Tuesday, January 21st, 2025

Peaks and Pints Eastern European Beer Flight: Dhaulagiri I

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Dhaulagiri I is the tallest peak in the Dhaulagiri mountain range in Nepal, the seventh highest mountain in the world, standing at 26,795 feet (8,167 m) above sea level. The mountain’s name comes from the Sanskrit words dhawala (white) and giri (mountain). The mountain’s steep sides and cold climate made climbing difficult until May 13, 1960, when a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition led by Max Eiselin first reached the summit. On this date in history, in 1985, Polish climbers Jerzy Kukuczka and Andrzej Czok became the first to climb Dhaulagiri I in the winter without supplemental oxygen. The Polish climbers summited via the Northeast Ridge. In celebration, Peaks & Pints presents a Tuesday flight of beers brewed in or inspired by the Republic of Poland and neighboring Eastern European breweries. Climb a Peaks & Pints barstool and enjoy Peaks and Pints European Beer Flight: Dhaulagiri I.

Peaks and Pints Eastern European Beer Flight: Dhaulagiri I

Arpus Mango x Apricot x Almond Smothie Sour

5% ABV

LATVIA: Arpus Brewing was founded in 2017 in Latvia. The brewery’s name can be translated to “Outside of the box.” The Untappd network has rated them the top brewery in the Baltic states.  Arpus Mango x Apricot x Almond Smothie Sour blends the tartness of a sour ale with the sweetness of a fruit smoothie with mango, apricot, and almond flavors, creating a creamy, richly flavored beer that’s both refreshing and surprisingly dessert-like. Mango leads the flavor with an immediate sour counterpoint offered by a wave of apricots. They both vie for dominance, but the almond introduces a nutty flavor and a balance against going too tart or sour.

Plzeňský Prazdroj Pilsner Urquell

4.4% ABV

CZECH REPUBLIC: Pilsners are relatively recent in the world history of beer. Thanks to the citizens of Pilsen, Bohemia (Bohemia became part of Czechoslovakia Oct. 28, 1918; Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia Jan. 1, 1993), who in 1838 dumped 36 barrels of beer in the main square in protest of poor quality of beer. The Burghers of Pilsen were a group of citizens who established the Burghers’ Brewery in 1842 to produce a consistent quality beer. Burghers sent spies into Bavaria and brought back their own Bavarian brewer, Josef Groll.  On Oct. 5, 1842, eons before marketers invented “drinkability,” Groll brewed the first batch of the new Pilsen beer known as Pilsner Urquell. They built it beside the river Radbuza, which had lovely soft water. It used only Czech malts and Czech hops, mainly the Saaz hop, which gave it lovely floral and spicy flavors and aromas. In 1898, Plzeňský Prazdroj trademarked Pilsner Urquell to protect the unique brand that is the model for all Pilsner-type beers.

Threshold Neptune

8% ABV

OREGON: Started in 2019 by longtime homebrewer Jarek Szymanski, a Polish immigrant, and his wife Sara, Threshold Brewing brews a range of modern styles and traditional Polish beers with a distinct Pacific Northwest twist. Threshold’s Neptune Baltic Porter is named after the famous Neptune Fountain in the Baltic city of Gdansk, Poland, where Jarek attended university. Neptune pours a rich, dark brown with a strong chocolate aroma. The beer is definitively chocolate-forward but smooth and well-balanced, with roasted malt notes, as is characteristic of the style.

Põhjala Winter Smooth

12% ABV

ESTONIA: Nestled in Estonia’s capital of Tallinn lies the largest beer producer in the Baltic region, Põhjala. Põhjala’s origin story goes back to 2011 when four Estonian friends got together and decided the tiny macro-lager-obsessed country deserves better beer. With zero understanding of how to run a brewery, the guys traveled to Scotland and studied under the tutelage of Brewdog’s Chris Pilkington. Following the end of their internship, Pilkington followed team Põhjala back to Estonia, and by 2013, they had their first beer, an imperial porter dubbed Öö – or Night. A year later, they established a “forest brewery” outside Tallinn, where they continued honing their craft. They finally settled down in a 100-year-old repurposed submarine factory. Põhjala’s Winter Smooth is a decadent barrel-aged barleywine crafted for Danish bottle shop KIHOSKH‘s annual winter tradition. Aged in Cognac barrels, there is a little more oak than grape liquor in the nose, but smoke is also in the background. The taste is dry, and smokey oak comes across prominently. A little jammy and vinous fruit and some chocolate and caramel are in the background.

Browar Fortuna Komes Russian Imperial Stout

12% ABV

POLAND: Poland is currently the third biggest beer producer after Germany and the UK, with the third biggest beer consumers after Germany and the Czech Republic. Yet, their beer scene is relatively small. Unlike countries such as Germany or England, where you can find breweries in pretty much every town and city, Polish beer tends to come from just a small group of breweries, including Browar Fortuna, which was built in 1889 at the behest of the town leadership of Miloslaw. The steam-powered brewery was technologically advanced, as any brewery worldwide was then. During World War II, the Nazis seized the brewery until the Soviets drove them out 6 years later. The brewery would fall further into decline when it was nationalized by the communists in 1950. In 1995, Browar Fortuna was returned to the family it had been seized from in 1939. Within two years, it began producing beer again. In 2011, a group of investors bought the brewery, transformed it into a modern brewery, and began brewing traditional Polish beers and other beer specialties. Browar Fortuna’s Komes Russian Imperial Stout is a strong and intensive ale brewed with Ukrainian hop varieties Klon and Slovianka. It hits the nose with roasted malt and some tannins. Like most Russian imperial stouts, you’ll detect notes reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate, this one with sugar added.

LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory