Tasting

A Koduõlu in the glass looks unassuming at first: cloudy, pale yellow to amber, with barely any head. The first aroma is juniper, resinous and faintly gin-like, followed by a fruity note reminiscent of ripe banana. On the palate it's soft, slightly sweet, with no noticeable bitterness, and the low carbonation makes it almost creamy.

One genuine example is the Saaremaa Koduõlu from Pihtla Õlleköök. The brewery in the village of Pihtla pours its beers in its own tasting room, called the Mekituba. A visit shows just how different two farmhouse beers can taste, depending on how much juniper sat in the filter.

Traditionally, Koduõlu is served in the õllekann, a beer jug, drunk in long swigs. If you're pouring it at home, use a jug or a stoneware mug. Serve it closer to cellar temperature than fridge temperature, since too much cold would mute the soft sweetness and the juniper resin.

With A. Le Coq Premium, the pale lager from Tartu, the experience is quite different. It's clear, pale gold, and crisp, with moderate bitterness. It's an everyday lager, much like what's drunk in neighbouring countries.

Öö from Põhjala, finally, belongs in a small, round-bellied glass—a tulip or snifter—not a jug. At 10.5 percent alcohol, it's meant to be sipped slowly, never ice-cold, so the roasted notes and sweetness can come through. The head is brown and fine-pored.