Kesäsahti - Summer sahti

Kesäsahti = Summer sahti

Kesäsahti (freely translated "summer sahti") is a totally new product. The alcohol percent 5,5 is lower than in a traditional sahti which usually is around 8 %. Sahti is sold in a 33 cl glass bottle and the price is 3,20 €.

You can buy this sahti from Heila - the one and only store in the world. Thanks to Finnish alcohol policy. Heila is a local food store located in Heinola (Finland). Local wines and surprisingly sahti are made and sold in this market place. Anyhow, it is great that people don't give up. Struggling for living food culture, including sahti, is worth doing!

I am so happy to know that summer sahti will be followed by "autumn sahti" and then most probably darker "Christmas sahti".

Even if the taste of summer sahti is different from traditional sahti and therefore divides so called sahti people, I warmly welcome summer sahti and recommed to taste it!

http://www.heilan.fi/Sivut/Valikoima.html

Marjo-Kaisa Piiroinen is the best sahti brewer 2008

Marjo-Kaisa Piiroinen from Kirkkonummi, Southern Finland, won the 1. prize of the sahti competition year 2008. The competion was in Kuhmoinen on 9th August. There was 37 finalists around Finland.

The results, 2008:
1. Marjokaisa Piiroinen, Kirkkonummi
2. Pekka Uusilähteenmäki, Mouhijärvi
3. Kauko Kuusisto, Jämijärvi
4. Jukka Vierimaa, Kalajoki
5. Niilo Ahonen, Luhanka
6. Tapani Lähde, Lammi

The winner Marjo-Kaisa Piiroinen and the wooden prizes.

In the end of the competition there was six sahtis to taste and estimate.

The jury is working.

Heikki Riutta from Sysmä won the best brewer of sahti in year 2006.

The sahti from Joutsa, Mid Finland. The colour is lighter than in Western Finland where the rye is often used as an ingredient. In Mid Finland most of the brewers use only barley.

The favourite of this blog writer was Niilo Ahonen from Luhanka. He was 5th in a competition. Congratulations!!!

Sahti brewing competition

The best sahti brewer in Finland 2008 will be selected in Kuhmoinen, Mid-Finland on Saturday 9th August.

The competitors (= finalists) are the winners of the 30 local competitions. Even this blog writer did brew sahti in one these local competitions but as a beginner did not succeed. More practise is absolutely needed.

Good luck for every brewer!

http://www.sahti.org/smkilpailu.htm

Panimoravintola Huvila - Sahti & Savonlinna Opera Festival

Yesterday I finally succeeded in tasting Huvila Sahti in Savonlinna. Savonniemen Brewing Companyt had brewed sahti most possibly because of the Savonlinna Opera Festival (July) which allures hundreds if not thousands of people to this small town.

Huvila Sahti is surprisingly bottled! The bottle size is 0,33 litres. In a picture you can see the foam after pouring. The personnel doesn't seem to be familiar with this rare product...

The colour is in the middle: it is not light but it is not dark either. The taste isVery sweat.

I had two real sahti experts as a company. The other one thought that the age of this sahti is maximum 1 week and the other one thought that it can't be excluded that syrup or other "extra" ingridients had been used.

Anyhow, we all did rank this commercial sahti high. It has a positevely unique nature.

The price is the highest I have ever seen: 9,00 e/0,33 l. I do admit that is is worth it and people should start thinking of the price of the wine. But to be honest, I had to call back and assure if the price Really is this high. In the phone the personnel argued the price with the high alcohol procent (10,4 %). So Finnish! I would say that people who can buy this expensive beer for sure have other arguments than alcohol.

Hopefully the price will not block testing but will enhance the value sahti deserves.

http://www.panimoravintolahuvila.fi/huvila/index.html

http://www.operafestival.fi/In_English/Programme/Calendar_of_events.iw3

Mid Summer Festival

The Mid Summer Festival sahti ("stone sahti" from Hollola).

In Finland there is a party called Mid Summer Festival (juhannus). In Lapland the sun shines 24 hours per day. In Southern Finland there is a sunset but it is not really dark by night.

The Mid Summer Festival is a good - and s traditional - reason to brew (laborous) sahti.

Home brewed "stone sahti" from in Hollola. In brewing very hot stones has been used. Sahti is served chilled.

Commerially brewed Tiinan sahti made in Sysmä (home fermentated).

The scenary in Lake Päijänne, Mid Finland. The home of sahti.

Wedding sahti in Kuhmoinen

Wedding is one of the best reasons to brew sahti. Here you can see a special wedding sahti brewed in June 2008 in Kuhmoinen (Mid Finland by lake Päijänne).

The colour is very light as seen and the taste is full, a little bit sweat but not too sweat.

Most probably this sahti would not have a success in a competitions because of the colour. People are so used to darker colour. But I would say this sahti defenitely belongs to the first class. As other beers also sahti has differences with colours.

The second sahti pot in a garden.

Third vice pot in a corner... You can't miss sahti in a good wedding! And you will not run out of it.

In 9thAugust 2008 an annual sahti competition is competed in Kuhmoinen. Go and taste!

http://www.sahti.org/smkilpailu.htm

Sahti is going strong!

The Best Beer of the Year 2008 Lammi's Sahti in Lahti Harbour (Sahtimessi).

At the moment there is nothing but good news! Sahti won an annual competition of the best beer in Finland. There was even more than 150 competitors. Lammi's sahti was the number one!

Second, in May the Urho's Pub in downtown in Helsinki had a sahti week. In practise it was a heaven for sahti lovers. Many alternatives e.g. from Helsinki (! brewer was Esa Mustonen from St. Urho's Pub), Hartola, Joutsa (personally I would rank this as a number one), Pori and Lammi were in a selection. Finlandia Strong from Lammi won the best commercial sahti of the year competition. Unfortunately there had been some problems in making "stone sahti" in Hollola (Hollolan Hirvi) and it was not sold.

http://www.botta.fi/ST-URHO-S-PUB.14.0.html?&L=1

Third, finally you can buy sahti from Alkos (liquer store in Finland) easier than ever. It took some time but now even in Sysmä you can have an excellent, ready made sahti straight from Alko.

Thanks for the media which has noticed the sahti and its beauty!

P.S. In early May I visited Savonlinna . Unfortunately sahti is still unknown in East Finland. Even if there is a Master of Sahti (year 2000) as a brewer, sahti did not include in a selection as nobody buys it. Maybe in summer time...

http://www.panimoravintolahuvila.fi/oluttehdas/sahti_e.php

Sahti from Hartola saved the Easter

Thank you Hartola and Alko in Hartola. It took 40 extra kilometres but it was worth coming. We bought both "basic" and strong Finlandia Sahti. Easter Celebration was possible. As a Easter present a bottle of good sahti really delighted.

Two (cold) new plastic bottles of Finlandia Sahti.

The Easter is coming - how to buy sahti?

A week ago Finfood News (http://www.finfood.fi/) reminded about a becoming Easter. The news told how perfectly sahti suits such a festival. These news also told that sahti can be bought in many restaurants and from some Alkos.

Straight away I contacted Alko's service department to ask would they (finally) sell sahti in Sysmä's Alko. I will visit this sahti village in the Easter. The answer was "No". I could though order it (delivery time 1 week). Ok, but I just don't have an idea how many bottles would buy. And it is far from simpliness to order food or drinks in advance.

Then I called some of my friends and relatives in Sysmä and in neighbouring villages. They confirmed the same: you still can't buy sahti in Sysmä - not even in restaurants. I asked would they buy sahti, if it was sold. The answer was instant "Yes, of course!", "It would be great!", "It would be so nice to have a bottle of sahti in a weekend" and "Wish we could buy it, then we would also offer it to our guests instead of wine". Then I asked why don't you order it? "Hmph, I won't. Too complicated. I don't have to order wine..."

Alko's service department told me that ordering system helps sahti brewers. It makes planning easier or something. I deeply doubt. It just makes buying complicated. To have success in buying is a synonym for Finnish marketing.

http://www.finfood.fi/finfood/finnfoo1.nsf/uutisetetusivulle/193B1896F125DC9BC225740500263121?opendocument

Link to Alko's ordering site:
http://www.alko.fi/tilattavat
...quick and easy?

The new plastic bottle!

Finlandia Sahti is now sold in a plastic bottle! Classic transparent glass bottle seems to be history.
Lammin Sahti is still sold in a beautiful, dark brown bottle with an old times bottle top.

At first I was shocked when I saw this new bottle but it took about 5 seconds to realize it's not THAT bad. Actually this new bottle is a handy alternative. Light, durable and lower. This new bottle suits even in my fridge! Because of the yeast sahti bottle must be stored upright. It was surprising to notice the capacity is still 0,75 l. I would have been ready to bet it is less, 0,5 l.

At the moment there is only one (!) Alko in Helsinki selling sahti. Both Finlandia Sahties (traditional and strong) and Lammin Sahti are included in a selection. You can also order 3 litres container of Joutsan Sahti. The delivery time is one week.

Yesterday I visited this sahti selling Alko. Infront of me in a queue there was a man buying (many) bottles of sahti. Looked like a beer loving tourist. If he had asked help from the personnel he probably would have been told not to buy sahti as it may BLOW in a suitcase. That's what personnel told me. Would it really blow? ...I guess I have to try...

Sahti in a film "Heavy Metal"

Young director Zaida Bergroth has included sahti in her film Heavy metal (Finland, 2007). Heavy metal is a story about teens living in Sysmä 1989.

In a story it is shooted how sahti is drunk out of the disco straight from a five litres container.

Sysmä is located in mid Finland. It is a traditional sahti village - even if nowadays it is demanding to buy sahti there.

Thanks to Zaida! It was a wonderful idea to have sahti in a film.


http://www.hiff.fi/elokuvat/elokuva.html?elokuva_id=140

Silent Silencio Sahti

At the moment nothing special is happening with sahti. Unfortunately.

Recently St Urho's (Helsinki) had a "Porter week". In earlier years this used to be a "sahti week". In the winter time it is told to be too challenging to get different sahtis to taste. The sahti week is postponed to May.

Internationalization is the thing we should do to sahti. Come on - let's have a campaing like CAMRA! And wake up mister Food Culture (such exists in Finland)! We'll also see what a new professor of (Finnish) Food Culture will do in practise. No preasure :)

Finlandia Sahti - where are the alternatives?

St. Urho's is one of the best pubs in Finland. It is located in the mid Helsinki, next to the Parliament House and Finlandia Hall. The musicians of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra find their way to St. Urho's after the concert. The Hall is on the other side of the main street of Helsinki.

As the reputation of St. Urho's is very good and it has introduced beers brewed by small Finnish breweries, the selection of sahtis should be better. One is not enough. Finlandia Sahti belongs to St. Urho's selection (altogether about 80 beers). It has won the competition of the "Beer of the Year" twice (Helsinki Beer Festival 1999 and 2003). Anyhow, the alternatives are needed. Finlandia Sahti is not the one and the only truth. It is not the "Pravda" of the sahtis.

There are even two Finlandia Sahtis: "regular" and strong. Which one the St. Urho's has - you have to ask. Wish they had both! And wish they had all sahtis that exists. It would not be many though.

Huvila, which is a small brewery in Savonlinna, brews Huvila Sahti. I try find and taste it as soon as possible! Maybe St. Urho's will have it in the "Sahti week" in the spring.

http://www.botta.fi/ST-URHO-S-PUB.14.0.html?&L=1
http://web.eduskunta.fi/Resource.phx/parliament/aboutparliament/presentation/parliamenthouse.htx
http://www.finlandiatalo.fi/en
http://www.finlandiatalo.fi/en/events/8907.html
http://www.finlandiasahti.fi/
http://www.panimoravintolahuvila.fi/oluttehdas/sahti_e.html

SAHTI-klubi - Sahti Club

Sahti-Klubi (Sahti Club) exist!

This week I got an e-mail where I was told about Sahti Club. The club operates at least in Helsinki. Special events and campaigns (like "sahti week"s) are made.

I was warmly welcomed to Sahti Club. Thank you. One day I'll be there. Great to have sahti mates.

About campaigns. What about a campaign like CAMRA? CAmpaing for Real Ale.
http://www.camra.org.uk/

Nowadays it is lot easier to find rale ale than sahti in Helsinki!

Christmas Sahti - simply glorious!

Christmas without sahti would be deficient. Sahti belongs to Christmas dinner as well as a pork, or turkey in England. At least in our family.

As Christmas is one of the greatest feast in the whole year, the sahti is made with special care and love.

This year I was lucky. I had four different sahtis. Two were made with hot stones in Hollola. One of the sahtis was made in Kuhmoinen (Middle Finland) in a pot. The fourth was commericially sold in Sysmä (Middle Finland) but not via Alko. It was fermentated at home.

All of these sahtis were either good or very good. Even the commercial one was surprisingly competing with home made sahtis. It is rare. The person who had fermentated the commercial sahti is though sahti expert himself.

Hollola: colour was pretty dark. Taste was full and there was smoke in the odour. Sahti was clear and made as well as it is possible.

Kuhmoinen: colour was very light. In comparison to the lightness of the colour the taste was heavy. Tasty. The brewer told that this sahti was made quickly. He had started the fermentation in higher temperature as usually used. This makes sahti production faster but also the storage time gets shorter. In Christmas time it is not a problem as people gets together and sahti is offered.

Sysmä: colour was very dark, maybe one of the ingredients was rye but the story doesn't tell... The taste was just super. I wish all the best for "Tiinan sahti" - the brewer.

I heard that "Tiinan Sahti" was selling sahti in Sysmä before Chrismas and many, many people bought it. The instructions how to do the fermentation right was given to the clients. In many families this sahti made The Christmas possible.

I also heard that Alko in Sysmä does not have sahti in a selection. Quite surpring as Sysmä is famous of its sahti culture. Obviously local people would buy it, and visitors too. Sysmä doubles its population (5000 inhabitants) in summertime as there is lot of summer cottages. This maybe tells the situation of sahti culture in Sysmä, and in Finland. Sad. But, not the end of the story!

Welcome to sahti blog

Cheers! Sahti is one of the oldest beers in the world. It comes from Finland and it is still brewed, unfortunately only in a small scale. It is not easy to find sahti even in Finland. I wonder if you can enjoy any sahti out of Finland.

Luckily, in some Alkos (liquor stores in Finland) and in some pubs you can buy sahti. And if you are lucky and know people who makes sahti by themselves you probably will have a really good sahti.

Briefly about sahti

Sahti is made of water (high quality in Finland), barley and yeast. Sometimes also rye and/or hop. When brewing traditionally either junipers or straw are used.

Sahti is so called fresh beer. Sahti has to be stored in low temperature (in a fridge temperature)and it will have a high quality only for a month or so. Before drinking the bottle should not be shaked because of the yeast in the bottom of the bottle.

There is few commercial sahti brewers in Finland: Lammin sahti, Joutsan sahti and Finlandia sahti. Their products are sold via Alko, the official liquor store in Finland (monopoly).

Some firms (more than three) brew sahti and sell it legally too. In this case the client has to add the yeast and fermentate the sahti. In other words he/she has to do the last period of the brewing by him-/herself. In this period the alcohol appears to sahti. Sometimes this is too difficult.

The Finnish strict alcohol legistation is blamed to be nearly a sahti killer. I personnally only wish it wasn't so complicated to find sahti. And wish there was more alternatives even for sahtis, too.

Some people knows how to make sahti and brew it by themselves, usually at home (in sauna). It takes for years to learn to do sahti properly. Commonly the know-how runs in families.

In general, there is two ways how to do sahti. It can be done in a large pot and heated there or it can be ripen by using hot stones. At the moment there is one sahti brewer - Hollolan hirvi - which commercially use the stone method. In my family the stone method has been the only method for generations.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Hopefully you enjoy your sahti!

P.S. Comments, ideas etc. are warmly welcomed.