Where is the best beer in the world brewed: the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium or the USA?

A friend of mine recently traveled to Japan and, knowing of my interest in unusual liquor, brought me a bottle of the local beer. The taste surprised me, I won’t say that it’s pleasant, but it’s still an experience.

Now I am wary of Japanese beer. And beer from which countries can you buy and not be afraid of surprises in taste? Today I will tell you.

Which countries are famous for beer production

Sometimes you want a beer to suit your mood. Warming strong or, conversely, light for a long evening. I sometimes try something new, but I prefer to buy it from producers who know how to brew it.

Among all the countries that produce beer, I single out four for myself, based on the preferences of my friends and personal ones. These are countries that brew beer using centuries-old traditional technologies.

Germany

Perhaps, a country that knows a lot about the production of intoxicating drink. It developed and successfully applied the law on the purity of beer. And who hasn’t heard of the world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival?

Germany is considered the birthplace of unfiltered wheat, which is known throughout the world. It occupies the first lines of the ratings not only in terms of sales, but also in terms of taste, as the production technology is constantly being improved.

In Germany, there is a cult of beer and traditions of its consumption.

Czech Republic

This is a country that produces excellent beer at a low price. We have a lot of original beer, which is imported and not produced according to their technology in our factories.

In the Czech Republic, family traditions of brewing are developed, the secrets of the foamy drink are passed down from generation to generation and are often kept in the strictest confidence.

If we talk about the style of production, then the most popular Czech in the world is lager.

Belgium

It is this country that owns the invention of fruit and berry beer, which has repeatedly won prizes at many exhibitions.

But besides this, expensive and high-quality varieties with a long history are produced here. They practically do not improve the production technology – they consider it ideal.

Neighborhood with Germany allowed the Belgians to adopt the traditions of German brewers to brew their own unique beers, such as Lambic or Blanche.

USA

Recently, I often see companies from the USA in the top beer producers. We don’t know much about American beer. These are mainly imported craft varieties or advertised brands that are exported.

In the country itself, there are many varieties that are sold only on the domestic market. They have a decent taste and are in great demand among the population.

Beer is brewed according to old English technologies brought by the first settlers, but at the same time they use modern equipment and research results.

How beer is brewed

Despite the difference in approaches and traditions of brewing, the production process of this drink in all countries is the same.

The most important thing is quality raw materials.

The traditional recipe includes 4 ingredients:

  1. Malt. Germinated roasted barley, which is soaked for some time in water to activate the fermentation process.
  2. Water. Different countries use different. For example, in Belgium, some varieties of the drink are brewed with spring water, for example, fruit Kriek (Scream).
  3. Hop. The color characteristic of the drink depends on its variety.
  4. Yeast. There are top and bottom fermentation. For light varieties, riding is used, and for dark varieties, grassroots.

The process of brewing beer differs for each manufacturer, but in any case there will be such 5 stages:

  • Wort preparation. The malt is crushed, soaked in water. Such fermented raw materials are called wort. Next, the wort is filtered from large particles and placed in a boiler.
  • Cooking. In the cauldron, the wort is brewed for the time required for each variety according to the technology. Next, yeast is added to the cooled mixture.
  • Fermentation. The finished wort with yeast is placed in closed vats. After the foam rises, the process is considered complete.
  • Ripening. Almost finished beer is placed in vats for maturation, lasting from 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the technology.

Important: young unfiltered beer is not subjected to the maturation process.

  • Filtration. The final stage for the preparation of filtered beer. The finished product is passed sequentially through the filters. Their number and structure are also chosen by the manufacturer.

What affects the taste of beer

There is a joke among brewers that the taste and quality of beer is influenced by their mood and the care with which the raw materials for its preparation are chosen.

There is some truth in this joke. Indeed, the quality of raw materials is 80% of success in making a good drink.

But, professionals say that the taste of the drink is well influenced by many other factors:

  • high degree of fermentation;
  • alcohol content;
  • well-dried malt;
  • wort crushing temperature (ideally – not lower than 35 degrees);
  • use of boiled malt;
  • increased content of bitter substances in raw materials;
  • hydrocarbonate water for cooking;
  • prolonged maturation.

Again, I repeat, each manufacturer has its own secrets. For example, Americans process raw materials for beer under vacuum, which enhances the aroma and richness of the beer, which certainly affects the taste.

Which countries have the best beer?

To the countries that brew beer worthy of taste, I will include the first three from the top. These are Germany, the Czech Republic and Belgium. These countries have centuries of experience and history. The US now sells its drinks, in most cases, thanks to good advertising and the latest technology.

So, my personal top of the best brewing countries:

  1. Czech Republic.
  2. Germany.
  3. Belgium.

The Czech Republic is in the first place thanks to a wide range.

Now I want to advise you on specific brands of beer from my top:

  1. Czech Republic. Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Krusovice.
  2. Germany. Paulaner, Spaten, Wasteiner.
  3. Belgium. Achel (Ahel), Orval (Orval), Rochefort (Rochefort).

Of course, there are many more types of beer in these countries. But these are the ones I like, and more than once they have become winners of various international exhibitions.

But when you know that in this country all the beer is good and brewed according to centuries-old traditions, then you choose with pleasure something new to try. Don’t be afraid to experiment

Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!

Personally, I always enjoy trying new beers. Can you recommend me some little-known but tasty variety?

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