Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beer
Pivo
beer is very popular in Slovenia, especially with younger people. Štajerska
hmelj
(hops) grown in the Savinja Valley are used locally, and are also widely sought by brewers
from around the world. They have been described as having the flavour of lemongrass.
Slovenia has two major brewers, both of which are owned by the Laško brewery in the
town of the same name south of Celje. Laško produces the country's two most popular
brands: Laško Zlatorog and Union (which is brewed in Ljubljana). Both brands are stand-
ard pilsners, with a light golden colour and a hoppy, almost bitter taste. Of the two, Zlat-
orog is by far the most popular, with a reputation as the beer of choice for young profes-
sionals, hipsters and beer connoisseurs of all stripes. Union is generally seen as the work-
ing man's beer - the right choice for a bender, when just about anything will do. That said,
we like them both and have a hard time telling them apart.
Laško also makes a popular, sweetish dark
beer
(temno pivo)
called, appropriately enough,
Laško Dark. It's frequently available on tap in
bars and pubs. Union makes a very popular,
low-alcohol (2.5%) shandy called Radler, fla-
voured with orange, lemon or grapefruit and
available in cans and bottles. Another popular
beer blend, Bandidos, throws in other alcohols, including tequila.
In a
pivnica
(pub),
točeno pivo
(draught beer) is ordered as a
veliko pivo
('large beer';
0.5L) or
malo pivo
('small beer'; 0.3L). Both locally brewed and imported beers are also
available at pubs, shops and supermarkets in 0.5L bottles or 0.3L cans.
You'll learn lots more about Slovenian viticulture,
regions and wine labelling by visiting
Brandy
An alcoholic drink as Slovenian as wine is
žganje,
a strong brandy or
eau de vie
distilled
from a variety of fruits. Common types are
slivovka
(made with plums),
češnjevec
(with
cherries),
sadjevec
(with mixed fruit) and
brinjevec
(with juniper). A favourite type is
medeno žganje
(or
medica
), which is fruit brandy flavoured with honey - a kind of mead.
One of the most unusual (if not the best) is Pleterska Hruška, a pear brandy (also called
viljamovka
) made by the Carthusian monks at the Pleterje monastery near Kostanjevica
na Krki in Dolenjska.
