July 12, 2023 – A Croatian summer always raises a thirst – meet the new beer on the block for 2023 – Karlovačko Ledeno.
It is over 20 years since I got the keys to my new home in Jelsa on Hvar and went down to the Pjaca to celebrate with a beer. I didn’t know anything about beer in Croatia, but noticed a chap on the next table drinking a green bottle with a goat on the label.
“Is that beer any good?” I asked.
“The best one here,” came the reply
It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that has lasted over twenty years. Laško Pivo and I have been close ever since.
Pale golden in colour with a hoppy taste, it has been my saviour on many a hot (and not so hot) Croatian summer’s day over the last two decades. As far as thirst quenchers go, I have not come across many beers on my travels which do the job half as well.
When I posted the photo above with a heartfelt message on my 20-year anniversary in Croatia, the main comment apart from congratulations was how I could be promoting Croatia while drinking a Slovenian beer? Well, the short answer to that is that Laško is just a great beer, what can I say?
The first Croatian beer that came to my attention back in 2003, due to a superb piece of advertising that really tickled me and guaranteed it a soft spot in my heart forever, was Karlovačko. Walking down the Riva in Split soon after I arrived, I came across this wonderful promotional poster – Manchester United 1878, Karlovačko 1854. There is tradition and heritage, and then there is Karlovačko.
I had my new Croatian alternative. And, as I travelled around Croatia, I saw that Karlovačko was the equivalent to drinking like a local. And when I learned that Karlovačko was the official beer of Hajduk Split – a religion in Dalmatia – it was obvious which was the beer to drink like a local..
Photo: TCN
I decided to look into this new beer and discovered that they had named a whole city after it, or was it the other way around? What came first, Karlovac or Karlovačko… Whatever, the time to really enjoy Karlovačko in Karlovac is the annual Days of Beer Festival.
One of the big frustrations of any beer drinker, especially when chilling in the heat of a Croatian summer, is being served lukewarm beer, or beer at a less than desirable state of chilled. I can’t recall the number of times this has happened to me over the years here, and there is really no way to tell if a beer is at the perfect temperature when you order.
Until now.
Karlovačko has a new beer which addresses this problem superbly, an innovative label on a new beer introduced to the market this summer called Karlovačko Ledeno, a flavoursome brew to help you relax by the pool in the company of friends. ‘Ledeno’ means ‘iced’ in Croatian. Its white label in the supermarket changes to blue once you have given it enough respect in the fridge or freezer – a sign that the beer is chilled to the perfect temperature. If ever there was a reason to choose a beer on a hot day in a new country, this would be up there. Such technology 20 years ago would have saved me a lot of disappointment and warm beer over the last two decades.
Part of the foreign holiday experience for many is trying the local experience and products, and the price and taste of the local beer is an important consideration for many, especially those in need of thirst quenching in the summer sun. Light, refreshing but full of flavour, similar in style to Bud Light, Karlovačko Ledeno is a lighter alternative to the main Karlovačko lager at just 4% rather than the fuller 5.4%. It is a worthy addition to the Croatian beer scene and with that unique guarantee that you can see when it is cold enough. I don’t understand the technology behind the label, but you can learn more on the official website.
One thing is for sure – Croatian summers are HOT! and the availability of a chilled, refreshing beer is essential. Some will choose their Slovenian goat juice, and many tourists will drink what locals do – it promises to be a busy season of beer drinking on the Adriatic.
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This article is in paid partnership with Heineken Hrvatska.
