History
The history of beer in the modern Czech Republic, historically Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, goes back further than the creation of Pilsner Urquell in 1842. Before then Bohemia in particular was famous for its wheat beers, known in Czech as “svtl pivo” or “light beer” – the same term used in German “weissbier” or in Belgium “witbier”.
Most towns had at least one brewery, the most famous brewing cities in Bohemia were Budweis, Plze and Prague. Other towns with notable breweries are Rakovnk, atec and Tebo.
Much of the early brewing history of Bohemia is centred around various monasteries, although today there are very few Czech monasteries brewing and selling beer to the public.
Beer in esk Budjovice
The modern city of esk Budjovice was for centuries known by its German name, Budweis. Brewing is recorded in Budweis since the 13th century.
Today the city has two main breweries:
Budjovick mansk pivovar a.s.
Budjovick Budvar (Budweiser Budvar)
The modern Budjovick mansk pivovar was founded in 1795 as the Brgerliches Brauhaus Budweis, as such it is the oldest brewery in the world to use the term “budweiser” when referring to its beer. In 1895 the Budjovick Budvar brewery opened as an ethnically Czech alternative to the German dominated Budjovick mansk pivovar.
Beer in Pilsen
Main gate at Plzesk Prazdroj, home of Pilsner Urquell and other beers
In 1842, a brewery in Plze employed Josef Groll, a German brewer who was experienced in the Bavarian lager method of making beer. Beer in Pilsen at the time was not of very good quality and they needed to compete. Groll developed a golden Pilsner beer, the first light coloured beer ever brewed. It became an immediate success, and was exported all over the Austrian Empire. A special train of beer travelled from Plze to Vienna every morning. Exports of Czech beer reached Paris and the United States by 1874. Today, most famous beer made in Pilsen is Pilsner Urquell.
Beer in Prague
Much of the brewing history of the Czech capital is connected to the various monasteries in the city, with brewing first recorded at the Benedictine Bevnov Monastery in 993AD. It is also recorded that in 1088AD, King Vratislav II granted a tithe of hops to the Canons of Vyehrad Cathedral in order to brew beer.
Today the Prague brewing scene is dominated by Staropramen, although there are several smaller breweries, the oldest being U Flek, which was founded in 1499.
Since the 1990s various brewpubs have been established in the city, including:
U Medvdk
Novomstsk pivovar
Pivovar U Bulovky
Sousedsk pivovar U Banseth
Beer styles today
Map of Czech Republic made up of beer caps.
Nearly all beer brewed in the Czech Republic is bottom-fermenting. This varies in colour from pale (Svtl), through amber (Polotmav) and dark (Tmav) to black (ern) and in strength from 3-9% abv. Top-fermented wheat beer (Penin pivo) is also available.
According to Czech edict 357/1997, concerning “non-alcoholic drinks and concentrates for the preparation of non-alcoholic drinks; fruit wines; other wines and mead; beer; spirits, liquor and other alcoholic drinks; vinegar” the following are the basic beer categories of the Czech Republic, regardless of colour or beer style:
lehk – a “light” beer brewed below 8 Balling and with less than 130Kj per 100ml
vepn – “tap” beer, though it can be bottled, brewed between 8 and 10
lek – “lager” beer, brewed between 11 and 12.99
specil – “special” beer, brewed above 13
Protected Geographical Status
Originally Pilsner was a specific term for beers brewed in Plze (with Pilsner Urquell being registered as a trademark by the first brewery). The term “pilsner” has come to mean almost any pale lager as a result of imitations of the original style (especially in Germany where the style became extremely common)
The term “Budweiser” is also regarded as an appellation in the Czech Republic because it is the adjective taken from the German name for esk Budjovice, Budweis. It was a German immigrant to the United States who coined the term for his beer when he established the Budweiser brewery.
Historically the term Budweiser Bier belongs to the “Brgerliches Brauhaus Budweis”, established in 1795, and registered the brand in 1802 under which name their beer was imported to the USA in 1875 while Anheuser-Busch started operation in 1876 and their first trademark registration is from 16 July 1878 (made by C. Conrad as Budweiser Lager Bier and transferred to the company on 27 January 1891). In 1911 an agreement was settled that Anheuser-Busch may use the Budweiser name in North America and in 1939 it was banned from using Budweiser by Czech breweries there.
See also
Beer in Germany
Plzesk Prazdroj, a. s.
Category:Beer and breweries in the Czech Republic
References
^ “Plzen, Brewery Museum, House ref. no. 58″. www.zcu.cz. http://www.zcu.cz/plzen/landm/rn58.html. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
^ “Beer Consumption in Major Countries in 2004″. www.kirinholdings.co.jp. http://www.kirinholdings.co.jp/english/ir/news_release051215_4.html. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
^ “History of Beer”. www.budejovickybudvar.com. http://www.budejovickybudvar.cz/en/o-pivu/historie-piva.html#restrictedContent. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
^ http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/czecintr.htm#stylesnow
^ Evan Rail, 2007. Good Beer Guide Prague and the Czech Republic: CAMRA Books
^ “Vue Weekly : Edmonton’s 100% Independent Weekly : Great Head”. www.vueweekly.com. http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=4315. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
External links
http://www.staropramen.com/
http://www.pilsner-urquell.com/
http://www.pivovar-herold.cz/
http://pivovary.info/showpage.php?name=summary
http://www.praguebeergarden.com/beer/
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Categories: Beer and breweries in the Czech Republic