Ales from the riverbank

John Westlake embarks on a beer journey in Belgrade.

Wandering around the bustling centre of Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city and this year’s host to the Eurovision Song Contest, it is difficult to believe that less than a decade ago the Royal Air Force, as part of NATO, were dropping smart bombs on nearby strategic targets. In a few places, the twisted steel and concrete shells of government buildings still stand as a salutary reminder of those dark days, but times have certainly changed, the Milosevic regime is long gone and in high summer the trendy shops and pavement cafés are doing a roaring trade.

Serbian beers are not well known outside their homeland, as local brewers have tended to concentrate their efforts on the domestic market.

But the multinationals are already sniffing around (Apartin, founded in 1756, has already fallen into InBev’s clutches whilst Carlsberg now owns Pivara Celarevo) and things are beginning to change, not necessarily for the better.

Some of the most popular brands are Jelen, a 5% ABV pale lager with a malty finish brewed by Apatia, MB, a similar strength pilsner with a little more hop character from Novi Sad and Niksicko who also produce an impressive, 6.2% dark beer (tamo pivo) with a degree of sweetness reminiscent of Mackeson.

Bursting with dried fruit flavours and hints of caramel, it culminates in a bittersweet finish well balanced by a developing hop dryness. Definitely one to not be missed.

BG Pivo, another 5% brew with an astringently dry finish, has been brewed locally by BIP (Beogr.....

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By John Westlake

Section : Beer Journeys

Page number : 66