Hi guys, I'm not much of a post/thread creator but while I'm waiting to get started with trading, I'm really curious about some suggestions of good beers to try out outside my knowledge table. Although I've tasted almost all the Portuguese brands, I still lack a lot when it comes to European beers. I guess I can say my knowledge reaches only brands like Chimay and Leffe, which I guess might be the most commercial ones (since they can reach Portuguese market and it is not that great when it comes to foreign beers). I'm looking up in the forum and taking note of beer brands and reviews as I go along but if any of you guys could help with some tips on good European beer brands from small sized breweries to large scale ones, and where to get them easily, I would be thankful. I'm sorry if the post is a repetition and thank you very much for your attention. Happy brewing and drinking to you all!
Um, this is all a bit vague, making it difficult to suggest something. The first advice I have to give: Think of breweries, not of "brands". First of all:what styles do you like and enjoy? For germany, for instance, there are several excellent online stores that shop throughout europe,like: https://www.biershop-bayern.de/ But......you have to know what you are looking before, I think, before going through them. And for most beer cultures, a travel to the source (esp. with the UK, germany and czech republic, imo) is required to really get the beers. And not only to aquire them, but also to understand them..........
Thanks a lot for your point of view, I do agree that I have been very vague, and although I have done it in a trial to have an open mind to any suggestions I will point out right away that the beers I love the most are Porters and Stouts or beers with high malt content and low bitterness. I would definitely like to travel a lot more beer-wise and be able to make sort of a beer trip but right now i don't have the time or money to do so, but if I did, I would be in Belgium right now ! Thanks for your advice, will definitely check the website linked.
Hi, There are many ways to discover new beers and new breweries from different places. Travelling is a good, but expensive way. But there are definitely cheaper ways to discover more beers. Of course it differs whether you live in a big city like Lisbon or Porto or somewhere more rural. But either way my first advice would be to find other beer enthousiasts and get more into the beer scene. Get to know the shops that have a bigger range of beers than just the big brands and get to know cafes that serve craft beers. And ask about other places that might serve interesting beers. People will give you tips. Look for a craft brewery near you. There are more and more micro breweries everywhere so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is one near you. And they will know places nearby to drink good beers and maybe they exchange beers with other breweries in other countries. You say you’ve tasted almost all the Portuguese brands. Do you mean the big brands or also the smaller craft breweries? Because I see 48 breweries in Portugal on Beeradvocate. But not a lot of listed beers. You could boost the interest and info in Portugese beers by adding some beers on the website or at least rating some beers. And for now my last tip is to trade beers. You could do this by mail but that can be expensive specially if you have to send beers a long way. But even if you don’t have the means to travel a lot of beer geeks love to travel and enough of them travel to Portugal. But there is not a lot of info about good Portugese craft beers. So if I were to travel to Portugal I could bring you some good Dutch craft beers and trade you for some good Portugese craft beers. That way I get to try something new and so do you. And we could even share a beer or two. This way you can trade beers with people from all over the world and you get to try new beers and be a beerguide for your country.
Yeah, maybe make a small write up about some Portuguese crafts? I've visited Porto and Lisbon beginning of June, and I visited Cerveteca and also had a chat with Rolim of Mean Sardine Brewery. There were some nice crafts out there...
Thank you all for your answers, really going to take it in count! I'm sorry if I sound "cocky" by saying I've tried all the Portuguese brands, it was supposed to be taken as an «expression» for the lack of a better way to say it because I'm quite sure I didn't tried them all and even if I did it would be quite impossible for me to make sure, so allow me to rephrase it, I'm quite sure I've tried many Portuguese brands and I'm 100% certain that I've tried them all from the nearby breweries. This is actually one of the reasons why I'm asking tips on European beers, because I know at this particular point it is a lot easier for me to find something "new" across the entire Europe then in Portugal. Obviously I can find foreign beers in Portugal, but trust me, they are way to overpriced. I don't really have that much room for travelling, and I'm not about to let that cripple me and my beer tasting curiosities, but I obviously know that ordering a foreign beer online or buying it on a shop it's not the same as drinking it on the original brewery/country, but it is as close as I can get them right now. I was also in Cerveteca, loved the place. I can't really promise you guys I will be reviewing Portuguese beers, because I really only review beers and take notes when I'm drinking alone which doesn't happen that often. I usually just end up discussing with friends/family what we like and think of a certain beer we are drinking at the moment. Obviously I save my opinion on the beers that I already drank but I won't review a beer from memory because it will obviously lack details. Anyway sorry for any lack of attention to this post and believe me I'm really thankful for your points of view and will try to do so regarding my range of possibilities. Meanwhile if any of the BeerAdvocate members has any other suggestion on beers I should definitely try or places to get European beers easily I would definitely be thankfull. Happy brewing and drinking to you all!!
If you don't have that much time for traveling, then you should put your hopes on some online shops They will be cheaper than e.g. Cerveteca. But for special bottles / limited bottles, Zymology craft beer shop could be a good idea in Lisbon, and their prices are normal (for being in Portugal and getting imported crafts)
