Enjoying a post-trekking cold beer | Ryan Graham
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Quench your thirst after a day’s walk or cycle with an ice-cold European beer
A reward is in place after you’ve mastered the tracks and trails of Europe on foot or by bike, so find below the best places to raise your glass. Cheers!
1. Germany
Beer is a major part of the German culture and the country has gifted the world with incredible European beers. German beer is brewed according to the ‘German Beer Purity Law’ (Reinheitsgebot), which dates back to 1500s, and specifies that only water, hops and malt can be used as ingredients.
2. Czech Republic
It may come as a surprise to some but the Czech Republic has the highest per capita consumption of beer in the world. Beer in the Czech Republic is cheaper than bottled water (typically US$/€1 for a pint of beer), and the country is the birthplace of the ‘pilsner’, the world’s first pale lager.
3. The Netherlands
The Netherlands is the largest beer exporter in the world, with brands such as Heineken and Grolsch readily available globally. Its rich brewing history dates back to the Middle Ages; in fact, it was the Dutch who taught many other countries how to make beer with hops.
Bonus Trivia | The alcohol content in medieval beer was often very low, 1% or less, so it was not uncommon for children to drink what was called a ‘small’ ale!
4. Belgium
Belgian beer has been produced long before Belgium became an independent country. At that time, people preferred drinking beer because of the drinking water’s unsanitary condition. Trappist beer, which is brewed in Trappist monasteries (there are only 10 in the world!), is an extremely popular European beer.
5. Iceland
Although beer is the drink of choice for most Icelanders, the country’s long battle with prohibition included a ban on all beer above 2.25% ABV until 1989. A small-but-impressive number of upstart brewers have come on the scene since then and 1 March is celebrated nationwide as ‘Beer Day’.
6. United Kingdom
From traditional beer styles to small scale microbreweries, beer in the UK has a long history and distinct traditions. London even suffered a Great Beer Flood in 1814, when a giant vat of porter burst in the centre of the city and over a million litres of beer flooded the streets, drowning eight people.
7. Ireland
Ireland has been brewing pints of its famous Guinness stout in Dublin since the mid-18th century: the company originally leased its Dublin brewery for 9000 (!) years and the lease included free water supply. Today it is one of the most well-known European beers, with 10 million glasses of Guinness consumed every day around the world.
Bonus trivia: There is an official guide on how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness, which includes six steps. According to the guide, you must wait 119.5 seconds for the beer to settle between the first and second pour.
8. Spain
One of the last bars on the Camino, Casa Tia Dolores is easy to spot, as it’s impossible to miss from all the beer bottles you will see hanging, from the exterior walls to the surrounding trees. Anyone can sign their name on their beer bottle and then put it on a nail among the thousands of other pilgrims’ bottles.
9. Italy
Italy may be the country of good wine but beer has also been enjoyed since ancient times. Roman Emperor Agricola became a fan during his service as governor of Britannia so, when he returned to Italy in 83 AD, he brought with him three master brewers from Glevum (modern Gloucester).
10. Greece
Have you added beer to the list of drinks you must try on your next trip to Greece, along with ouzo, raki and tsipouro? The flagship Fix brewery may long have been converted into the National Museum of Contemporary Art but beer remains an important part of the local culture.
10+1. Corsica
For a truly unique European beer, Corsica remains one of the very few places to enjoy a chestnut beer. Named ‘Pietra’, the beer became first available in 1996, following years of studying, testing and tasting to fully assess the brewing qualities of chestnut flour. Today, this unique beer keeps growing in popularity.
What’s your favourite place to enjoy a European beer? Let us know in the comments below.
Wine lover instead? Here are the best walking and cycling trips through Europe’s vineyards.