Any Russian knows that vodka should be drunk cold and necessarily snacked on with kippers, pickled mushrooms or, for example, sauerkraut. Beer is the same story: there are certain rituals for drinking this drink. And each country has its own rituals. We offer to study the most interesting ones, so that you can check everything in practice while traveling.
In Germany — one of the most «beer-swilling» countries in the world — to order a beer in a pub, you don’t even have to talk to the waiter. It is enough to make eye contact with him and show him on your fingers how many glasses you want. This method is especially common at large beer festivals like Oktoberfest.
Germans also have some interesting stories to tell about beer. For example, it was in Germany in the XIV century that the famous glasses with lids were invented to protect the drink from the bubonic plague. And until the eighties of the last century they observed the so-called «law of purity», according to which beer should consist of only four ingredients — water, malt, hops and yeast.
In Belgium, beer is almost never appetizer, but can, on the contrary, wash down food with it. However, it is bad form to drink beer straight from the bottle: brewers take care that their beverage can reveal its flavor to the maximum, so there are special glasses for each type.
Tourists joke that Belgians have beer running through their veins instead of blood, and by and large they are not wrong — until the 1980s, beer was even poured in schools instead of Pepsi. However, it was of very low strength (up to 2.5%).
In the Czech Republic the culture of beer drinking is quite strict, and all unwritten rules are strictly adhered to by beer lovers. For example, a man should be the first to enter the beer hall, only the first glass should be touched, and beer should not be poured from one container to another. If you decide to stop, you should put a bierdekel, i.e. a beer stand, on the glass. Otherwise, the waiter will pour the drink over and over again.
In this Scandinavian country beer can even become a medicine — it is often prescribed as a mild antidepressant. And to drink beer, or rather to make toasts, clinking glasses with beer, it is necessary to look into each other’s eyes — this is a long-standing tradition.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, rituals are honored, and beer rituals are also found. For example, if you come to a beer restaurant in a large company — you need to appoint a person who will pour all the foam. And in Japan there is also an unusual way of cooling beer. Pre-frozen beer foam from a special machine is added to glasses.
There is such a phenomenon as «beer pilgrimage» here. There are special establishments with «holes in the walls» where you can quickly get your pint of beer and leave. Locals advise to approach such «holes» at least four times a day. Or at least before dinner to work up an appetite.
And to find out how beer is drunk in Russia, come to Lambic. We will show you, advise you on the best varieties and give you lots of bright emotions!
Coffee and beer are drunk at different times and on different occasions, but they have much more in common than meets the eye. Beverages that were considered ordinary 10 years ago have now become gourmet products: craft beer and specialty coffee have won millions of fans. But what if you mix the two? Let’s find out how justified this combination is and what myths are associated with it. How did the combination of coffee and beer appear? Experiments with coffee and beer began in the middle of the XX century, when brewers and bartenders began to look for new flavors. But the real boom happened in the nineties and noughties due to the growing popularity of craft beer. The first successful variants were coffee stouts and porters — dark brews with deep flavors that perfectly complemented the coffee notes. Brewers added coffee at various stages: — during brewing — for a rich flavor;— during fermentation — for softness;— into the finished beer — as a cold coffee infusion. A good example of such a recipe is the Japanese beer Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, which can be tasted in Lambic beer restaurants. It’s a flavorful, dense ale brewed in the style of American imperial stouts with coffee beans added for espresso. Bartenders, too, have contributed to popularizing this unusual combination, creating original cocktails from coffee and beer. The most popular is the Black & Tan, which includes stout, lager and espresso. Today, such mixes are part of the craft culture. Is it true that coffee helps sober you up? One of the main myths is that coffee supposedly neutralizes alcohol. In fact, caffeine only masks intoxication. It creates the illusion of liveliness, but coffee does not actually lower blood alcohol levels. In addition, a cocktail of coffee and beer can increase the strain on the heart. If you drink coffee before alcohol, it will temporarily increase the activity of liver enzymes that break down ethanol. But this does not mean that it is necessary to increase the dose. Coffee with beer: harm or benefit? In moderate quantities, low-alcohol coffee beers (for example, stouts with 4-6% strength) are relatively safe. If you want to try such a mix, choose drinks from quality ingredients. For example: — Dark beer (porter, stout) and cold espresso.— Lager or ale and light coffee syrup. There are contraindications for such cocktails. Mixing coffee with beer is not recommended for people with hypertension, heart and GI diseases, as well as those who use drugs incompatible with caffeine. The combination of coffee and beer is an interesting gastronomic experience, especially if you respect the measure. Come to Lambic — we will treat you to interesting drinks without harming your health!
20 May 2025
If you’ve scrutinized craft beer labels, you’ve definitely seen the mysterious IBU abbreviation on them. This indicator plays a key role in shaping the flavor of the beverage. Let’s find out what it means and why bitterness is one of the main criteria for evaluating beer. What is IBU? IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is an international indicator of beer bitterness. It indicates the concentration of isohumulone, an alpha acid found in hops, which gives the drink its characteristic bitterness. The higher the IBU, the more bitter the beer will be. However, the perception of bitterness depends not only on this indicator, but also on the balance with malt sweetness, strength and aromatic additives. Why do you need the IBU index? Before the advent of industrial brewing, a beverage could be either too sweet or, conversely, too sour or bitter. To achieve a harmonious flavor, brewers began to adjust bitterness with hops. In the past, herbs (thistle, mint, juniper) were used to soften sweetness, but today the main source of bitterness is hops. It is added at different stages of brewing to: — compensate for the sweetness of the malt;— add complexity and flavor to the beer;— increase shelf life (isohumulone has antibacterial properties). The first to calculate the bitterness of beer were the people of Great Britain, using the formula «pounds of hops per quart of malt». The modern IBU standard was developed to accurately categorize beers. How to calculate IBU? The bitterness index is determined using a mathematical formula: G = D × E D = (A × B) / (C × 0.1) Where: A — mass of hops (in grams); B — alpha acid content of hops (%); C — wort volume (in liters); E — loss factor (production time and beer density are affected); G — final IBU. The longer the hops are brewed, the more alpha acids pass into the wort, increasing bitterness. IBU scale: from lager to IPA Beer bitterness is measured on a scale of 0 to 120+ IBUs, but most beers are in the 5-90 range. Beer Style IBU Level Characteristics Pale Lagers 8–15 Light, smooth, minimal bitterness Wheat Ales 10–20 Fruity notes, low bitterness Porters/Stouts 30–50 Coffee, chocolate tones, moderate bitterness American IPA 50–80 Strong hop bitterness, citrus and pine notes Imperial IPA 80–120+ Extreme bitterness, high alcohol content Why is IBU not the main selection criterion? A high IBU does not always mean that the beer will seem too bitter. For example, sweet stouts (30-50 IBU) seem less bitter than IPAs due to caramel and chocolate notes. And light lagers (8-15 IBU) may be perceived as more bitter due to a lack of malt balance. How do you choose a beer based on bitterness level? If you don’t like bitterness — choose lagers, wheat ales, Belgian trippels (up to 30 IBU). If you like balance, try porters or amber ales (30-50 IBU). If you like a rich hop bitterness, an IPA or Imperial Stout (50+ IBU) is ideal. You can try any of these varieties in Lambic beer restaurants. Come — we will find something to surprise you!
20 May 2025