Amber Lviv

by Natalia Rudnichenko
©PANORAMA

What did our ancestors drink in ancient times? Do our “hoppy” tastes, centuries apart, differ that much? Look for the answers to these questions in modern Lviv, which can be rightly called the beer capital of Ukraine. And not only because this amber drink has been brewed here from times immemorial, but also because the whole culture is connected with it in the city of Lions

“Lviv likes, can and has drink” states Lviv writer Yuriy Vynnychuk in his famous book “Knipes of Lviv” (A knipe is a Lviv tavern or pub). He found support for this statement in Lviv archives: several centuries ago, Lviv residents did not really drink wine, nor vodka or coffee. Since the 14th century, Lviv was proud of its premium beer and unsurpassed pubs, the prototypes of its modern bars and art-cafés. In soviet times, pubs were unofficially banned, but at the same time “Lvivske” beer was transported to Kremlin buffets by morning flights. Nowadays, the city of the Lions maintains its traditions of high beer culture with panache.You think that Lviv is still famous only for its cafés and confectioneries? You think “beer tours’ are only in the Czech Republic, Germany or Austria? Go to Lviv: to you and yours, “Lvivske”!

Our Own and Good

It is noteworthy that the first mentions of beer are dated to at least five and a half thousand years B.C.! It was brewed by ancient Sumerians, who settled between the Euphrates and Tiger rivers. Their brewers mastered the secret brewing more than sixteen kinds of beer. In the Middle Ages, the secret of this drink was brought to Western Europe by pilgrim monks who appreciated its sustaining properties. According to another story, beer was with us even before: already in the 4th century 19 kinds were brewed in England.

Our ancestors who lived during Kiev Rus times were good brewers: they made beer from the same barley malt and hops used today. They brewed this drink in Lviv since ancient times but the real “beer boom” started here with the establishment of the guild movement.

The first statutes of the guild of Lviv brewers still known nowadays are dated from year 1425. The members of the gild controlled the quality of their drink carefully and considered brewers from other cities to be mere amateurs. In the second part of the 17th century, Count Stanislav Pototskyi gave the Jesuits who had settled on his lands the right to build, on Kleparivska Str., a brewery “to brew our own and good beer”. Thus was founded Ukraine’s first brewery in 1715.

They brewed really good beer here. They used wonderful water from the local artesian springs, selected hops and barley malt, and a production technology that was the best anywhere at the time. Now this tradition is kept alive by the famous “Lviv Brewery” (http://www.lvivske.com/eng/). To pass on this rich history to our descendants, Ukraine’s first Museum of Beer was opened at the brewery on October 14, 2005.

Mugs of Love

This unusual museum with 500 metres of exhibition space is located in a historic building from the 19th century, in real brewery cellars. And visiting them amounts to taking a trip through the history of the production and consumption of beer, not only in our country, but also throughout the world. Most of the three hundred exhibits were provided by the brewery itself, while Lviv antiquarians and various museums also contributed. Its exclusive collection includes old beer bottles with trademarks embossed on the glass, ancient beer mugs from various countries of Europe, beer barrels, posters, recipe books from the end of the 19th century and many other curios as well as surely wax figures of the monks who started this indispensable business three hundred years ago.

The pride of the museum is a qualification certificate for the master-brewer confirming the fact that the drink was brewed only by specialists. Lviv magistrates issued it in 1797 to a man who truly mastered this specialty. And another man’s dedication to the quality of his beer was rewarded with love!

Engineer Robert Doms, who owned part of the brewery in the 19th century, test-tasted newly-brewed beer in bed every morning. And the drink was brought to him by his young servant Zosia in ten-liter ‘halbas’. The beer was certainly very good: Robert fell in love and married the girl, sold his share of the brewery and went to live in Switzerland with his beloved. He left us as a memento the legendary goblet named “Zoska’, considered a talisman of the museum.

After so many interesting stories about beer it is time to taste the drink itself. The museum has a special tasting hall. If you prefer to sit with your friends and enjoy a wonderful Lviv beer with club concert, climb to the next floor to the restaurant “Robert Doms’ Hoppy House”. Who knows, maybe you will meet your love there too?

Taste of Legend

Everybody who has ever visited Lviv will agree that it is a unique city. St. Andrew’s Church, City Hall, the Armenian Church, the Opera House… we are amazed, enjoy and return again. Next time, walking across Lviv, try the good amber drink and possibly the city will reveal its secrets to you. In addition to the classic local beer, do not forget to try a mug of hot Lviv Porter, perfect on a cold autumn day.

You can enter any bar or pub without hesitation: Lviv residents are famous for their Gallician hospitality. Here are several of the best venues in the old part of Lviv, which can be visited during one small tour.

Gourmets are enjoined to start at “Viennese Café” on the main street: Svobody Avenue. It is a fashionable and at the same time accessible European restaurant. Order hot shrimps with mushrooms with sour cream sauce, it is an incredible delight!

“Horse” Bar is an ideal venue for aficionados of old times. Its two halls, located in the cellar of a building from the 17th century, are decorated with wrought iron. Cuisine is Old Slavonic and Hutsul, and beer suits each dish perfectly! The bar-restaurant “Prague” will transport you to a modern western European pub, and will be appreciated by sport fans for whom two big-screen TV sets were installed.

Lifelong students and artists should visit the “Tasty Gossip” tavern, where the famous Casino de Paris was located in the 19th century. “Progressive” youth and representatives of Lviv art circles haunt this establishment. The walls are covered with aphorisms and thoughts by the visitors. Will you add your own?

“Behind the Curtain” is one more interesting venue. Located on the first floor of the Philharmonics and called simply “Phila” by artsy types, it is a classic Halician beer pub from 1933, where all visitors know each other well, where time passes over friendly talk and mugs of amber drink. Sit here a little while longer: somebody will tell you more legends about fine Lviv beer.

Seven Stops of “BEER TOUR”

Museum of Beer
18 Kleparivska Str., tel.: +38 032 294 80 65, e-mail: museum@lvivske.com.
Open daily (except Tuesday) from 10:30 to 18:00. For persons over 18, “Lvivske” beer tasting is included.

Bar-restaurant “Robert Doms’ Hoppy House”
18 Kleparivska Str., tel.: +38 032 24 225-93, web: www.robertdoms.com.ua

“Viennese Café” Restaurant
12 Svobody Av., tel.: 38 032 272 20 21, web: www.wienkaffe.lviv.ua

“Horse” Café-Bar
5 Staroievropeiska Str., tel.: +38 0322 723157.

“Prague” Bar-Restaurant
8 Hnatiuka Str., tel.: +38 032 274 1220.

“Tasty Gossip” Knipe
3 Lesia Kurbasa Str., tel.: +38 032 240 3337.

“Behind the Curtain”
7 Chaikovskoho Str., tel.: +38 032 298 1535.

Five facts about Beer

1. The first records of beer appeared on Sumerian clay tablets, and the first brewers at the dawn of mankind were women.
2. Nowadays, there are more than 20 thousand beer trademarks worldwide, and the per capita consumption leader is the Czech Republic.
3. They began to store beer in glass bottles at the beginning of the 17th century, and the world’s first beer in can appeared in the USA in 1935.
4. Vitamins from the B group in beer are thought to improve cardiac rythm and to stimulate metabolism (in case of moderate consumption).
5. Beer is a good cosmetic product. It is used for setting hair, foam smooths facial skin and some even take beer baths!

Getting There

kiev flights Ukraine International Airlines offers daily flights from Kiev to Lviv (twice a day). With your Panorama Club Card you will earn 311 miles in Economy Class and 467 miles in Business Class on the Kiev-Lviv route. Also, there are direct UIA flights to Lviv from Barcelona and Frankfurt, as well as Vienna-Lviv daily direct flights. With your Panorama Club Card you will earn 1000 miles in Economy Class and 1500 miles in Business Class on the Vienna-Lviv and Frankfurt-Lviv routes, and 1203 miles and 1805 miles respectively on the Barcelona-Lviv route.