Poles enjoy alcoholic drinks at least as much as other Europeans. You can buy beer, vodka and wine. Although Poland is known as the birthplace of vodka, local beer seems to have much more appeal to many Poles. Another traditional alcoholic beverage (napój akoholowy) is mead. Polish liqueurs and nalewka (alcoholic tincture) are a must. Legal drinking age is 18 (not 21, like in USA). I personally don’t remember anyone asking me for an ID in Poland, before I moved to US. However, I know that now they take it very seriously and card people before serving them alcohol.

Let’s start with the beer (piwo)!

Poland’s brewery tradition began in the Middle Ages. Today Poland is one of top beer countries in Europe.

Although not well known internationally, Poland traditionally sports some of the best pilsner-type lagers worldwide. The most common brands include:

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• Lech 
• Żywiec 
• Tyskie 
• Okocim 
• Warka 
• Łomża 
• Tatra

Popular Polish vodkas (wódki):

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• Żubrówka  – vodka with flavors derived from Bison Grass, from Eastern Poland.
• Żołądkowa Gorzka  – vodka with “bitter” (gorzka) in the name, but sweet in the taste. Just like Żubrówka, it’s an unique Polish product and definitely something you must try.
• Żytnia  – rye vodka
• Wyborowa  – One of Poland’s most popular potato vodkas. This is also one of the most common exported brands.
• Luksusowa “Luxurious” – Another popular brand, and a common export along with Wyborowa.
• Pan Tadeusz
• Soplica
• Chopin
• Belvedere

Wine (wino) is also very popular in Poland. Poland does make a few quality wines around Zielona Góra in Dolnośląskie, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie in the Beskidy with the most famous Polish wineyard in of the Dionisos of Jasło and Świętokrzyskie in central Poland. It the winter time, many Poles drink grzaniec (mulled wine), made of red wine heated with spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Mead – Miód Pitny is a traditional and historical alcohol drink in Poland. Mead is brewed from honey and has excellent unusual taste similar to wine. Original Polish mead contain 13-20% alcohol. Sometimes it can be very sweet.

Na zdrowie!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Na zdrowie!