Bratislava-Nova Brewery Unveils Limited Winter Lager

The Old Gate Brewery in Bratislava-Nova has released its annual limited-edition winter lager, a dark ale brewed with locally malted barley and spruce tips harvested from the Tatra plateau. The brewery produced 8,000 bottles this year, down slightly from last season due to the low Danube water levels that have constrained grain shipments.

Head brewer Tomas Novak said the recipe was developed over the summer in collaboration with the Federal Heritage Office, which supplied a historical brewing manual from the eighteenth century. "The spruce tip is a nod to the old plateau tradition of foraged flavorings," Novak said. The lager will be available at the winter festival and select merchants until the end of the season.