In the Kudablin project, we send completely different people on trips at our expense! Nikolai Egorov visited Copenhagen: he climbed onto one of the most dangerous observation platforms in the city, tried a dozen types of Danish beer and felt like a local resident after swimming in the city fountain. More details in his report!
See the first part of the report here.
Copenhagen in the summer is a great place to drink beer! A joyful city where naked girls cool off in fountains and gray-bearded men in colorful skirts invite you to share a beer! As a home-grown beer expert, I went to Denmark to try all the possible beers in supermarkets for under 20 DKK per bottle.
This did not stop me from tasting even export varieties created at the highest invitation from the royal court. To control my degree of joy, I came up with a rebus for myself: Andersen is in Copenhagen, and Carlson is in Stockholm. As soon as my doubts about this increased, I climbed into the fountains to cool off, fortunately it’s popular here. And of course the main plus is that in Denmark you can just drink beer in public places!
Let’s have another bottle, huh? – this character was enticing, it was hard to refuse…
My journey to the beer marathon from the airport began; I decided to save money and walk to the city center, buying beer in stores along the way. Here is the first stopping point.
I looked at the shelves of beer for a long time, cutting off international brands in order to get acquainted with local varieties. The most local looking one was KB Juleøl, I was very attracted by the gnome on the label. Danish crown, all business, elegant 0.33l. I find the nearest sharp piece of metal, open it and take a sip. Hmm, it’s a bit sweet, where’s the beer? I look at the bottle—the strength is 1.7%. Kvass, my friend. Juleøl is Christmas by the way, and Santa is on the label. This is a sweet “white” beer that is consumed with pudding. But I didn’t have pudding, Christmas is far away, so my rating is kvass with kvass.
It’s hot, I add a bottle of cranberry juice, as I understand it. This drink from Rynkeby is pure brilliance, 67% natural cranberry juice, just sweetened just right, while retaining the acidity and tartness of ripe cranberries. I drank the bottle and didn’t blink an eye. Of course, it doesn’t make it into the beer rating, but I recommend it. Even here in Estonia I haven’t come across cranberry juice like this yet.
I wanted to go to the park, but ended up in a cemetery, there were a lot of cozy places here, but not a single shop, so I moved on.
The sun was blinding, trucks with local noisy youth rushed around. The boys and girls were clearly ahead of me in beer tasting, I also had to speed up.
Drink beer like us! – the girls shouted from the back. I hastily started looking for another supermarket.
The next purchase was more dense. Cocio – that’s where I decided to start, sitting down on the lawn. “Milk, sugar, cocoa – that’s all,” says the caption on the label. The drink is popular and can be found in abundance in every supermarket. It is easy to drink; most likely, the milk is very pasteurized and has reduced fat content; the bottles lie directly on the shelves and not in the refrigerator. A very pleasant drink, I generally love milk. The milk is thrown into the firebox and I move on to the next bottle.
With beer, I decided to mix another drink from Rynkeby in my stomach – I thought it was blueberries or black currants. But figurines – Hyldebaer – are elderberries! Heavily sugared – it can probably only be added to cocktails. I was able to drink a couple sips of everything. And this despite the fact that I like to knock over a can of condensed milk in one gulp. The acquaintance with elderberry juice did not work out.
That’s it, let’s move on to beer. Of course, Carlsberg. Sorry, my relationship with Tuborg did not work out since childhood, because Tuborg in Ukraine was always a terrible swill, butted by local factories. Although Tuborg belongs to Carlsberg. The main problem of any megabrand is that instead of beer they get colored water, which is the same anywhere in the world and can be stored for a year or more: the costs of mass production.
So, Master Brew from Carlsberg. It looks like a lager, a slightly bitter light beer, there is almost no aftertaste, and there is nothing pleasant in the flavor trail either. Cheap beer is when it tastes best when it’s being poured down your throat. Like Obolon light, which is drunk only from two-liter PET bottles…. Master Bru occupies the lowest positions in my ranking.
You give unusualness, you give authenticity – an inner voice shouted and bought a wheat eco-ale. Løgismose is a local wine brand and has all its resources in Danish. I started to sip this wheat ale and spat it out. A sour, sharp brew – that’s what it was. And the aftertaste is like some kind of shampoo. Sorry, I’m probably not old enough to drink eco-beer.
A bottle of eco-ale is poured into the grass. The foam was so thick that it lasted for several minutes. Negative rating in my rating.
So, where is Carlson? – the question started playing in my head. It’s time to look for a fountain and cool down, the heat has risen above 30 degrees.
This fountain is fun, but all the seats are taken, let’s move on.
Field of Miracles? No, this is roulette – which of the city parks to go for a walk. A great activity for those who don’t know where to go. I get to park near the art museum.
To make the journey less boring, I introduce myself to Carlsberg Porter. 6.8% fortified and sweetish dark beer, it hits so well. Not a bad aftertaste for an inexpensive beer. Carlson and Andersen eluded me more and more in the thirty-degree heat and ….
… and I found this wonderful fountain near the art museum. There were chairs in the water, just a sight for sore eyes.
The excellent water refreshed my head and legs, and I really regretted not taking my swimming trunks with me. Condition “OK”, let’s go to the next beer stop.
Royal Export, at the invitation of the Danish Crown. This is exactly what light colored water with a pleasant beer taste, and even 5.6% alcohol. Gently pours in and brings to the desired condition. Getting drunk is a great beer, trying something delicious is not about this beer. Sorry, export brand of the Danish crown.
The end is the crown of the matter, the best beer came to me last. Black Bird from local microbrewery Fuglsang. A good light lager beer with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. I savored the jar with pleasure until the very last sip. First place in my subjective rating of Danish beer.
It was easy to find out what the locals liked; many walked along the streets and sipped beer from cans. Often it was Tuborg. I came up and asked simple comrades like me, drinking beer sitting right on the street – for some reason everyone praised Tuborg. But the enmity towards Ukrainian Tuborg accumulated since youth did not allow me to step over myself and try this beer again.
Spiked with beer, juices and milk, I measuredly watched the day draw to a close near the Nyhavn canal, and an hour later my brain became so clear that I remembered that this is where Hans Christian Andersen lived. The storyteller was no fool and occupied as many as three houses near the embankment.
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Preview photo: Unsplash.com
Author of text and photo: Nikolay Egorov
