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The concept of \u201cbeer-flavored beer\u201d doesn\u2019t actually exist\u2014at least not universally. One person\u2019s disgusting is another person\u2019s delicious, and a lot of it has to do with your upbringing, culture, and culinary traditions. With this in mind, writer Lana Svitankova calls beer an opportunity to experience \u201cliquid nostalgia,\u201d a concept that she explores in-depth in her latest piece titled \u201cSour, Salty, Umami \u2014 The Ukrainian Brewers Transforming Pickling Traditions Into Beer,\u201d which was published on October 12, 2022 as part of Good Beer Hunting\u2019s Critical Drinking series.\xa0

In the piece, Lana delves into the relatively young beer industry in Ukraine, which has experimented with pickle beers and other culinary-inspired styles in ways places like the United States have only begun to explore. From tomato beers to those inspired by gazpacho or borscht, these beverages have the ability to connect drinkers with the past as well as the very land around them, a land that remains under threat to this day.

We\u2019ll talk about that ongoing conflict, as well as Lana\u2019s ability to find joy not just in beer itself, but in the strength, courage, and resilience of the beer community as it grapples with survival as well as the human need to experience comfort and cheer. She describes her favorite anecdote she\u2019s told thus far, which involves oysters and a personal redefinition of what beer is, as well as the very specific food-inspired beer she\u2019s holding out for an intrepid brewer to make. Finally, Lana breaks down individual preferences not just in what we eat or drink, but the music we listen to, the art we love, and the way we experience the world around us. Chaos can be as gorgeous as a symphony, and with an open mind, the possibilities for new sensations are endless.