Zywiec Original Polish Lager Beer (Multipack) 24 x 500ml / 5.6%
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Żywiec Original is a Polish pilsner-style lager at 5.6% ABV, supplied as a multipack of 24 x 500ml. It is brewed by Grupa Żywiec in the town of Żywiec, in the Beskid mountains of southern Poland, and its 12.5° Balling extract gives it more body than many everyday lagers. In Poland a beer of this kind is known as jasne pełne, a full pale lager. The label shows a couple dancing in traditional Kraków costume, and the beer suits drinkers who like a fuller, more bitter lager with a meal.
Żywiec Original tasting notes
- Aroma: Bready malt, a hint of honey and a fresh, grassy hop.
- Taste: Full-bodied for a lager, with rounded malt and a firm, clean bitterness.
- Finish: Dry and fairly long, with lingering hop.
How to serve Żywiec Original
Serve it at 5–7°C in a pilsner glass or tall pint, leaving room for a firm white head. Żywiec goes well with Polish pub food such as golonka (roast pork knuckle), grilled sausages or fried fish, and its firmer bitterness copes with spicy dishes too. Take it out of the fridge ten minutes before pouring if you want the malt to show more.
Mixed serves with Żywiec
- Żywiec Ginger: top 330 ml Żywiec Original with 170 ml ginger beer in a pint glass and add a wedge of lime.
- Grapefruit Radler: 250 ml Żywiec Original topped with 250 ml grapefruit soda in a chilled pint glass.
How it compares
Żywiec has more body, a slightly higher ABV and firmer bitterness than Tyskie Premium (5.0%) and Lech Premium (4.8%). Perła Honey is the sweeter, honeyed alternative, while Żywiec stays dry and hop-led, which makes it the most food-friendly of the four lagers here.
Good to know
This Polish beer shares its name with the town where its brewery stands, at the foot of the Beskids. Wodka Company ships Żywiec Original 24 x 500ml across the UK from London, so a full case reaches your door without a trip to the shop.
Po polsku
Na etykiecie piwa Żywiec Original tańczy para w strojach krakowskich. To jasny lager w stylu pilzneńskim o zawartości alkoholu 5,6%, w zestawie 24 x 0,5 l, warzony przez Grupę Żywiec w Żywcu, w Beskidach. Ekstrakt 12,5° Blg sprawia, że ma więcej ciała niż wiele codziennych lagerów. W smaku pojawia się chlebowy słód, nuta miodu i trawiasty chmiel, a finisz jest wytrawny, z wyraźną goryczką. Najlepiej smakuje w temperaturze 5–7°C, do golonki lub smażonej ryby.
Frequently asked questions
What does 12.5° Balling mean on Żywiec Original?
Balling measures the extract, mainly malt sugars, in the wort before fermentation. Żywiec Original's 12.5° Balling is higher than many everyday lagers, which is why the beer has a fuller body and rounder malt character.
Is Żywiec Original a pilsner?
Yes. Żywiec Original is brewed in the pilsner style: a golden pale lager with bready malt, a grassy hop aroma and a firm, clean bitterness on a dry finish.
Is Żywiec more bitter than other Polish lagers?
Yes, a little. Żywiec Original has firmer hop bitterness than Tyskie Premium or Lech Premium, balanced by its fuller malt body, so it suits hearty food such as roast pork or grilled sausages.
