5 places you probably didn't know could get you drunk
Antje Binder / ekJuly 22, 2016
You can either drink them or go on vacation to them - or both. Here are five alcoholic beverages that are named after cities.
Image: Picture-alliance/dpa/R. Weihrauch
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5 places you probably didn't know could get you drunk
In these five European cities, you can enjoy a classy alcoholic beverage - local style. The cities have all lent their names to famous beverages. How many have you tried?
This spirit is made of white wine from the region of Cognac in France. Many have tried to copy this drink, but only brandy that truly originates from Cognac is allowed to use the name. Connoisseurs maintain that the soil in the region contains the perfect amount of calcite and that only this mild climate can result in the full-bodied and harmonious taste of real Cognac.
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Pilsner (Czech Republic)
Today, the original Pilsner of 1842 is still available for purchase and is known as Plzeňský Prazdroj or Pilsner Urquell. The enterprise has not changed the recipe for over 170 years. High in hops, the beer tends to be bitter in taste, and the Pilsner brewing techniques have inspired beer makers all over the world.
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Barolo (Italy)
It is one of the noblest Italian wines and also one of the most expensive. Only a specific type of grape can be used to make it and they must originate from hills near the Italian parish of Barolo. The wine has to be aged for around three years for it to achieve the perfect taste. A good bottle of Barolo costs more than 150 euros.
For several years, two ancestors of the family of Budějovice, one from the Czech Republic and one from the United States, have had a disagreement about which Budweiser is authentic. Clear is that Budějovice is part of the Czech Republic and its beer, which tastes much different from its American namesake, has been produced since 1795. Which one is better? That's up to you.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France)
This wine is often listed as one of the best in the world. When having a look at its price, this assumption becomes comprehensible. It is not uncommon that this noble wine from the correspondent village in the South of the valley of Rhône costs more than 100 euro. By the way: Châteauneuf-du-Pape was the favorite wine of Charles de Gaulle and many others – at least if they were able to afford it.
A journey through France might feel like taking a walk through a well-sorted liquor store, from the northeastern Champagne to Burgundy and Sancerre in the middle of the country. Next is the village of Cognac and finally Châteauneuf-du Pape in the South. The country is full of famous place names that many outside of France probably only know from the wine store.
Why Pilsner got off to a bad start
One brand of beer that has managed international stardom is from the Czech village of Plzeň. Today, the so-called Pilsner enjoys a strong reputation and might just be the most favored brand of beer in the world. However, the early Pilsner wasn't even worth drinking.
When beer brewing began in the late 13th-century, there was no focus on high quality work. Undrinkable - that was what most of the residents of Plzeň thought about the mixture. In 1838, their disgust even motivated them to pour several barrels of the stuff into the gutter.
The rebirth of Pilsner
In 1842, Josef Groll, a master brewer from Bavaria, was called in to solve this problem. In a newly built brewery, he used a new technique as well as blond malt and profited from the extraordinary soft water in the Plzeň region. The new beer had a brighter, more or less golden color, and its characteristic humulus-rich taste as well as the snow-white froth became a sensation at that time.
From Plzeň to the world
Not long after that, the brewery of Plzeň succeeded in supplying their beer not only to the imperial court of Vienna, but also to the high society in Paris. From there, the beer finally started its conquest of the whole world. Today, Pilsner is an inspiration for more than two thirds of the world's beers.
