Best Beer Experiences In Europe

[kevo]

London - soooo many great pubs
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Fleet St.
Churchill Arms - Kensington Church St

Dublin - Guinness Tour

Santorini - Can't remember the beer being great - but the view makes up for it

Istanbul - Efes dark - yum

Dubrovnik - again great views and vibe makes the beer taste better

Prague - lots of people suggesting a trip to Cesky Krumlov, great spot, worth a visit, but you'll be likely to head through Česk Budějovice, home of the
Budvar brewery.....yum yum yum. There's a Budvar beer hall in the middle of town too - I could never get a table but it looks good.

Salzburg - apparently some great spots here - but do a Sound of Music tour!

Munich - where can you go wrong here?

Amsterdam - Heineken tour is pretty good.

Brussels - Delerium Cafe has an amazing range from everywhere around the world. Check out the Mannekin Piss' sister outside the bar too!

Have a great trip you lucky bugger.

Kev

 

[rob2009]

Vending machines selling bottled beer in Germany, i'll never forget it!

 

[AuntyJack]

Whereever you are, ask a local for his favourite area for pubs or take a wander around a few backstreets to find the places that tourists don't know about, that serve the local beer with the local food the local way, at local prices. :icon_chickcheers:

I always drink the local brew, most good barmen can reccomend good produce from their area if you ask em when they're not to busy.

AuntyJack

 

[pbrosnan]

Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!

Heineken Factory/museum, Amsterdam - heard it's good. It was closed when we were there.
Guinness Museum, Dublin - Fantastic
Cantillon Gueze Brewery, Brussels, Belgium - self guided tour for some very sour lambics. A real eye opener if you're a noob to the beer world. (as I was)
Brugge, Belgium - YOU HAVE TO VISIT THIS TOWN. Disneyland for beer.
Augustiner Biergarten, Salzburg, Austria - on the other side of the hill from the fortress.
English pubs for a hand pulled pint.

I'll let you do the googling for addresses/directions.

Need I add, try every different beer you come across?

I have to go back to Belgium. It is the most diverse beer nation on earth. Go there! Brugge and Antwerp are good because you can get around easily on foot. There was a very good Belgium place in Amsterdam called Gollem, about 400 beers, tiny place.

 

[nate2g]

Some other places I'd highly recommend for great beer (all these I've checked out anyway):-

Rome
Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa (football pub) - A MUST visit, easily one of the best beer bars in the world. Located in Trastevere. Have a great chat with Manuele (the owner), extremely passioniate about beers & Italy has if not the best upcoming microbeer scene around.
Bir & Fud - Across the alleyway from the football pub. Amazing food and showcase of Italian micros. Very knowledgable staff.
Johnny's Off Licence (beer store) - Johnny (originally from Ireland I think) has a huge range of beers so it's worth chatting about some local beers and get great reccommendations.

Athens
Craft Brewery - Not much happening in Greece with beers but Craft brew a pretty good range. You'll find their beers around the country including on Santorini. I think I paid about 15 euro! for a beer in Fira but well worth it, the view is rediciously amazing esp at sunset...you'll find a few bars and restaurants around no problem.

Istanbul
Taps Istanbul - I think this place might actually be closed now but they do some real nice beers. Otherwise not much going on in Turkey in the way of beer, but hey heaps more to see and do anyway!

Bucharest
I stuggled to find anything in Romania, you'll find average beers everywhere in supermarkets only.

Budapest
Pater Marcus - Awesome beer bar located on the Buda side.
Kaltenberg Sorozo - Pest side - an OK brew pub.

Zagreb
Pivnica Medvegrad - About 20 mins walk north of the train station. This brewpub has top notch beers and really do great interpretations of the styles.
There isn't much else mostly lagers in Dubrovnik (check out the bar through the town walls that overlooks the Adriatic). Have a look for Tomislav pivo which is a real nice Baltic Porter from memory, i found it out and around the islands.

Vienna
1516 - A must visit for great beers and the foods are well matched too.
7 stern - once again fantastic beers (the rauchbeer and IPA esp) and a nice old style setup with kettles etc.

Salzburg
Augustiner Brau Kloster - Will probably be on your list anyway. A historic monastry serving marzen by the litre. Outside there's food stalls serving pork knuckle, wurst and everything else. You can take the food into the beer hall no problems- this is how it should be done! I've had plenty of great times here. There's a few other places but not really worth going out of your way for.

Prague
Klasterni Pivovar Strahov - Located up near the castle. Sensational beers, great food, I spent hours here.
Pivovarsky Dum - Around 8 or so beers, some strange experimental brews but overall nice beers
U Medvidku & U Fleku are real touristy and overpriced - go for the beer and leave quick
There's plenty others but you'll have to research or ask around when you're there. If you have time I'd definitely recommend checking out Olomouc (say Ollamoats), it's Prague without the crowds. Georgeous town with so much history (it's the old Capital of Moravia) and there's a couple of micro brewerys that brew some of the best Pilsener is the country.
Pilsen has loads of beer bars though most just stick with Urquell and why not, it's great beer.

I've rambled on enough so won't go on with the other cities but I hope this helps...have a great time and embrace the beer culture and all the different styles of beer...Prost!

 

[scrumpy]

been in the uk the last 2 years and did plenty of beer research while i was over there...

dude head up north when your in the uk!!! york is fantastic it has loads of ye oldie english pubs with loads of great hand pulled pints!!

London is touch and go, try not to drink "in town" get some local info on nice pubs to drink in. I hate to sound like a snob (im far from it) but the more afluent areas is where you wil find the nicer pubs with well kept ale!!

when your in germany Bamberg is the best spot for traditional beer gardens and keller biers!!! dont forget to sample the famous shlenkerla rauch beer from the brew house, its still served outa gravity fed barrels.. mmmmmmmm

stay outa the tourist traps!! heiniken in amsterdam is ****.....so is the guinness brewery in dublin.

if at the oct fest, same deal, drink where the bavarians are drinking!!

oh prague is great too obviosly if your int nice crisp pilsner!!! again drink where the locals do and you'll save some cash!!

:beerbang: have an awsome trip man!!!!!! :beerbang:

 

[devo]

Germany is great because of the awesomeness of walking into any local supermarket and being confronted with a fantastic range of beer at an equally good price.

 

[DennisKing]

Try to be in London for this http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/home Its a decent crack. If you get to York the brewery tours is good. Got to have a pint with the head brewer after.

 

[beer slayer]

+1 for the Oktoberfest
Was there 2 years ago for the second time and still thought it was a great. You must try
the wheat beers in Munich they fresh and crisp and to die for
Oh to be in you shoes!!
:beer:

 

[kevin_smevin]

Definitely visit Czesky Kromlov. Superb town. Kromlov house is a nice hostel to stay in. I was there last year and Eggenberg brewery was looking a little run down. Apparently they are in a bit of debt and have been trying to sell for a couple of years. The town is fantastic though. Hire a raft and float down the river for a day (dead easy, hardly any rowing needed) and stop off at all the camps along the way. All serving beer on tap and delicious sausages. Definitely one of my best beer experiences for my whole trip, which lasted 6 months.

If your in Croatia, i'd get stuck into the Lasko Pivo. Not as popular as the others but for me it was much tastier. A really nice lager with a distinct hop.

Enjoy

 

[jackmc]

Thanks for all the tips guys, can't wait

And I realise how lucky I am. Even got the three months off work