Traveling to Hungary

[TX_Brewing]

I will be in Budapest and Szeged for 5 days, any suggestions on places to visit, or beers to drink while I am there?

 

[Rockn_M]

I don't have any suggestions but wanted to say that's cool!

 

[unionrdr]

Budvar lager beer is one thing I'd like to try. It's the one Adolphus Busch tried & copied, as I remember... Besides my FIL being Hungarian, & the foods they made!

 

[beergolf]

Can't help you on places to visit or beers to drink, but I would love to get there sometime. My grandmother came from Budapest to the US when she was 12.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, here's an interesting correction to my previous statement. I was researching something for my 2nd home brewing book, & found this. It was actually a wine merchant named Conrad, close friend of Adolphus Busch that traveled to Hungary in the 1870's. He dined at a small monastery in Budweis where they served him a beer he proclaimed to be the best he ever tasted. He offered the priests who brewed it a handsome sum to give him the recipe, which he got.
He came back to America & had Busch brew the beer for him, which he named Budweiser, after the town in which he found it. He bottled it himself in his own little shop. but being as bad at balancing his books as old Eberhard Anheuser, he came to owe Adolphus a lot of money. Adolphus whipped out his debt in trade for the recipe. But Budvar can still be had in Europe. might be interesting to look up?!

 

[Bali]

Try the "Léhűtő" at Budapest’s nightlife scene in the Gozsdu Courtyard, it is a very good craft beer bar, "Élesztő" (means "Yeast") and "Csakajósör" are nice places too. "Hopfanatic" is also highly recommended at Hunyadi tér. Anyway, just google these names for locations. Also, if you happen to visit Kecskemét (which is halfway between Szeged and Budapest, very nice relaxed town, my hometown) drink some craft beers at "Szakkör", it is located between the courthouse and the parking lot of the old city cinema. I hope you will spend good time here in Hungary. Cheers!

 

[thadeus_d3]

I'm jealous. I was there in 2014 and had the time of my life. I've traveled to a few places and Budapest is my favorite place. As far as places to visit, checkout the usual tourist attractions.

- Fishermans bastion
- Hero's Square
- Parliament
- Castle Hill
- Szechenyi Baths and Pool

Also, be sure to checkout Szimpla Kert. It's a ruin pub with cheap beer & palinka and it's an experience that I'll never forget. If you go, be sure to write or carve your name and/or location on the wall.

Unfortunately, I can't give you any beer recommendations (I know, I should be ashamed!). Beer is very cheap there and I tried most of the commercial brews, but there were no standouts. I recommend going to a grocery store and making your own variety pack with single cans or bottles.

I can give you a few food options to try. Goulash of course is their famous dish, but Langos are amazing especially after a long night of drinking. They also have very good potato pancakes. Here's a few food pics from my trip.

 

[daft]

It's a bit of a ho-hum place compared to more famous Euro capitals, but nice as a change. You will see the high west bank looming over the river with various castley things on it, and should need no prompting to wander there. There is a parklike area to the far east of the flat part of city with various attractions and monuments highlighted in any guide book/page.

I didn't feel the need to go to the famous terror/secret police museum or maybe any museum, which is unusual for me. Girl watching was so amazing; I guessed the countryside must be drained of ambitious people headed for the city. There is an art-deco food market building in the SW which is normally what Americans would gush about, but I found it a bit stillborne. However worth a quick stop maybe for brunch.

Eat lots of paprika, on snack foods or cole slaw or whatever... it seems to make ordinary paprika taste like sawdust in comparison. Even at a convenience store you can get great affordable wholesome food, like pure blueberry juice. There must be some interesting excursions... I took a sleeper train to Croatia and preferred that area.

 

[mblanks2]

Budvar for sure. If you can find it. I loved it years ago and make it regularly at home now.

 

[unionrdr]

You got a recipe to share for that? I'd love to try what Mr Conrad gushed about all those years ago!...:rockin:

 

[sudbuddy]

I'll be there in May during my Siebel break, so thanks for posting this. I'm going to steal all the advice you get

 

[mblanks2]

You got a recipe to share for that? I'd love to try what Mr Conrad gushed about all those years ago!...:rockin:

It's just a simple Bohemian Pilsner recipe. Easy to make but hard to hold on to.
As well as I can remember this is very close to what I drank for months while in Europe. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 8.42 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 5.72 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal
Fermentation: Lager, Two Stage

10 lbs Pilsen Malt 2-Row (Briess) (1.0 SRM) Grain 1 95.2 %
8.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 2 4.8 %
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - First Wort 90.0 min Hop 3 17.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 15.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 10.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 6 1.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg Czech Budejovice Lager (White Labs #WLP802) [35.49 ml] Yeast 7 -
400 billion cells

Water profile target was:
calcium - 25
magnesium - 0
sodium - 8
Sulfate - 15
chloride - 34
Mash PH @ 5.4

Mash for 75 minutes at 150*F and boil for 90 minutes.

I have added up to a pound of Munich for additional color and malt flavor. Either way it is very good. Build a good starter and expect at least a 72 hour lag time. Also be ready for a sulfur bomb when you open your fermentation chamber.
I do a primary at 54*F for 10 days then raise the temp. by 2*F - 3*F per day until it is at ambient for a D-rest. Finish out a full 21 days primary and rack to secondary and lager for 3 months @ 33*F.
What I believe makes this beer unique is adding 5 ounces of dextrose to this and bottle conditioning at 67*F for 3 weeks for a very lively carbonation profile.
Got 15 gallons of this lagering as we speak. Hopefully be ready to drink around April.

 

[unionrdr]

Thanks! I can easily make a pb/pm biab version of this. i wanna go back to what they tasted that started so many beers in cleveland & other places I remember from over 50 years ago...albeit barely. This may be the re-starty I need in my hopped & confused exbeeraments......now if I could just copy & paste to my files? Haven't figured that trick out yet...

 

[sd_brewbie]

Make sure to check out the ruin bars. We caught a concert at A38 Hajó which is an old ship converted to a restaurant and night club. Had a blast. Definitely worth checking out. Some of the hot springs have after hour parties or sparties as they called them. Don't remember any stand out beer, but plenty of good times and cheap food and drink.

View attachment 1448505658932.jpg

 

[TX_Brewing]

That looks amazing!! Looking forward to it!! Most of my time will be in Szeged since it is a work trip, but I have heard they are very hospitable to their visitors and like to hav a good time!