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| Image: www.dreherrt.hu |
Last month, advice on Hungarian wines was published in the CEU Weekly. However, let's not forget that Hungarians do love beer, too, almost as much as wine. Beer has been here more than a thousand years. There are, in fact, many mainstream breweries in Hungary, and here I will describe the best brands around. The most common beers here are the light lagers coming from local breweries like Borsodi, Dreher, Pécs and Soproni. Although mainstream breweries, you can still find good tastes from there. Anton Dreher, said to have sparked the Hungarian brewing industry, founded Dreher Brewery. From Dreher, the most popular Hungarian premium beer, I highlight two brands – Dreher Bak and Arany Ászok. These have gained much acknowledgment in the so called 'Oscars' gala of the beer industry, the Brewing Industry International Awards. Dreher Bak is a full-bodied dark beer with a taste of malt and caramel. Arany Ászok belongs to a lighter pils-type category, and you can feel it is the slightly more bitter of the two. Borsodi brewery is not so rich in history, having only started producing beer in 1973. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the factory was acquired by Belgian Interbrew, which delivered significant improvements in the quality of Borsodi's beer. At the moment, Borsodi produces 5 different kinds of Hungarian beers, all mainly called Borsodi. Though, if you are fond of strong lager beers, then Borsodi Bivaly is something definitely worth trying. It has an alcoholic content of 6.5% and you will either love it or hate it. The Soproni Brewery, now a member of the Heineken group, was founded in 1895. It has recently invested billions of forints in upgrading its producing line and improving the quality of its beers. Its best mainstream beers in my opinion are Soproni 1895 and Soproni Fekete Démon. Soproni 1895 is said to be second most popular beer (after Dreher) in Hungary. With its 5.3% alcohol content it is tasty and just perfect for having a couple of glasses while watching a soccer game. Soproni Fekete Démon, on the other hand, is a brown beer with a distinguishable and calling aroma. Women will appreciate it for sure.
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| Image: www.sopron.network.hu |
While Anton Dreher is considered the founder of the Hungarian beer industry, Pécs Brewery is the oldest brewing company in Hungary. Its beer is brewed from the karst water of Mecsek. Szalon Sör is considered to be the flagship of Pécs, and it has been here more than 100 years. It is a pale ale with an alcohol content of 4.6%. As Christmas approaches, Pecs' Három Királyok is again seen in shops. It is a stronger (6.6%) seasonal beer that is produced only for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It certainly does keep you warm during the colder season in Hungary. Aside from these big mainstream breweries, some cool and vibrant microbreweries have too emerged in Hungary during the last years. In Budapest they are more located in the centre of the Pest side, offering a variety of homegrown crafts. At the city centre, tip into Google “microbreweries in Budapest” and you will find for sure something just around the corner. Even with just 500 forints in pocket, it is definitely something worth trying. Now, with your new knowledge of Hungarian mainstream beers you are surely going to a pub and trying new flavours. However, do not get surprised when the Hungarians will not clink beer glasses with you. It is believed that in 1849 the Austrians celebrated the execution of 13 Hungarian patriots by clinking their beer glasses. So Hungarians have traditionally promised not to do it for 150 years. The time may have passed now, but the old habits die hard…
Karl Haljasmets,
Estonia,
Public Policy
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