For the most part, when you want an imported beer, you have to go with what's popular. German and Belgian beers are everywhere, but other countries might not be so easy to find on the shelves of your local liquor store. Compounding the problem, many “imports” are actually brewed in North America or the US: Japan's Kirin is brewed in LA, Sapporo is brewed in Canada, Foster's is brewed in Canada, etc. Besides the big names (Heineken, Amstel, Carlsberg, etc), you might have trouble. Unless that country is Poland.
Tucked into a little strip of stores just off of Archer Road is Europe, a small treasure trove of products from the old country. Along with meats, cheeses and other grocery items, there is no shortage of Polish beer at the store. I was able to find seven different Polish beers, and of course, I bought and drank every single one of them.
For the most part, Polish beer is slightly above average. I would hesitate to hand out any gold medals for any of the beers, but I enjoyed every one of them. Polish beer has a stronger taste and smell than an American lager, and seems to lean more towards the style of an ale. In short, plain old decent beer.
Zywiec Porter is a little darker, with a very nice looking pour, and more bitterness than the others. But it still fit into the mold of Polish beer. Tatra and Harnas are slightly lighter tasting and easier to drink , but again, they make only a small deviation from the norm. The only real difference between any of the beers that might greatly effect your night is the alcohol content. The seven had an average ABV of 7.0 percent, ranging from 9.0 percent to 5.5 percent. If you are only drinking one, you shouldn't be worried, but add up the difference between 5 and 9 percent over the course of a 6-pack, and you might need someone to hold your hair for you.
Don't get me wrong. I might call Poland's beer “generic,” but I don't mean in any way that it is bad. I would drink any beer made in Poland over a Budweiser any day of the week. But it isn't just me going on about its simple quality; the beer itself seems to revel in its fairly mundane goodness. Okocim Mocne boasts its “Traditional Polish Taste.” Warka just calls itself “High Quality Beer.” Zywiec Porter is “Faithful to Tradition,” while Zywiec Original simply describes itself as “Polish.” Maybe you can't understand how right that description is, but after you drink three or four, it's easy. You'll look down at your beer, nod your head, and proclaim, “Yeah, this beer is pretty damn Polish.”
Find Polish beer at Europe, 3312 SW 35th Blvd. (352) 278-7098?
