Thursday 3rd October 2013

Bob Thompson

This likable little brew pub is located in ulitsa Piwna (Brewery Street), so named because there were once a number on this thoroughfare, and that gives it the title. It hasn't been in existence for very long as it was founded in 2012, yet since then it has gone on to establish itself with a very high reputation.

It is situated in the Śródmieście part of the city. This translates as main town or downtown and is to be found just south of the old town. The pub normally serves just two beers in its standard range yet there is always one other from an ever-changing selection of specials.

When I visited the regular two beers were:

Pils (5.3%) brewed with light malts and aromatic hops.
Pszeniczne (Wheat) (5.4%) made with wheat and barley malt.

There are a number of special beers brewed and these are as follows:

Dunkel (6.3%) made with pale barley and dark caramel malts.
Altbier (5.5%) is top fermented in the Düsseldorf style and uses Munich dark, pilsner, wheat and caramel malts.
Marcowe (Märzen) (6.5%) is brewed with Pilsener and Munich malts plus Hersbrucker hops.
Pszeniczne Cienne (Dark Wheat) (5.6%) is made with wheat and Munich malts; a little caramel malt is added.
Porter Bałtycki (Baltic Porter) (8.0%) is bottom-fermented and made with roasted and caramel malts.
Bohemskie Cienne (Czech Dark) (4.5%) uses Pilsener and roasted malts.
Dry Stout (5.0%) is made with Pilsener, dark and roasted malts with Polish Marynka hops.
Milk Stout (6.0%) is brewed with Pilsener, roasted and wheat malt. Oatmeal and Lactose are added.
Red Ale (5.1%) has Pilsener, Munich and caramel malts with Polish Marynka.

Some of these beers are available in bottle. I had the Pils and the Dunkel and this is my opinion of them. The Dark had a mainly malty taste yet with a good bitter finish. The Pils was superb, very bitter with a lovely dry aftertaste.

In the pub the first thing you notice is that the interior is larger than the exterior. This is not an illusion as the pub extends into the adjacent property.

I turned left and grabbed a small table in the main room next to the brewing equipment. This stretches up to the upper floor where there is a room and down to the basement where there is another bar.

There is a full menu and this pub is an excellent refuge from the tourist crowds, especially in the summer.

Important Information:

Browar Piwa, ul Piwna 50/51 Gdańsk. Tel: 583 013 924

Open: Sunday-Thursday 12.00-24.00; Friday-Saturday 12.00-02.00

There are no apparent bus services near the pub but as it is only ten minutes walk from the main railway station, this is no great inconvenience. The main station has rail connections to all over Poland. It also has excellent bus and tram connections.
Gdansk has an International airport with flights to all over the continent including the UK.