Happy St. Patrick's Day

You are still at home? Off with you to the pub to celebrate the Irish St. Patrick's Day. There is a lot going on in town. Molly Malones, Woolshed, O'Malley's and all the other Irish pubs in town have something special going on tonight.

There will be live music, special offers, green and orange merchandise and of course lots of delicious stout.

Have a great night!

A pint at Kitty's

The weekend is here! Time to leave work and reward yourself for a hard week of work with a tasty pint of beer.

And how about enjoying it with friends in a cozy booth, dim light and a friendly bar atmosphere? Sounds good? Then head over to Kitty's Pub right in the city center.

At Kitty's they have everything you expect of a good English pub: a good selection of beers on tap, a decent whiskey collection and lots of cozy corners to enjoy your drink.

Give it a try and have a good start into the weekend!

Primula goes Skiffer

After being closed for a while the new renovated Primula opened again a couple of weeks ago. The renewed place comes also with a new concept.

Half of the location was turned into the Old Skiffer, a new gin bar by the owners of the Skiffer restaurants. The other half remained Primula which still offers delicious modern Scandinavian food which is now complemented with the famous Skiffer liuskas (pizzas).

Pay it a visit and dine in a stylish yet cozy sail style ambiance. And if you are still up for it, head over for a perfect gin or Skiffer's own brewed beer at the Old Skiffer next door.

Or go check out Primula for their brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Whiskey and beer expo

This is the weekend for beer and whiskey enthusiasts. And no, I am not talking about drunks but people that know to appreciate a good drop for craft beer or carefully distilled whiskey.

Today the Olut Expo starts at Kaapelitehdas. 47 exhibitors present their fine products to the visitors. It is of course about tasting here. For a reasonable price you can try the different drinks and enjoy exquisite brews and spirits.

The entrance to the expo is 15 € on Friday and Saturday and 10 € on Sunday. For all three days you pay 25 €.

Have a good weekend!

Kekkonen's Brew

Urho Kekkonen is a legend in Finland. He was both Prime Minister and President of Finland and through his policy of active neutrality managed to keep Finland's independence from Russia and the opportunity to at the same time keep close ties to the NATO countries in the west.

Now the Saimaan Juomatehdas brews and sells two new beers in his honor. In collaboration with arki design they created Kekkonen Keskioulut and Juhlaolut. They can be bought from selected supermarkets around Helsinki now.

Give it a try and have a drink in the legendary president's honor.

Beer from the Ferry Island

Did you know that many of Helsinki's neighboorhoods have their own beer? Stadin Panimo from Helsinki is producing different brews for different areas.

One of them is Larun Lager from Lauttasaari. And it's not just all about the taste here - which is pretty decent - but also about the local connection. The watertower, Lauttassari's main landmark as well as the bridge are printed on the label.

So give Larun Lager a try. Or check out your neighboorhood's beer. And have a nice weekend!

A beer to rock on

Would you like to try a new beer over the weekend? Try the Rock And Roll Hurriganes Lager Beer then. It is truely Finnish. Not just because it is brewed by the Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas Micro Brewery from Western Finland. But also because it is named after the famous Finnish rock and roll band The Hurriganes.

And after all it is actually quite a good beer. So give it a try and have a rockin' weekend!

Brewing dogs and dead ponies

It's Friday! Looking forward for a good beer tonight? Then head to Punavuori and drop by at BrewDog. You might now their bars from other places around the world. Especially in the UK, the origin of the company, you can find their bars in many cities.

But even though BrewDog basically belongs to a chain it has a really original atmosphere to it. And the selection of beers in incredible. Aparts from a good variety of draft beer they have countless bottled ones. Many of their beers are their own productions, such as the Dead Pony Club Ales.

You can get your beer in normal but also in very small sizes which gives you the opportunity to try many different ones on the same visit.

Give it a try and have a great evening!

Small bird, huge variety

Are you up for a drink tonight? Maybe a beer or a whiskey? Then head to Pikkulintu in Eastern Helsinki. The small pub in Puotila is know all around Helsinki for its excellent beer and whiskey selection. 

Choose one out of 14 beers on tap. Like e.g. the famous and hard to get Siperia Imperial Stout brewed in Tampere. Or try one of their over 100 different whiskeys. Let the bartender help you with your choice since you most likely will loose the overview pretty fast. You can also go for one of their beer or whiskey tastings. For more information check out their website or give them a call.

Pikkulintu is by the way one of the very few independent pubs in Helsinki that are not part of any of the big retail and restaurant chains.

Enjoy and have a great Saturday night!

Finnish-American art of brewing

Beer fans listen up. There is something you should try. The Finnish Sinebrychoff Brewery started a cooperation with the Brooklyn Brewery from the US.

Together they created the Two Tree Porter. This dark malty and fruity beer has a slight taste of chocolate and coffee. It is one of the finest Finnish beers you can find. Give it a try and enjoy!

Late Oktoberfest

You haven't been to the Oktoberfest in Munich? Well, luckily it is not too late to get the Oktoberfest experience even now. And even without traveling. During the weekend the Beerfest is in Helsinki.

On Rautatientori right in the city center the big Beerfest tent invites you to come and join the party. The entrance fee is 17.50 €. Inside an entertainment program with music and show is awaiting. And of course you can get some snacks and food and of course beer.

For more information check their website and buy your ticket right away online. The tent opens on Friday and Saturday at 16.00 and stays open till midnight.

Have fun and a great weekend!

Teerenpeli on Keskuskatu

The construction work on Keskuskatu has finally been completed this summer. And with the new pavement new tenants arrived here as well. Now you can find a second Teerenpeli bar here as well. Teerenpeli Taivaanranta opened a few weeks ago.

It offers the same great beers, ciders as well as snacks as the place at Kamppi. Sit next to the street or choose a table in the inner yard with a glass roof over your head.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Decilcasies from around Finland

Today and tomorrow you can try some of the finest food from around Finland at the Herkkujen Suomi festival at Rautatientori. Stands from all areas of the country present their specialities here for you to try. Try some sweet lettu or enjoy some fresh muikku.

As every year also Syystober is held at the same time right next to the food stands. Here you can try beer from microbreweries from around Finland and find your own favorite.

The entrance to both events is free. Give it a try and enjoy!

Mämmi beer

Easter time is close. And you can already get into the Easter mood tonight. Instead of the usual why not have a Mämmi beer for a change tonight. Yes, you can make beer from this traditional black rye based Easter dish. And it's quite nice. 

It's called Laitilasta Kievari Mämmi and you can get it e.g. at Stone's at Keskuskatu fresh from the tab. Give it a try!

Super Sunday at Stone's

Sunday is normally not really the day to go out. That is why Stone's in Keskuskatu started the Super Sunday. Every Sunday starting from 20.00 selected beers and ciders (all 0.5l and not just the standard stuff but really good micro brewery products) as well as three different shots are just 4 Euros for the rest of the night. On Sundays they close at midnight.

That's a pretty good offer for the center of Helsinki. So if you don't have any plans for tonight maybe give it a try. They also have really good burgers.

Brews and bites at Bryggeri

Fans of microbreweries and good food should come to Panimoravintola Bryggeri in Sofiankatu right next to the Senatsquare.

When entering you stand in a small pub with a few tables and chairs. Taking the stairs down you get to the actual place with loads of space. Here also the restaurant is located. One side of the room is covered with white enlightened curtains that give you the feeling that it's bright daylight outside.

Try one of their owned brewed beers like Pils, Red Ale or their seasonal beer (at the moment Winter Weizen). They also offer other microbrewery beer. Ask for a recommendation. You might even get to try them first.

Bryggeri is also a good place for either a snack on the side or even a real dinner. The menu changes constantly. The dishes are delicious and even quite affordable.

Check it out! Today is Saturday!

P.S. Thanks for the tip to matwin!

Which beer should it be?

The Finnish alcohol monopoly is something to first get used to. Fortunately Alko has a wide selection of all kinds of different drinks. And even though beer can also be bough in normal supermarkets it might be worth to take a look at Alko’s beer shelf as well. Beers from all over the world are sold here. And lately Alko introduced a new labeling system that makes choosing the right beer even easier.

 

On the label of the beer you now also find a symbol that indicates not only its kind and color but even the type of glass you should drink it with. And if you have any further questions the well informed staff at Alko is of course also always happy to help you.

Cheers to the holidays!

The week is over. And most of you probably also have a longer vacation now till the end of the year. What better way to celebrate that than having a good beer at a nice pub? 

A good place for that is Kaisla (the straw). The pub at Kaisaniemi metro station is a cozy and welcoming pub with lots of space for small and large groups. And now that it’s cold, dark and windy outside it feels even nicer to sit down here with some friends and have a pint of tapped local Christmas beer from Helsinki’s Stadin microbrewery. Or do you rather fancy an international classic? Something from Belgium, Germany or the Czech Republic maybe? No worries, the bar tender will be able to help you with that.

Have a nice evening!

Hand-made beer from the Åland Islands

Between Finland and Sweden lays an archipelago called the Åland Islands. Being part of Finland the roughly 28.000 inhabitants of this autonomous group of islands speak Swedish instead of Finnish. For main land Finns the people of Åland appear somewhat strange and alien. 

If you don’t plan on visiting those remote islands in the middle of the Baltic Sea in the near future there is still a way to get a taste of Åland though. The micro brewery Stallhagen produces some really nice bear that is exported to Sweden and Finland. If you get the chance you should try it. The beer from this small traditional brewery is hand-made as they say and fits perfectly with some nice food. 

Skol!

Wine in the treetop

Are you looking for a good wine bar in Helsinki? Then come to Latva (Treetop). The small bar in Punavuori offers a big selection of excellent wines from all over the world. Don’t just ask for a glass of wine at the bar but take your time to browse through the long list of delicious reds, whites and rosés. If you still can’t decide let the staff help you. Just let them know what you normally drink or what you are looking for and they will recommend you something.

Latva is not just a place for wine though. They also have tasty local beer on tap. Except for Sandels all their beers come from microbreweries in Finland. Try for example the New Zealand Amber Lager or the light Vehnä wheat beer.

Enjoy your evening!