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Olvi Ykkönen


This is actually a light beer - and by "light" I mean that it is made for those family men (like me) who in the mornings have to drive a car and go to work or take care of their children (I'm a divorced dad living with three small kids). This is considered as a low-alcoholic beverage, rather than beer, actually. This is sold also in places, that can't sell alcohol. I have heard that many work-place restaurants used to sell this earlier, but it had to be stopped, as those, who came to work in a hangover or drunk, could go to canteen and order some "ykkönen" and say to collegues, that I visited canteen, and that's why I smell like a drunkard.

"Ykkönen" is still beer, in my opinion. There is obviously the taste of bulk lager, but with a lot more water-like taste than the actual beer-beers. Some say this isn't a beer, as it is purposely made less alcoholic. "Ykkönen" is obviously not like those traditional home brewes, that may or may not contain alcohol - and if they do, nobodys counting.

There are also those non-alcoholic beers, which may seem to be even less beer-like, because let's face it: Beer is an alcohol-based drink. But you have to remember that in this "ykkönen", there still is 2,7% vol alcohol (in Finland). This isn't a stuff, you would put in a baby's bottle. This is beer. At least tries to be.

There is no head in this, at all. This is metal-tasting industrial lager (I think this is a usual tasting-assessment of Olvi lagers), which is maybe less brewed or alcohol is somehow removed, but it doesn't matter how they do it. This is a beer for the moments where you are not allowed or don't want to become too drunk, or you have already drank too much but want to continue ingesting some beer(-like stuff), or you are just thirsty and want some sweet beer but do not want to get so drunk while emptying your bottle in a minute.

There is a time and a place for this kind of beer, too. And I am not condemning.

** drinkable stuff


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