Ukraine

[esprit]

I just returned from a week long trip to Ukraine...birthplace of my forefathers...and foremothers for that matter. A veritable sea of Eurolagers to please the palate. Arrived at the tail end of Eurovision 2005 (Europe's biggest song/music contest) and in time for Kyiv day, a celebration of the capital city. The main street of Kyiv was a sea of beer tents, quite literally hundreds of them. Both weekends the main street (Kreshchatyk...think Champs d'Elysee soviet-style) was closed to Traffic and open to thousands of revellers. Chenihivske, Slavutych and Obolon were everywhere....a bit of Heineken, Becks and Warsteiner and, curiously, Brahma from Brazil. Strangely enough, went to a high end restaurant in the Globus mall in Independence square and tried to order a Ukrainian beer with dinner...only offerings were Stella, Hoegaarden, Leffe and de Koninck...all on draught...go figure.
It appears that beer has overtaken vodka as the beverage of choice in Ukraine, certainly among young people. Few coolers to be found and only saw older people drinking vodka. There seems to be no restriction on the hours of sale or enforcement of any sort of age restrction. Anyone can drink anywhere and anytime and they do. Price is no doubt a factor because a standard 500ml Ukrainian beer like Obolon costs about $0.50 in a store and $0.75 from a beer tent or in a bar. I paid $4.00 for a 750ml bottle of name brand vodka in a store. Certainly an alcoholic's paradise.
I last visited Kyiv 12 years ago shortly after independence when it was still a dreary soviet city. Today it is as vibrant as any western Europen city with a thriving middle class and more luxury automobiles on the streets than I would see in Toronto in a month of Sundays. This city has an long history as the cradle of Slavic culture and has some incredible museums and churches. A great subway system (the fares are $0.13) and cabs are everywhere. I went from one end of Kyiv to the other, possibly 25 kilometres the cab fare was $3.00. If you avoid the tourist restaurants, a good meal with beer can be had for about $7 or $8 per person. McDonald's is everywhere but so are numerous Sushi places as well as Chinese, Vietnamese and Italian restaurants. Best food we had during the week was during Kyiv day in a church square with some great rocks bands playing and where vendors were cooking beef, chicken and port shashlyks (shishkebab) over hardwood and some great shwarama. Everyone loves pizza but you can get some good perogies (Ukrainians call them varenyky) for next to nothing.
Only downside of the week was the weather...not a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the +30 range...absolutely stifling, especially when climbing the hills of Kyiv. Although we didn't get to them, the river Dnieper has some great beaches which were packed with locals on the weekend.
Not your ususal tourist destination but one of the best values I've encountered in years and I can't imagine you could visit a European city for less money. Hotels were booked because of Eurovision when we arrived (hotel prices were high in the range of USD90-USD200 per night)so we had arranged for an apartment right off the main street. Looked horrible from the outside and the inside staircase but the one bedroom apartment was beautifully renovated with all the modern conveniences and full equipped for living and it was only USD89.00 per night. Some of our Ukrainian friends when they saw it told us were ripped off and they could find such apartments for half the price.

[GregClow]

Chenihivske, Slavutych and Obolon were everywhere....a bit of Heineken, Becks and Warsteiner and, curiously, Brahma from Brazil.

InBev decided a couple of months ago that Brahma is going to be one of their international flagship beers (along with Stella and Becks). They modifed the recipe slightly from the original Brazilian Brahma - or more accurately, they modified the recipe of Brahma Chopp, one of several beers brewed by the Brahma brewery. (I guess this would be like them selling a modifed version of Labatt Blue around the world under the name Labatt.)

They are apparently brewing it in a couple of European locations for that market, and are importing it from Brazil for the North American market. The only Canadian province that has it so far is Alberta.

From all reports I've seen, it's complete shite, but I guess that goes without saying considering it's a South American lager in a clear bottle...

[JerCraigs]

Sounds like a fun trip!

[pootz]

I just returned from a week long trip to Ukraine...birthplace of my forefathers...and foremothers for that matter. A veritable sea of Eurolagers to please the palate. Chenihivske, Slavutych and Obolon were everywhere....a bit of Heineken, Becks and Warsteiner and, curiously, Brahma from Brazil. Strangely enough, went to a high end restaurant in the Globus mall in Independence square and tried to order a Ukrainian beer with dinner...only offerings were Stella, Hoegaarden, Leffe and de Koninck...all on draught...go figure.

So Ukrainians immigrating to Canada will feel right at home with the almost identical mainstream import selection here.

[Belgian]

Your first in the Ukraine Peter?

I'd like to see more Eastern Europe, farther afield of Prague, my Grandmother's city. Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria. Slavic women are really something else aren't they.

As you say the encroachments of Canadian living become readily apparent elsewhere (why should our Joy Police prevent a civilized glass of wine anywhere in Toronto with a nice view?)

Glad you had a good trip.

[tupalev]

Your first in the Ukraine Peter?

I last visited Kyiv 12 years ago

Sounds like he has been there before, if that is what you are asking.

[Belgian]

That would seem fairly logical.

[Philip1]

I'm surprised they get De Koninck in Ukraine. I know someone from the French-speaking part of Belgium (a beer drinker, like all Belgians!) who'd never even heard of it. I've only seen it in Antwerp (where it's made) and in Holland.

There is a Ukrainian lager (the name escapes me) at my local LCBO. I tried it once but like most of the Eastern European (except Czech) beers there, I didn't think much of it. I assumed it was the Ukrainian equivalent of Labatt's, Heineken, etc.

[GregClow]

I'm surprised they get De Koninck in Ukraine. I know someone from the French-speaking part of Belgium (a beer drinker, like all Belgians!) who'd never even heard of it. I've only seen it in Antwerp (where it's made) and in Holland.

They have it on tap at beerbistro, and it's available by the keg at some Beer Stores. I guess that the brewery has pumped up their international marketing.

There is a Ukrainian lager (the name escapes me) at my local LCBO. I tried it once but like most of the Eastern European (except Czech) beers there, I didn't think much of it. I assumed it was the Ukrainian equivalent of Labatt's, Heineken, etc.

There are two Ukie beers available at the LCBO - Lvivske and Slavutych. Both of them are boring mainstream lagers, like most of the Eastern European beers we get here.

[Belgian]

To that general statement I make an exception for Karlovacko (from Croatia), a quite drinkable lager with an interesting sweet floral note of chrysanthemum. Not every pale beer has to be a symphony of hops.

[esprit]

That lager would either be Slavutych or Lvivske, the two Ukrainian lagers on the LCBO General List.