Being a white male of mixed European descent has some pretty unique advantages. Sometimes I wish that I was part of a more defined culture or heritage that I could relate to directly, instead of having a hodge-podge ancestry of different cultures that I'm fairly removed from. However, being a bit of a mutt also has its perks as well. For example, on any given day, I can choose to identify my self as being Irish. Even though my Irish ancestry is pretty distant and I've had family in the states for a over a century, I still have my days where I can claim pride in my Irish ancestry. I have my moments when I feel very Italian, even though I despise most Italian soccer players for being diving little nancy boys. On the rare occaision that I meet another person who claims to be of Finnish descent, a conversation about heritage is sure to ensue. Hell, I'm even proud to claim my Polish ancestry on certain days, even though they are a people that has been much maligned here in the states rather inexplicably for decades. Usually when you tell people that you are part Polish, they start in with the dumb Pollack jokes. I don't exactly know where or when the whole dumb Pollack thing started, and I don't even really take offense to it most of the time because sometimes those corny jokes still make me laugh a little. Despite the misinformation spread by the telling of dumb Pollack jokes, I think it's great to be a proud man of Polish descent. I can identify with the hard working, industrious spirit of the Polish people on many levels, so it's not really all that bad to be part of a people who have been overshadowed by the neighboring countries for centuries.
Poland isn't exactly a country that's know for it's brewing history, and the beers from near by Germany, Austria and Czech Republic have long been celebrated more than those from Poland. But it only makes sense that all of these countries essentially from the same region, using very similar ingredients, would brew beers that are relatively comparable in quality. Nevermind that there's maybe not one beer that immediately pops into your mind when you think of Poland; there is still a rich brewing tradition in Poland that dates back almost as far as their German and Czech counterparts. Tonights beer Zwyiec is a good example of a quality lager to come out of the unheralded nation of Poland. Zywiec is very similar to many of the German style pilsners that have become so popular in that region of Europe. With a little, yeast taste and a smooth and even body, Zywiec is easily as drinkable as a standard lager like Budweiser or Heineken. I could easily see myself cracking open a Zywiec or two at my next family barbecue, or while watching a baseball game with my buddies. That's the kind of beer it was for me. It felt really light in the sense that drinking it was almost effortless, but it didn't feel like much was sacrificed in the overall taste. A lot of my fellow beer hounds who have tried Zywiec like to hate on it, but honestly I can really see why. Is it groundbreaking? Not by any means, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is still a very decent and drinkable beer. I would encourage my fellow Pollack bretheren to stand up for your heritage, take pride in your ancestry, and drink a Zywiec. (On a sidenote, when Zywiec was first brewed, the brewery was actually a part of the Austria-Hungary empire, but a couple of world wars have since shifted the boundaries of eastern Europe and placed the brewery within the confines of Polland, and ever since it has been defined as a quintessentially Polish brew).
Na Zadrowie!
Ian
http://www.zywiec.com.pl/
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