Food & Beer Culture

In Poznań, everything begins at Stary Rynek, the old market square with its town hall. At noon, two mechanical goats emerge from the town hall tower and butt heads—the Koziołki, as locals call them. All around, people sit outside the bars and restaurants, and the beer is usually a lager, often a Lech.

The best-known Poznań dish is pyry z gzikiem: boiled potatoes with a creamy mix of quark, onions and chives. It tastes fresh and tangy, and a light beer like Lech Premium doesn't compete with it. Heartier Poznań fare includes czernina, a soup made from duck blood, vinegar and spices.

Smoked foods pair especially well with Grodziskie: smoked fish, ham and Polish sausage. The smoke in the beer echoes the smoke on the plate, while the sparkle cuts through the richness. Gzik works well too, since the quark doesn't overpower the beer's delicate smokiness.

On November 11, St. Martin's Day, Poznań celebrates with rogale świętomarcińskie, puff pastry croissants filled with white poppy seed. Another local specialty is szneka z glonkiem, a yeasted pastry topped with icing and raisins. Both are served with coffee or tea rather than beer.

A former brewery once owned by the Hugger family in Poznań is now Stary Browar, the "Old Brewery," a shopping and arts center. In Poland, most beers are served in half-liter bottles or glasses, while Grodziskie comes in a goblet, with plenty of room for foam. The traditional toast is "Na zdrowie!"—"To your health!"