Herkkujen Suomi, the annual end-of-the-summer occasion of hawking domestic food has recently attached a conspicuous beer-appendix to itself.
Sadly the show itself has gone downhill, as the small producers get crowded out by food stalls. This year big chunks of the nation went unrepresented. The gravest loss was Kainuu, as the mighty tar bread produced by Pekka Heikkinen’s bakery was shockingly not available. Also missing in action: rönttöset, proper rieska and non-industrial cinnamon buns.
Sampled a pair of beers over a warm Thursday lunch alongside pulled pork burgers (which seems to be the sushi of the latter half of decade, so rapid has its ascent in popularity been). Pyynikki’s Vanilla Stout was the better of the two, even if its hefty dark warmth was quite out of place on a sunny day. Laitila’s Wasaborg, a smoked wheat beer, was more appropriate but as the common complaint goes “not smoky enough”. The former reinvigorated my interest in Papabeers (which I’d happily forgotten about) and I’ll keep an eye out for the latter as well for a more autumny second encounter.
FI: Makujen Suomi heikkenee vuosi vuodelta kun muikkukauppiaat vievät tilan. Lounasoluet turhan tummia hienoon myöhäiskesän päivään.
brewnardo 