It was four o’clock and I was excited to leave a seemingly endless day of dull meetings at my day job. I had an appointment to tour Browar Stu Mostów and sample some of their specialties. Given my past experiences with breweries, I knew this one would be fun. Nevertheless, I had to keep my professional attitude — despite being usually a light and positive experience reviewing restaurants, it’s still work after all.
Browar Stu Mostów
When I arrived at the porch of Browar Stu Mostów, I saw an unusual combination of old industrial atmosphere and some cutting-edge technological geekiness. Distillery equipment, galvanized steel tanks, volumetric dials, and computers mixed seamlessly with red brick and wrought iron. I opened the door and took the concrete stairs that led me upstairs to the bar. All of a sudden, the powerful yet pleasant aroma of malt and fresh beer wafted past my nose. I felt invigorated. Strange as it is, fresh beer smells much different than what you sniff in the bottle. It is somehow earthy, grassy, vivid — as fresh as smelling water after you step close to a waterfall, no exaggeration here. It was a fresh beer waterfall, so to speak.
At the mezzanine, just above a few steps from the entrance, I glimpsed what makes this place a trendy pub as well. Exposed brick walls, modern steel tables, an inviting counter with a multitap welcome guests looking for local brews. A friendly waitress greeted us, offered us the menu, and suggested some options. First, we ordered the Salamander pale ale. It is a light pale ale, with aromatic citrus notes and a bittersweet aftertaste.
After a while, Grzegorz, owner of Browar Stu Mostów, greeted us warmly and sat down at our table. After a few pleasant introductions, I asked him to guide me on a tour of the pub’s flavors, to which he happily suggested two entrees for our evaluation: chicken liver appetizer with sauce and dumplings made of game meat; to match, a great Salamander Imperial IPA.
Beer Pairings
Feeling adventurous, we tried some of the succulent chicken livers. I still salivate at the idea of eating it again while I write this review: I found it absolutely tasty, so to speak, as the dish was well cooked, with a balanced spicy flavor and sweet taste of the half-cut grapes lying over the pieces of liver. They paired perfectly with the black IPA. Absolutely recommended. The dumplings were also a great surprise. The game meat inside was not the taste of those strong meat cuts I would expect. In fact, they were herbal, and aromatic.
At the second course, we tried the braised Osso Buco with herbs, along with another refreshing Salamander Black IPA. Osso buco is Italian in origin, though there is also a past tradition in Poland on preparing such a dish. Grzegorz sources these from local butchers who cut the leg of veal to expose the marrowbone. The braised result is a fatty yet tasty dish which matches the freshness and spiciness of the beer. From my experience, black IPAs are quite overwhelming in flavor, however, this Salamander Black IPA was absolutely fresh due to generous hops.
Wrocław’s Brewery
Of course, I couldn’t help to ask him about the factory itself. The brewery has a handful of choices of craft beer way beyond the ones I tasted – that journey I think is reserved for another review in the future. I was really impressed by the number of different beers brewed in a single place. Grzegorz emphasized that, despite being a large factory, each beer is, in fact, a result of careful work. The brewery produces 1 million liters of beer per year, all of them carefully monitored, inspected, measured, and nurtured to produce a unique flavor. It involves at least four months to produce a new flavor, as it depends on the combination of hops, barley, and water. For the non-experts among us, intricate processes of millions of yeast strains also interact to form unique brews.
The brewery is open for visits on request, and this is not something to refuse f you get the chance. We descended the stairs in the direction of the porch. Once there, we entered through another door to the plant. Grzegorz guided us through the barrels and pipes seemingly everywhere and showed us the ingredients, while they were mixed in the production process. We tried the fresh malt, crispy and sweet. Resembling Ovaltine, just without the sugar, I think it would make a great snack. We walked through the hum hum of the mixers and metal gears, to reach the bottling and distribution section.
It was almost two hours of fun, and I didn’t see the time passing. I thanked Grzegorz warmly, and headed back home, full of bliss and hop thoughts.
2 Długosza
Browar Stu Mostów is at 2 Długosza Street, Psie Pole, and it is an easy five-minute walk from the Kromera tram stop. There is a parking space in front of the building, and it is open every day from noon until midnight on Mondays – Wednesdays, and up to 1:00 am from Thursday – Sunday. Prices are accessible — you can expect for a two-course meal and two beers to spend nearly 80 PLN. Check the prices at the pub though, as the menu is dynamic and changing constantly to adapt to new flavors. Booking in advance is recommended for groups, and there is an online reservation system at their website.
For more great articles on Wrocław, click the link here.
