Taking A Danube Cruise With Craft Brews

Joey and his wife, a young Canadian couple, are traveling through The Balkans on a Danube cruise ship. Wherever Joey travels, he tries to get local craft beer. He contacted me for more information and a better look at the craft beer in Serbia. On a short stop in Belgrade, before they continued to Novi Sad, we met over a few pints.

First, we sat down for a round at Samo Pivo. They shared their experience about visiting The Balkans, and the craft beer they have found here.

It was only 3:30 in the afternoon, and we had Samo Pivo to ourselves. Joey prefers light beers, so I found the lightest local beer possible: Pablo IPA, Samo Pivo’s house beer produced by Kabinet. I ordered a new import: Pohjala’s new Virmalised IPA. Following a toast, we talked cruises, beers and Balkans.

Taking A Danube Cruise With Craft Brews

Pivoslavija: First off, where have you been on your Balkan trip?

Joey: Bucharest, Romania; Sofia and Vidin, Bulgaria; and here, Belgrade, followed by Novi Sad. In Hungary we’ll be at Pecs, then heading off to Budapest. For our second time there.

PS: You’ve been to Budapest twice?

Joey: Yes, once on another trip before.

PS: What are some of the craft beer bars you’ve visited so far in these cities?

Joey: Fabrica de Bere Buna. We’ve had Hop Hooligans and Zagura.

PS: Did you happen to have Bereta while you were there?

Joey: No, but we made sure to get three cans of local beer in Romania. We always get at least three cans or bottles of local brew wherever we go.

PS: What are your impressions so far of the beer and The Balkans?

Joey: Well, Bucharest has the best beer so far, of course. We’ve only had a couple here. There’s one place down by the cruise ship we’ll visit on the way back – Black Turtle Pub.

PS: They are the first in Serbia, although obviously it’s changed a lot since then. What about this beer now? [Kabinet Pablo IPA]

Joey: Actually, it’s pretty good. Not as strong as I thought it would be for an IPA. I’m not much for high ABV beers, it just gets chewy… Some people get crazy. But again, it’s good to have guys experimenting and seeing what they come up with around here.

Foreign Impressions Of The Balkans

PS: How has you experience matched up to your expectations for craft beer around here?

Joey: It’s far better than I was expecting.

PS: What are your impressions with meeting people in The Balkans?

Joey: Great. Everyone’s been friendly. The cruise ship warned us about pickpockets. But I have yet to even remotely think, “Oh, that guy might be a pickpocket.”

PS: What are your other plans here?

Joey: So, she books it all. I make the plans. We’ve seen the (Kalamegdan) gate, the square and the river, of course. Budapest will only be about beer since we’ve been there already.

PS: You’ll go to Csakojosor?

Joey: It’s called, “Only Good Beer?”

PS: Yes, Csakojosor in Hungarian.

Joey: It’s just a small hole-in-the-wall. Unless you Google it, you’ll walk right by it.

PS: It’s about half the size of this bar.

Joey: Apparently, they’ve got around a hundred different selections?

PS: Yes. You’ll be surprised at the selection around here if you find the right place.

I’m not much for high ABV beers, it just gets chewy… Some people get crazy. But it’s good to have guys experimenting and seeing what they come up with around here.

Quick Beers At Gunners Pub

Second, I took Joey and his wife for a quick pint to the nearest craft bar: Gunners Pub. They were pressed for time. A 10 minute walk through Republic Square, and another 200 meters got us into the Dorcol neighborhood bar.

It was not yet 5pm, so Gunners was also quite empty. However, I knew one notable patron there. Boris, the brewer of the Dorcol neighborhood brewery, Dorcol Pivara, was hunched over a high table in the back of the bar.

He got up and made introductions to me and my Canadian guests. They looked at the beers available on tap on a television screen above the bar. On the list, I pointed out Boris’ wheat beer, Paklena Pomoraca. But he didn’t seem concerned: he was humble and professional. He asked for Joey’s preference in beer. Hearing that he preferred light beers, he recommended Gunner’s house beer, a light APA from Crow Brewery. Meanwhile, I took my usual tap choice, Dogma’s Hoptopod IPA.

Briefly, in the last hour, we shared our travel stories about beer. Finally, when the time came, they paid for a round. They had over a 1000 Serbian Dinar left in change. With only a few hours left in Belgrade, they made a decision.

In the Balkans, kindness bestows kindness. Joey and his wife left for their Danube cruise. And I left with a bag full of craft brews as a parting gift. Hvala puno.