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?
sunnuntai 16. maaliskuuta 2008
lauantai 8. maaliskuuta 2008
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...
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...
keskiviikko 5. maaliskuuta 2008
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
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
lauantai 1. maaliskuuta 2008
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 :)
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 :)
sunnuntai 20. tammikuuta 2008
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
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
lauantai 12. tammikuuta 2008
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!
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!
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!
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