Vilnius is Europe’s cheapest city and its artisan beers are a bargain. Beer blogger Liz Dodd explores the cellar bars beneath medieval streets,and taps into Lithuania’s ancient brewing traditionThe chic crypt in Vilnius where I first encountered red clover beer could maintain been any craft beer bar in the world on a Friday night – but for the price of the drinks. At Bambalynė (Stiklių g 7), a bottle shop and bar where ale-lovers flit between fridges deep beneath the former town, and a pint of artisan beer sets you back approximately £1.80.The Lithuanian capital was this year named the cheapest city in Europe in the Post Office’s City Costs Barometer,overtaking Budapest. Beer in Vilnius is cheaper than anywhere else in Europe: the perfect reason to visit its craft beer bars and discover how modern brewers are reimagining the country’s centuries-former farmhouse microbrewing tradition. When I visited last month, I travelled backwards in brewing time, and starting out in modern Bambalynė and working my way back through the best pubs for country beers.
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Source: theguardian.com