Swedish light´s and delights

After my previous experience, I expected beautiful lakes but not beers when holidaying in Sweden this summer. I also already knew that I had to look for energy-inefficient and nasty tasting cans when searching for organic brews in the local shops. So, I was delighted when I found Ekholmen Ekologiska Ale - a Swedish organic beer in a real glass bottle! Sadly, the beer isn´t as great as the packaging. It´s a mild ale and easy enough to swallow down. But it lacks distinction and almost tastes like a wanna-be Pilsner that didn´t quite make it. A bitterness lingers in the mouth, but there is no kick to it at all. Shockingly, therefore, I found the beers in cans (and from the brewing giants, as it turns out) better this time. - While the best thing about Krönleins green eko lager is it´s name, both it´s 2,8 and 3,5% versions are more exciting to drink than Halmstad - the place where it is brewed - is to strawl through. Krönleins is a family-owned brewery, though - and in the one local restaurant we tried in Halmstad, it was on tap. All that is commendable - and the beer is a good enough light accompaniement to a meal. - Better, though, are the Falcon Ekologisk series of beers, even though, yes, they are brewed by that purveyor of mediocrity: Carlsberg .... Their 3,5% Premium Lager is as good as you can expect a far too light beer to get. The 5,7% Special Brew version certainly tastes a lot better than normal Carlsberg. It´s probably meant to appear "heavy" and a little bitter. To my German palate, it therefore tastes like a real Pilsner. Not a brilliant one. But a perfectly drinkable one - especially with a stunning view of a lake ... - My Swedish favourite, though, is also from a giant. While I really didn´t like ABRO´s light organic beer, their "Starköl" Sigill is - by Swedish standards, at least ;-) - a real delight. It goes down smoothly, but has enough bitterness to not be bland, but Pils. I wouldn´t exactly import it, but I do wish I had found it earlier during our holiday. Next time, it´s the first one I will have when back in Sweden! Skål! P.S. And here is one of the lakes ;-)

Kids against climate change ...

My daughter has been to a number of protests already. She mostly liked them, though a couple of times, the noise scared her. While marching against neoliberalism, coal plants or nuclear power, we often wondered, though, what she will make of the pictures of her as a baby demonstrator. Will she be appalled and join the neoliberals in protest? Or will she top it all, and start her own movement? We can only wait. And if she turns out like the kids in this video? Well, yeah, it would make daddy proud: