The Poles brew beer?

Recently one of our awesome customers brought me back a bottle of Polish beer that he buys down in Florida. He swears by this beer and says it's not for the uninitiated...at 8.7%, this Polish lager can put you down for the count. I brought it home and put it on ice until the moment was right. And that moment is right now. I looked over the bottle of Hevelius Kaper, brewed by Grupa Zywiec, makers of the delicious and dark Zywiec Porter. I figured, it's got a good pedigree, so let's see what it's all about. Poured into a tall pislner glass, the aromas of orange blossom honey and sweet candied pale malt fill the room. Taking a sip, I notice that sweet Polish lager profile instantly, but then things change rapidly. It gets spicy, and then a little hot from the alcohol, and then sweet again, only to change to slick, then spicy on the finish. Definately one of the most interesting Polish beers I've ever had, and I really appreciate the effort it took to get it to me. Thanks!

Besides the aforementioned Zywiec Porter, there's been some other really stand-out beers from Poland that I've found in my travels. On the somewhat lighter side was the Tyskie Gronie, a premium lager. It was one of the first Polish lagers that I've had that didn't have that characteristic "skunk-hops" flavor, possibly owing to the fact that it's in brown glass, not green. A tasty six-pack if you can find it.

And as a novelty, I'll mention the Okocim O.K. Beer. I bought a six pack (down in Florida) just on a whim, thinking that it was a funny name, and as things turn out -- it's an o.k. beer. Not great, not bad, just o.k. At least they advertise accordingly.

Hopefully we'll be getting some tasty Polish brews in Vermont soon - ahem, pay attention distributors!

Na zdrowie,
Jeff