I happened to be in Sarajevo on business, with colleagues, who were in the mood to go to a pub near the hotel where we were staying after finishing our duties.
I was in charge of finding where.
I didn't want to let us sit in the hotel restaurant and drink some industrial beer there.
I had in mind a pub with craft beer.
I asked the girl at the reception where there were pubs around the hotel and got four suggestions.
Without checking on the internet, I went with my colleagues to: "Majstor za pivo(Master of Beer)", a pub that I was sure was a craft beer pub.
I did not make a mistake.
Ambience and the offer of bottled craft beers in the "Maistor za pivo" pub is really large, and they also have draft beer.
My colleagues opted for the traditional Maisel's Weisse beer from the Bayreuth German brewery, their most famous wheat beer.
However, I was drawn to the name Pale Ale and IPA from Maissel's and Friends. It sounds like it's the same brewery, but this "Friends" is a bit confusing.
While we waited for the waiter, I looked up some information.
Maisel and Maisel & Friends breweries represent two different brands that come from the same family tradition.
Maisel Brewery is a traditional, family brewery founded in 1887.
You've probably had the chance to try their wheat beer, which is one of the most popular wheat beers in Germany.
Colleagues decided on that beer.
Maisel & Friends is a brand founded in 2012 by Jeff Maisel (from the fourth generation of the Maisel family). The idea is that Maisel and friends will be a "craft" branch of the original brewery, which will join the growing craft scene in Germany and the whole world with new, modern styles of beer and innovative tastes.
And so, while the bartender poured wheat beer for my colleagues, I decided to
Maisel's and Friends Pale Ale, with 5.2% alcohol.
PALE ALE is a fresh, fruity and very drinkable beer.
It is fresh and fruity with notes of citrus and passion fruit, balanced by a pleasant hop bitterness. The blend of five hops: Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra and Hercules, provides a delicious and refreshing taste experience.
After PALE ALE, I decided on Maisel's and friends IPA with 7.3% alcohol.
If you inquire about this beer, you need to ask for Stefan's edition, because the classic IPA has 6.3% alcohol.
The color in the glass is golden-copper with persistent white foam.
At first sip, there are lots of floral and fruity aromas, but with noticeable hop notes, as well as slight woody and piney notes. Traces of caramel and biscuits can also be felt, coming from the malt.
This IPA beer has a combination of bitterness and mild sweetness.
While drinking it, I could smell notes of citrus fruits, as well as notes of dried fruit, honey and caramel.
A very drinkable beer that went well with chicken drumsticks and fries.
The front page of the beer card with famous characters from a scene of Žika's dynasty says, "It's time for beer".
At Beer Master, it certainly is.
In addition to the great offer of beer and the excellent ambience, I was surprised by the beer prices.
0.33l for 2€ for IPA and Pale Ale is a very reasonable price that makes you want to drink more, however, these two were quite enough for me, because I didn't want to show off my beer drinking capacity in front of my colleagues as I show here in the #Beer community every #beersaturday, as well as this 425 week.
After all, we were on an official visit and I consider the tour of this beer hall as a free moment of that visit to Sarajevo.
