Is Ukrainian Beer Worth Drinking? The Answer Might Surprise Patriotic Americans

Is beer from Ukraine worth giving a shot?

As OutKick readers know, I'm a fan of ice-cold domestic beers. Specifically, I like Coors Banquet, Miller Lite and Busch Light.

You can't go wrong with any of those three. They all hit the spot, and because they're consistent, I generally don't branch out too much.

However, it's good to try something new, and that's what I did with surprising results.

Ukrainian beer is shockingly good.

I found myself in a local Total Wine in Virginia after having to abandon the Hookstead Compound (long story involving a catastrophic flood), and out of pure curiosity, I went over to the imports section.

I had no intention of buying anything because, again, I don't generally like different beers other than what I'm used to.

Yet, I couldn't help but notice a cool bottle that caught my eye. It was Zhygulivske Lager Beer - Pivo Svitle from Ukraine.

Specifically, it's brewed by Obolon Brewery in Kyiv. My first thought was how Ukraine could still be pumping out beer amid a massive war against Russia for its survival.

My very next thought was that I had to try it. It wasn't cheap. A single 16.9-ounce bottle was around $4. That's a lot of money for a working-class guy like myself.

Yet, I bit the bullet and purchased a single bottle to drink with my beef stroganoff dinner that I cooked myself.

A look at Zhygulivske Lager Beer - Pivo Svitle. It's brewed by Obolon Brewery in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Credit: David Hookstead)

It checked in at 4.6% alcohol, and I couldn't find any further nutritional information on the bottle. Most of the information on the bottle was written in Ukrainian.

I did take Russian in college because the class had a handful of good looking women, and back then, that's more or less how I picked college classes. The teacher was also straight out of central casting for models from Moscow.

Having said that, I don't speak any Russian other than one sentence I won't repeat here. So, I have no idea what the bottle says, but let's be honest, it's about what's in the bottle.

It did not disappoint.

I poured it into a glass. The beer had a bit of a darker copper look to it than what you would see with most light beers in America.

Is Ukrainian beer worth drinking? (Credit: David Hookstead)

It was finally time for the moment of truth. Was it worth drinking? The answer is simple:

Yes.

I was shockingly impressed by the tasty nature of Zhygulivske Lager Beer - Pivo Svitle. Eastern Europe isn't really known for quality.

The entire stereotype of the old Soviet bloc of countries is that they made bad food and drinks. It turns out that might not be the case.

The beer paired incredibly well with the beef stroganoff. Now, is it Coors Banquet? No, but nothing is. That doesn't mean it wasn't delicious.

Zhygulivske Lager Beer - Pivo Svitle is a very solid beer. This is a look at the back of the bottle. (Credit: David Hookstead)

The only downside is that $4 for a single beer in a store is a heavy price. For the price of three Zhygulivske Lager Beer - Pivo Svitles, you could get a 12-pack of Banquet, Miller Lite or Busch Light. It was definitely worth the money one time, and maybe I'll get it again at some point down the road. I'm just not spending that kind of money on a regular basis. Having said that, it was still worth checking out, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Have you had it before? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.