Greetings from Estonia!

Hei to everyone. I just got back from a trip to Finland and Estonia and here's a report on a couple pubs I went to in Tallinn, Estonia. The first is called Hell Hunt and it labels itself as the first Estonian Pub. In Estonia and Finland the big drink is not beer, but cider. They spell it siider. As they say, when in Rome... so at Hell Hunt I had their home brewed cider. When they brought it out I thought they were bringing water and the cider would be coming soon. Much to my surprise the water was the cider. It's very clear, only a very small yellowish tint distinguishes it from water. The taste however, is certainly not like water. It is not really sweet and most of the ciders are made from pear which is apparent in the taste, but certainly not overwhelming. It's a very pleasant drink as it's crisp and clear, not too heavy. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a beer, but for a nice alternative, I found it to be a nice drink that packs quite a punch.The decor in Hell Hunt was fantastic, it was a great pub in an old building but what I loved were the lamp shades made of barbed wire along with the doors that covered the ceiling. It was a great laid back place that would be pleasant to spend some time. However, make sure you have Estonian money because their internet was down when we were there and couldn't use our cards.

The second place we visited was not for the cider but for the theme. I bet you've never been in a Depeche Mode bar! In Tallinn they have an entire bar devoted to the Depeche Mode complete with back-lit images under the bar, autographed photos on the wall, a tv with constant Depeche Mode videos, tables with band member photos and articles under the glass and a very large mural with the rose and a giant DM.
They are also a proud member of the Estonian Depeche Mode fan club. I of course had more cider which was similar to the previous Hell Hunt. My friend had a beer called Rock from an Estonian brewery called Saku which happens to be the oldest surviving brewery in Estonia today. Here's the Wikipedia article on Saku beer which is very interesting. I only had a taste of the Rock beer, but I thought it was fantastic! I can't remember at this point, a week later why I liked it so much but it really struck a cord with me. Unfortunately it seems that Saku is not currently being imported to the US at this time. If I had known I certainly would have purchased some to bring home. I guess beer is as good as an excuse as any to revisit Estonia.

If curiosity strikes and you want to see more photos of Tallinn you can visit my Picasa photo album.

-Kelly aka Red Herbivore