinness at our hotel (Ukraina) bar.

Roller · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:01 am Post subject:

I'd be interested to know what Russian beer is like... I'm guessing it would be a lot heavier than the stuff I'm used to.. can anyone describe it?

sputnik · Lounge Lizard Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 141

I added a few options to the poll... If some beer, maybe Camrade's "favourite" Tolstyak Razz

is doing very badly, it can be replaced. It should be fun of course. I voted for Sibirskaya Korona, prefer it to Nevskoe, but don't really know why...

init6 · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:16 am Post subject:

I've had Tinkoff in the US and while it's too sweet for my taste, it's not a bad beer. I'm not the king of weissbier (wheat beer), but I do enjoy a good pils. So, from what "Mr. Barley" says, I think I'll enjoy the Russian beers to some extent.

I drink "Budweiser Select" right now. Is it good beer? HELL NO. But it's cheap (I get 20% off at my pub), it tastes alright once you get used to it, and if you drink enough of it you get drunk. I'm hoping to offset the last portion in Russia by drinking my fill of vodka.

To paraphrase Martin Cruz Smith in "Red Square" (he authored 'Gorky Park' which is a damned fine novel. The above-mentiond is a continuation of Soviet Investigator Arkady Renko's exploits) "....Russians are more honest about why they drink. They drink to get drunk." And I couldn't agree more, as so do I.

Long live the Russian Federation, and long live the majesty of drunkenness! Very Happy

Camrade · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 11:42 am Post subject:

2init6

to get drunk I can drink anything Smile

but I drink beer to enjoy it's taste and so on Smile

init6 · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:37 pm Post subject:

Well, every now and then I treat myself and drink some good beer. Warsteiner at a local German restaurant tastes just like it did in Germany. Stella Artois, some of the Quebecois brews (La Fin Du Monde, Maudite, Blanche de Chambly). The pub that is my second home has several hundred varieties of beer although most of my old favorites have been either discontinued by the distributor or the new owner is just too lazy to stock them.

My best mate is all hung up on Jameson Irish whisky, but give me a shot of Stolichnaya any day. I did several last night. Very Happy

greg222 · VIP Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 522

Bochkarev - I don't like it as much as I used to but still drink it for nostalgic reasons. Mainly drink Stariy Melnik these days.

5_Zvehzda · Moderator Joined: 08 Oct 2004 Posts: 347 Location: Arizona

A fine brew is always a delight for the taste buds Drool

. Most of the brew-hahas listed in the poll I haven't tried yet. The only Russian beers I imbibed with were Baltica, which I've enjoyed, and Yarpivo, which tasted like any standard lager - but refreshing. One of two reminded me of a 'skunk' beer (for lack of the better term), something a little like St. Pauli Girl. But I prefer the dark lagers, personally.

When I go I'll try many others. Wink

e · VIP Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 654

I've only really had Baltica which is the only Russian beer one can get around here. And what I mean by that, as in you have to go to the Russian neighborhood and pay through the nose for it. Or you have get it at an equally overpriced Russian food resturant. It tasted pretty decent. It tasted a lot like this Polish beer I had once, but I can't remember the name (too hammered).

When I was in Russia, I was shocked to learn that there was Russian beer and that you guys drink it a lot being as how I thought Vodka was the only thing you guys drink (forgive me for being ignorant). Every American i've told about it are equally shocked.

Casey: If you want bad but cheap Beer try Pabst. Its a little better tasting than Bud.

init6 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:03 am Post subject:

I like Pabst Blue Ribbon, it's actually tasty. But, they don't serve it at the pub I hang out in and I don't drink at home.

mr. barley · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 1:40 am Post subject:

Baltika's beers are numbered 0-9. The one with a zero is a malt beverage with no alcohol in it the others are each slightly diferent from each other but other than 2 or 3 of them they are pretty much the same. Different percentages of alcohol is about it. They make a wheat (7?) and a dark lager which I can't remember the number that isn't too bad. I drank alot of korona (not the Mexican kind) because it was the easiest to to find and buy with my limited grasp of the Russian language.

vorteks · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 2:31 am Post subject:

SIbirskaya, but the light ones

UsualSuspect · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 2:45 am Post subject: Beers

All,
Baltika 5,7 or 9 or Tinkoff when I am there, of the local brands. Efes pilsener and Urquell Pilsener if I want something different to the local brews. Velikopopsomethingorother (Goat Beer it translates as) is a beer we can get here in OZ, but why bother when the freezer has Smirnoff Black and Cristall?.

Enjoy anyway....
Usualsuspect