Tales of Croatia. Part Eleven.

Entire story takes place from late May to late June in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Makarska, Omiš, Split, Vodice
and Tribunj, Croatia, as well as Slovenia.

Continued from part ten...

To recap; I'd spent about three weeks in Zagreb. Sasho Maleev joined us and we flew SouthEast to Dubrovnik, hanging out there for three days. We then rented a car and drove north to a small fishing village called Tribunj.

Click any pic to go to a gallery with all photos.

The beach in Tribunj.

We woke, grabbed some burek for breakfast along with yogurt, and walked north to see the beach. The path wound around to this beach with a lot of concrete and rock platforms to lay on. We continued around the bend and went up a hill for a view. Nice area.

Tribunj beach areas.

We walked all the way back and then headed south, all the way to Vodice. We went to a cafe and met some of Esad's friends from Zagreb and joined them for some waters. They own a house on an island just offshore here, called Prvić. They invited us to join them later for dinner. They went back to the island with their groceries and we went off for some beers. We went to the beach to swim a bit. The sea here has these little black sea urchin thingies that sting you, or more like they break off in your feet. The poison doesn't kill you, but it fucks you up a bit. So, I wore my Teva's in when I swam and no trouble.

Esad and Sasho on the ferry.

The ferry came and we boarded. The guy said we were too late for tickets and happily accepted our bribe, letting us board.

Esad can fly.

Tribunj, Vodice and Prvić

The island was only maybe a couple of kilometers offshore, not very far at all. Inhabited, but tiny. No cars at all. A tiny dying village, where the young people are moving away and the populace is leaving. Or, people own the homes as vacation places and are only there during summer, for weeks at a time.

Prvić, pronounced 'Per-Veech'.

Esad's friends took us to their place, which they'd renovated. It was a nice, tiny, stone house. Very comfy. The girl cooked us pork chops which were very tasty and juicy. We sat, drank beers and shared humor, returning home after a couple of hours.

The view from the house in Prvić.

Prvić.

Many houses on Prvić are abandoned and overgrown with plants. They're still owned, just not lived in currently.

Sasho on Prvić

Esad on the dock on Prvić.

We went back to Tribunj and the cafe and drank beers. Our group grew with new people joining us and we had a proper partying group. The girls in the group wanted to go dancing, so Esad and I went to a dance club with them and Sasho went back to sleep. The club was along the water, and packed. Lotsa loud music and hot, sweaty air. Drank and drank, danced and danced. And danced. And drank. After hours of this, I'd eventually had enough to drink. Going outside for air, I got the hiccups and began cursing at passersby as Esad tried to get me to shut up. I was too drunk. Ack! Off to sleep.

The cafe in Tribunj.

I slept a bit later than the others, joining them at the cafe. I saw the same waiter from the night before. He'd been at the dance club with us as well, drinking late into the night. I asked how he was holding up. He answered he was a bit tired but doing fine. Raising a bottle of beer and taking a drink, he said he was still going, was still drunk and had not gone to sleep at all. Nice.

End of Part Eleven.

Tales of Croatia. Part Ten.

Entire story takes place from late May to late June in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Makarska, Omiš, Split, Vodice
and Tribunj, Croatia, as well as Slovenia.

Continued from part nine...

To recap; I'd spent about three weeks in Zagreb. Sasho Maleev joined us and we flew SouthEast to Dubrovnik, hanging out there for three days. We then rented a car and drove north to a small fishing village called Tribunj.

Click any pic to go to a gallery with all photos.

We headed north again. Eventually, it started to get dark. We decided to put off our stop in Split because it was getting late. We passed Split. Near Šibenik, we were sent on a detour up into the hills because of an accident. And, we became stuck in crazy traffic. The little road was too small to support normal traffic and there were buses on it. They were blocking traffic and everyone was just sitting there. By the time we cleared the traffic, it had been 45 minutes wasted in bullshit traffic caused by idiots. Basically, nobody on the opposing lane would stop for the bus or back up. So the bus just sat there, or got by one car every 5 minutes. Horrible!

North of Šibenik, Esad could not find the right road for Vodice, which is where Tribunj is closest to. We took wrong road after wrong road. And so the time passed. After a while, we found Vodice and went to a late 10:30 PM dinner. More fish, this time škamp, large shrimp that are more like crayfish than shrimp. I couldn't figure them out as they didn't pop open like shrimp when you tear their legs off and pull back, splitting them. It took more effort, Sasho had to show me how. They were tasty, though.

Tribunj.

Finally, we arrived in Tribunj. The house we were staying in, was in the center of a tiny island. The island is big enough for maybe 40 houses, all largely vertical and tiny. Around 8 cafes and restaurants. The island is maybe 20 meters offshore and connected by a small, stone bridge. It's beautiful.

Tribunj.

We went into the house, opened all the windows to air out the mildew and get some fresh air in there, then walked to the cafe, maybe 40 meters away. The houses get very moist as they're stone in this wet environment. It smelled like a basement inside the house. The cafe is pretty great. We mostly went to the same one every day and got to know the bar tenders.

Tribunj. This is the cafe we basically lived at while in Tribunj. Donkey Island to the left.

That first night, we just ordered a couple of beers and sat there by the water chatting. The cafe is literally right by the water. That part of the island has very little moorage for boats, it's not meant for that. So, the tables are right there, then the walkway ends and goes right into the water with no railing or anything. They put on two lights under the water there at night and we sat there watching the fish swim around and chase the smaller fish, trying to eat them.

Donkey Island.

There are two small, uninhabited islands right there offshore from Tribunj, maybe 200 meters distant. Not far. Esad told us the tale of the Donkey Island. That's the one on the right. The local area used to rely on donkeys for transporting things, manual labor, that sort of thing. But, when cars came along and tractors and such, the donkeys were no longer needed. When this happened, instead of killing the donkeys, they put them on the island. Then Tribunj would hold donkey races once a year as a tradition, using these donkeys. They'd boat over to feed them during the year. The donkey races became famous. Evidently they're funny, as donkeys don't exactly like to race. Esad told us they were wild donkeys and that you're not supposed to go onto the island, as they'll attack you. He told of one time trying to wind surf. As he got close to the island, a donkey was onshore snarling at him. He put the board down in the water, so as not to go ashore, and swam back with the board.

Donkey Island as seen from the roof balcony on the house we were staying in.

The next day, we saw one donkey on the other island. He'd evidently gotten bored and swam to the other island, and was now there braying across to his brethren, undoubtedly horny and lonely.

The second Donkey Island is on the right here, main Donkey Island further to the right, offscreen.

End of Part Ten.

This is the third in my series on top ten beers.

TOP TEN ALES AND LAGERS

part three, third entries of each.

ALES:

3. Deschutes Jubelale

When I lived in Portland, which I did for nine years, winter was a time we looked forward to in a certain sense. It was when the winter seasonal beers were released. Something to ease our pain, something to get us through all the rain, freezing and otherwise. The big three locally at that time were Widmer Winternacht, Full Sail Wassail and Deschutes Jubelale. And, for whatever reason, nearly every year, the JubelAle was the best.

For anyone that doesn't know, Deschutes is a really great brewery. It is my contention that, across their product line, they are the single best brewery on the entire West Coast. They simply do not make bad beer. Obsidian Stout, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, JubelAle; these were all classics when I lived there. And their product line is even bigger than that and has NO bad beers in the bunch, ever. Extremely high quality beer brewed to the highest level of the craft.

One of their former brewers, John Harris, is even a bit of a celebrity there in Portland. He created Mirron Pond, then went to a brewpub chain called McMenamins and created two beers; Hammerhead Pale Ale and Terminator Stout, both of which are famous and popular. After that he went to Full Sail and last I know he was still there. He brews up test batches that are pretty cool for the Full Sail pub down on the waterfront in Portland. Many are one off, and the only chance of ever tasting them is at that pub.

If we were lucky, we could find JubelAle on cask at either the Horse Brass or The Moon and Sixpence. Again, for those who don't know; a cask ale is an ale that is allowed to condition inside the cask. It's not really carbonated in the same way as kegged beer. The carbonation is allowed to develop in the cask and is softer, not so aggressive as kegged beer. To the average citizen, it seems like it's flat. And, it's usually served at cellar temperature, somewhere in the range of 58 F. Refrigerated beer is usually much colder than this. This is why you hear Americans call British beer warm and flat. To me, this is a compliment, because truly good cask ale is usually far superior to it's kegged counterpart. There's something about the sensation of bubbles scrubbing across your tongue that diminishes flavor. I've had many side by tastings with the same beer on cask and regular tap and the taste difference is sometimes astonishing.

Anyway, JubelAle is the shit either way. Winter is not truly here yet, but Deschutes is now distributed in LA at many, many places, so I think JubelAle will be here soon, even if I have to go to Beverages and More to get it. Besides, most of them come out right around now these days, not really in the winter anymore. American Octoberfest in a way, I suppose. The recipe changes year to year, but typically, all Portland Winter Warmers are strong amber ales that sometimes bear a slightly spicey note. Usually they do not use spices themselves, but it's been known to happen. The art on the label changes year to year for JubelAle.

Here's their writeup:

Available October through December

Did you know that Jubelale was the first beer ever bottled by Deschutes Brewery? Highly anticipated every fall, Jubelale is in a category of its own with a flavor and following that is impossible to match. Dark crystal malt creates that “luscious” holiday note while the roasty flavor and bountiful hops excite your tastebuds, reminding you why Jubelale is the perfect holiday beer.

Deschutes Brewing

RateBeer

Beer Advocate

Deschutes profile on Beer Advocate

Octoberfest on WikiPedia

LAGERS:

3. Widmer Bourbon Barrel Bock

Now, I have no really good photos for this one, because this beer was not really fully commercial and is extinct. So, gotta make do with a patchwork of photos of the brewery, a bourbon barrel and some Widmer products. This beer was never bottled that I am aware of. And the first time I encountered it was at the summer beer festival in Portland, maybe 6 or 7 years ago. I seem to remember also having it on tap locally. This was one of the best beers I have ever tasted in my life.

At that time, it was getting really popular to age beer in bourbon barrels; whiskey, scotch, whatever. Mostly with homebrewers though, because it's just far too expensive for commercial beer to do this. Basically, the wood of the barrel itself becomes impregnated with whiskey or whatever soaks in it. And, sometimes distilleries will sell these barrels. I believe this one used Kentucky wood. So, what, maybe Jack Daniels?

Anyway, the time of the beer fest was a big thing in Portland. And, the local breweries would usually try to outdo each other. There was a very good brewing scene, and these guys would want to really crush the other guy with the best beer. Which was great for us, because they'd try weird shit and make really strong beers and there was a whole helluva lot of really great brewing going on. This was released for that.


Widmer made a very nice Doppelbock, then aged it in those wood barrels. It soaked up some of the bourbon taste, some oak. It was fucking killer. Basically.

Sorry to say you guys may never get the chance to try this. But, if you EVER see someone making a beer and aging it in bourbon barrels, it's at least worth checking out. If the brewery sucks, they'll make a powerfully bad beer. But if they're good, it will make you cum.

Doppelbock on German Beer Institute

Bock Style on Beer Hunter

Beer Advocate

Bock Style on WikiPedia

This is the second in my series on top ten beers. See previous blog entry for the starting point.

That being said, here's my list:

TOP TEN ALES AND LAGERS

part two, second entries of each.

ALES:

2. Westmalle Tripel

There are 7 Trappist Monasteries out of the existing 171 that make beer for commercial consumption. 6 are in Belgium, 1 in the Netherlands. These breweries are the only ones allowed to actually say "Trappist" on the label. Any others that are not made at these monasteries, but are going for their style of beer, will have "Abbey Ale" on the label instead. Many of these Abbey Ales are also quite tasty, but Westmalle is head and shoulders above most beers on the planet. Brouwerij Westmalle is located at the Westmalle Monastery in Antwerp, Belgium. Their Tripel is amazingly well balanced, with a nice clean malt shining through. Extremely highly recommended. Available in LA at The Other Room in Venice. May also be available at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, Father's Office in Santa Monica and Library Alehouse also in Santa Monica, though I am not sure. Beverages and More also should have it, and perhaps Whole Foods.

Here's their writeup:

Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9,5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a splendid long aftertaste.

The Westmalle Tripel is indeed called the “mother of all tripels”. This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus almost for 50 years.

Abdij Der Trappisten Van Westmalle

Westmalle Brouwerij

Trappist Style on WikiPedia

Westmalle Tripel on Beer Advocate

LAGERS:

2. Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock

Bock Beer is a strong lager made in the winter and drank in the spring. The style originates from Munich. It's another beer style brought to us by monks, so it's a monk beer day today! These guys always made these beers to drink during fasting. No food, combined with very strong beer. That's always a good idea. No wonder they see God and have visions, eh?

I recommend you eat.


From WikiPedia:

Many bock beer producers have displayed goats on bottle labels since Bock in German means billy goat. In the local dialect, Einbeck is pronounced similar to "Einbock", which sounds like ein Bock (a goat).

From the German Beer Institute web site, linked below:

It is a fair guess that the Paulaners' Lenten "liquid bread" got stronger over the years. It is not exactly clear, however, when it reached the strength we now associate with a modern Doppelbock. Obviously, the Paulaners revered their weighty and now papally sanctioned brews, because eventualy they came to name the strongest of their strong beers "Salvator," after the Savior, their other passion in life.

Though initially intended only for themselves, the Paulaners must have let some of their beer leak out, for cash, to the population. This, under stringent feudal rules, required a permit from the civil authorities, which the Paulaners did not possess; and soon the Paulaners were brewing not only beer but trouble, too. We know so, because of many civil complaints on record about public rowdiness and drunkenness in the streets around the monastery. There is even evidence that the monks served Doppelbock illegally on April 2, 1751, the names day of their patron saint, Saint Francis of Paula.

Doppelbock on German Beer Institute

Bock Style on Beer Hunter

Beer Advocate

Paulaner on WikiPedia

Bock Style on WikiPedia

I was recently asked by someone online what my top ten ales and lagers are. Now, I don't claim that these are really my favorite ten of each. These are the top ten that I can think of at the moment. Undoubtedly, some really great beers are not in my mind at this very moment. So, I reserve the right to change my mind entirely at any given moment. Which is a good way to live life. Makes you much more open to change.

That being said, here's my list:

TOP TEN ALES AND LAGERS

part one, first entries of each.

ALES:

1. Balik Beer

There's a seafood place at Heathrow Airport in London that serves this beer. I do not remember the name of the place, but if you're in Heathrow, you should see it. It's basically a seafood bar with tons of caviar, smoked salmon and that kind of thing. Not cheap. But, they weren't as crowded as all the other places, presumably because of the expense, and I was able to relax there for a while. Smoked salmon accompanied by this beer rocks. Honestly, it does not taste like an ale. It tastes like a very strong lager. But, this is based on a Porter recipe, or so they say, and lager did not exist when this style originated and porter is also an ale, so I list it here. It's very clean and extremely strong. Made in Switzerland.

Here's their writeup:

Take your time for an exclusive expedition to the BALIK world of delights.
Just as BALIK, our "classic", this special beer has been brewed according to an old Russian porter recipe with brown malt, Russian kwas, hops and water from BALIK's own source at Ebersol.

It then matured during one year in old oak butts and received individual care up to its maturity. Its has been brewed and bottled in limited quantities at the brewery Locher at Appenzell. This brewery with 125 years of experience and family tradition stands for first class quality and natural taste. This very demanding procedure gives the BALIK BEER its noble and characteristic sherry taste and its amber colouring. But this sparkling BALIK BEER may reserve you some surprise. With 11 %vol. of alcohol, it compares much more with a wine than with traditional beer. It as been created not simply as a common beverage, but to accompany harmoniously our BALIK salmon. We recommend to drink BALIK BEER cool, at a temperature of 12° C. BALIK BEER should be stored in a dark place. When stored, the quality of the beer will improve yearly and its taste will become more and more harmonious.

store with beer

beerpal.com

baltic porter style on beer advocate

1. Rogue Brewing's Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

There's a brewery on the coast in Newport, Oregon called Rogue that is known for taking brewing risks. The brewer, John Maier, is renowned amongst brewers for trying interesting combinations of ingredients and being willing to risk certain death in bending the rules or rediscovering old recipes or techniques. He also usually adds a lot more hops than a traditional recipe may call for. For many beers this is good, though this is not always the case. This particular beer is really great, though, and where I live, in Santa Monica, is available at Whole Foods. Luckily!

Here's their writeup:

Imperial Pilsner, part of the Morimoto Signature Series, was launched in September 2003. The beer was selected by internationally acclaimed Chef Masaharu Morimoto--a James Beard awarded chef and one of the stars of the Food Network series, Iron Chef.

Brewed with four ingredients: 100% French Pilsner Malt, 100% Sterling Hops, Free Range Coastal Water and Czech Pilsner Yeast. Imperial Pilsner is golden in color with a dry hop floral aroma and intense hop bitterness supported by a big malty backbone. Available in a swing-top 750 mil ceramic bottle.
To learn more about the Chef, visit Morimoto's web page.

Measurements: 18 degrees Plato, IBU 74, Apparent Attenuation 80, Lovibond 16 degrees, 8.8% ABV
No Chemicals, Additives, or Preservatives

Rogue Brewing

ratebeer

beer advocate

Tales of Croatia. Part Nine.

Entire story takes place from late May to late June in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Makarska, Omiš, Split, Vodice
and Tribunj, Croatia, as well as Slovenia.

 

Continued from part eight...
To recap; I'd spent about three weeks in Zagreb. Sasho Maleev joined us and we flew SouthEast to Dubrovnik, hanging out there for three days.

And so, Thursday came and we rented a diesel Astra of some sort. It was a decent touring car. We drove North from Dubrovnik, heading towards Tribunj.

The drive along the coast is beautiful. The road runs largely at the foot of the hills and mountains, yet raised up above the sea as well, giving a nice view.

Looking inland.

Off the coast, island after island passes by. We made our way to Makarska and stopped for lunch. This is a nice little bay city with a marina and seaside cafes and restaurants.

Esad in Makarska. Notice the no smoking sign to the right. There's a boat fueling station there.

Me, in Makarska.

We sat down for another meal of seafood much as in Dubrovnik. Around the bay, Esad took us to show us this bar. Down by the water, they have a part of the bar inside of a cave with a glass bottom so you could see the water below. Nice.

Esad and Sasho.

We get back in the car and head North again. It's quite a long drive, but beautiful. We stopped along the side of the road at some fruit stands. They make homemade rakija, brandy. It's of varying color, with various kind of fruits. And the fruit is very fresh and tasty. We bought cherries, plums, strawberries and tomatoes.

South of Split, we make our way down to the water again, and a seaside town called Omiš.

Omiš, pronouced 'Oh-Meesh'. Sasho took this photo. I'm in the background on the left. See if you can spot me.

It's an old pirate town that still has ruins of pirate forts up on the hillside. We stopped here for a beer and coffee. Esad explained that it used to be a center for pirates, and they would actually fight off fleets that came to fuck with them. But, eventually, the Turks had some kind of treaty with the Spanish and their destruction was requested for some reason, then it was all over.

Omiš.

Omiš.

It was also a partisan town, with many hrvatine (hrvatine are kind of like frat boys in the military, though older. Like somewhat mindless military guys that are super pro Croatian.). The name of a general is spray painted on the wall of a major building and posters of him hang in cafe windows to show support for him. He's in the Hague as a war criminal.

Omiš.

Omiš.

End of Part Nine.