Brews on Tues: European lagers and instant coffee for days

👋 Sam here, bivouacking down a mountain of emails after my two-week adventure through the former Yugoslavia.

State of play: It was, to coin a phrase, the trip of a lifetime, packed with history, culture and natural splendor.

What I drank: You'll be alarmed to learn that drip coffee is not yet mainstream in Eastern Europe.

• I began each day with an outdoor cappuccino or a revelatory Nescafe "three in one" — instant coffee with cream and sugar included! — in my hotel room.

Drink up: In Mostar and Sarajevo, I slurped up Bosnian coffee as well.

• The thick, strong Turkish-style hot beverage is served on a platter in a copper džezva and poured over sugar.

Zoom in: The Balkan beer scene is one-note, by American craft beer standards.

• Popular national lagers tend to be the lone offerings — in Slovenia, Union Lager; in Croatia, Karlovačko and Ožujsko; in Bosnia, Sarajevsko.

Between the lines: We visited the Sarajevsko brewery in Sarajevo and enjoyed a lager at the source.

• During the siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995), the brewery served as a water distribution hub for locals living without clean water or power.