Pivní Filosof - Beer Philosopher

Heresy!

2012-01-27T14:26:00.000+01:00

I love cellar pubs, the deeper they are, the better. There's something almost clandestine in going to a cellar for a beer. You have the pleasant sensation of escaping or hiding from something or someone, of sheltering yourself in the solace of alike souls. In a cellar the time and the seasons loose much of their meaning. It doesn't matter what time of the day or the year it is, the cellar has this static continuity that is impervious to calendar or clock (and not long ago, it was also impervious to mobile phone signals). You don't go to a cellar to have a quick pint on the go, walking several metres down into the bowels of Mother Earth implies a commitment to yourself.

And if we are speaking about a place we've never been before, uncertainty should be added to all of the above. A cellar hasn't got a front or windows, there's nothing that can gives us at least an idea of what awaits us. Just a door, an impassive piece of wood that won't reveal what's hiding behind it challenging us to overcome our fears and discover it ourselves.

U Kacíře - The Heretic*, is one of those pubs. It's not too deep, only a dozen or so steps below Manésova. If you take the challenge of the door you find an inviting place, well lit and with warm colours. To the right there's the non-smoking room, to the left, the smoking room, both are separated by the bar, which has a sort of U shape cut in the middle by the wall that separates the non-smokers. Nice.

Foto (c) U Kacíře

But I need more, much more than all this to make me happy. Kout na Šumavě 10º nefiltrovaná is one of those things that can make me happy. I think this heretic and I can become good friends.

As usual when I go for a pint alone, and specially if it's at a new place, I take a seat at the bar. It helps me get an idea of how well the staff treats the beers and there's always the chance to start a conversation with them or with any other patron that happens to be perched there.

The bloke at the bar is pretty busy and won't say much, but this Kout is wonderfully done. It's not only that what shows the respect this man has for his beers (within the possibilities, all the 30l kegs are below the bar). Mi Kout must be the first he's tapping today, the pub opens at four and it's only quarter past or so. He pours about half a pint that goes straight into the drain. The ritual will be repeated with some of the other beers as more people come. Trubáč, the beer that is left in the pipes from the day before, something that should never make it to the patron's glass, but quite often does. Not at U Kacíře it seems. Good.

There are other nine beers besides this monument to the national beverage I'm enjoying now. Kout 12º (filtered), three from Žatec and the rest, an assortment from K Brewery. Nowadays, this mix won't rise many eyebrows, it's almost par for the course, I would say. But this Kout 10º (already in its second pint) tastes so sinfully delicious, and Žatec Tmavé isn't too shabby, either, straightforward, subtle, some chocolate and a pinch of roast and as well served as the other.

A familiar face walks in. A woman who used to work at Zlý Časy and is now using all she learnt at Nusle's beer temple here in Vinohrady. I stay a půl litr longer than I had planned. I'm starting to feel almost like at home, as happy as a pig in a pub. We talk about this and that and I'm glad to hear the place is doing quite well considering it opened only two months ago. The good job these people are doing should be enough to guarantee success, I hope I'm right.

If you happen to be in the neighbourhood (and also if you don't, this pub is right next to the Jiřího z Poděbrad Metro station) drop by at U Kacíře and see it for yourselves.

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Pivní Šenk U Kacíře
50°4'40.829"N, 14°26'52.627"E
Manésova 87 - Prague-Vinohrady

+420 252 545 454
Mon-Fri: 16-?? Sat-Sun 17-??

*Yeah, I know, the title of this post is kind of crappy, I couldn't come out with anything better. On the other hand, only a few years ago a pub with 10 taps, all with different beers, would have been almost a heresy, an apostasy to the pivní status quo. Fortunately, those days are gone.

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A bit of marketing

2012-01-25T10:28:00.000+01:00

Marketing is something that I find incredibly interesting. It's a lot more democratic than most seem to think. There are extremely well funded and deeply researched campaigns that still manage to result in massive flops and others that turn out to be an enormous success despite of the opposite. As in everything, luck can play a role, but the key to success is in how well companies manage to understand the target consumer and the market in general.

Large companies need specialized consultants and/or departments to carry out market surveys and plan campaigns because their very size has detached them from the common people and also because they are forced to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Small companies, in principle, have the advantage of having a more direct contact with the consumer, which allows them to have a better picture of them. However, at the end of the day, it will all depend on how well both large and small are able to interpret and use the information they get from whatever channel.

Another reason why I like paying attention to marketing (everything a company does to sell their product/brand is marketing) is because it can offer you a good picture of what's going through the mind of a company and how they see their consumers.

For example, Plzeňský Pradroj seems to see twentysomethings as a bunch of superficial idiots and that's why they offered them XCLNT, an idiotic and superficial product (I wonder what happened to it).

To certain extent, 24K Gold Faust is very similar to XCLNT, superficial, presented as something new and innovative and with little respect for the consumer.

It's a beer with gold (which isn't anything new under the sun, by the way) in a limited edition of 60 0.7l bottles (with a very ugly label). There's nothing special about the beer itself, either, it's a světlý ležák, period. The only thing that sets it apart from other beers in its category is that there are gold flakes floating in it. Cool, init?

Getting the attention of the mainstream media is a very effective marketing tool. If that was the intention of the people behind Faust Gold (and I really don't know, but that's the impression I get from all this), then, at first sight, the beer served its purpose, I've seen the news reproduced in the Latin American media. However, if you pay a bit of attention (and provided such has been the intention) you'll see that the success is not such, I haven't seen any mention about where this beer was brewed (other than Ostrava).

Pivovar Vyškov is the complete opposite of these two. At the end of last year they put out Jubiler IPA, which not only was excellent, but also very successful, the (half) batch sold out in just a few days and they've recently announced a new version in a full batch. But that's not the only thing that proves this company does pay attention to the conversation and know very well whom they are talking with.

A few years ago the topic was unpasteurised beers. "Nepasterované" became an almost totemic word in the Czech beer world. It was followed by "Nefiltrované", which would carry the same power. Later on, the conversation shifted towards the balling graduations, which actually is the most visible face of something that is very much discussed in the local beer community, High Gravity Brewing.

Vyškov responded to this in a very simple way, adding the phrase "NEŘEDĚNO VODOU" to their labels. They aren't the only ones who do this one way or another, but they are only ones who seem to have caught the attention of the mainstream media with this discourse.

Marketing is truly fascinating, both when it's used cleverly and when it's used foolishly.

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Some Monday thoughts

2012-01-23T11:28:00.000+01:00

Thirsty Pilgrim was asking the other day if "tickers" aren't to beer what Robert Parker is to wine, which is somehow related to the shit beer raters do, according to Stephen Beaumont. This reminded me to what I was asking myself a few days ago, if extreme, etc. beers aren't in a way a result of these times of short attention spans.

But what I read in some of the comments that followed Mr. B's blog, together with all the rest, brought another question, whether those beers aren't also a product of, and for, certain festivals where beer is only served in very small portions. In this context, "regular" beers have a big disadvantage, they usually need more than 0.1 or 0.15l to fully tell their tale. The "winners", then are those beers that are able to generate an instant impact, right in the first sip (to this we have to add that there are not few people who after drinking some DIPA or BA Imperial Stout go for a Pils or a Weizen, but that's another story).

"Consistency" is another word that's been going around my head recently. There are people who seem to confuse "consistency" with "always the same", which is a mistake. Stant's Beer Rule #4 makes it very clear, but not as clear, perhaps as what Fuller's head brewer said, as quoted by Jeff Alworth in Alan's blog: "it’s exactly the same as walking into a bar and noticing your friend at the bar has had a haircut. He’s still your friend, he just looks a little bit different today.". Brilliant.

So, variations between batches will happen, are inevitable and, at the same time, welcome. However, I believe that the ideal of every brewer should be to at least try to make batches that will be always be the same, despite knowing and accepting the fact that such thing isn't possible. This should prevent that the above mentioned friend will show up at the bar not only with a new haircut, but also with a full on plastic surgery.

On the other hand, there are some brewers that bring up that "variations" thing to justify huge differences between batches, which to me is proof of their ineptitude, but that's also another story.

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Locals, old, current, older

2012-01-20T09:08:00.000+01:00

Velký Al is hosting a series of guest blogs titled "My Local", where authors from both sides of the pond talk, basically, about their favourite pubs.

In its contribution Ron Pattinson, among other things, describes a local as a place where "It doesn't matter how long since your last visit, you pick up straight away where you left off, even if it's been a year.". Words that could very well describe what happened to me during my last visit to Pivovarský Klub.

There was a time when PK was mi local. I'd go there almost every week, I knew several of the štamgasty and had a very friendly relationship with some of the staff and even a couple of the owners. This lasted until I discovered Zlý Časy, which became my local almost from the first visit. It wasn't because the beer temple in Karlín had done anything wrong, but because the one in Nusle had that neighbouhood dive thing that I didn't know I was missing so much.

I still believe the Klub is one of the best pubs in Prague and every now and again I drop by. In this particular visit, Klára was "womanning" the taps downstairs. To me, Klára is something like the 21st century version of Maryška, the main character in the film Postřižiny (the man who saw this film and did not fall in love with Maryška should start questioning his sexuality, the man who has not seen this film, should correct that), she's pretty, friendly and understands beer (she's even brewed a couple of batches herself). I sat at the bar and started to talk with her, soon we were joined by her friend, who was also sitting at the bar, and later by another bloke, also sitting at the bar. I felt as if my previous visit hadn't been months, but just a few days before. Ron is right, in some way, Pivovarský Klub is still my local.

Some days later, at Zlý Časy, I was having a beer with an Argentine on holidays in Prague. We were talking about thisandthat and then I saw familiar face coming in, a good friend from Asturias, who was also on holidays in Prague, with her Czech miláček. She had agreed to meet there with a couple from Barcelona, also on holidays in Prague, and also good friends of mine.

What followed was a magic afternoon. All sitting around a small table, laughing, talking at the same time, having a wonderful, beer-fueled time.

And this is also one of the things that define a local. You can make new "friends" in any good pub, even during your first visit. A local, besides that, gives you also the possibility of chance encounters with old friends, something terribly enjoyable just because they are casual and spontaneous.

And back to the "past local" thing. I was very glad to learn that U Pětníka, my first local in Prague, is now tapping Únětická 12º, one of my 2011 beers of the year. The place is, looks and feels the same as when I "left" it all these years ago. I remember some of the faces from the days I went very often. It was a very nice feeling to once again have a reason to visit this quintessential neighbourhood pub.

Some advice before signing off. If you don't have a "local", find one and read the "My Local" series in Fuggled to understand why you should.

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An anecdote with a moral

2012-01-18T08:05:00.000+01:00

Catfish Sumeček is one my favourite products from Pivovar Kocour. It's one of those almost perfect beers, sessionable, but also a good sipper to pair with a book and good music, interesting, but thirst quenching, brilliant. The other day I fancied buying some to drink at home at the weekend. While I was doing my shopping at Pivkupectví I talked with the people that were there. I picked a bottle, paid, put it in my rucksack and then in the fridge as soon as I got home a couple of hours later.

Its moment came with Sunday's dinner. I opened the bottle and felt a strange smell coming out of it. Nothing that I could identify as an infection or contamination, just something that didn't belong there. When I poured I noticed that the beer was a bit darker and browner than I remembered and that the foreign aroma was more intense. There was something wrong, very wrong with that beer. So wrong that it wasn't Catfish Sumeček, it was V3 Rauchbier. I didn't realise that because my sharp senses identified that aroma (smoked, DUH!), but because I happened to take a look at the label, for the first time since I had bought it almost a week before. Hmm...

But that's not the bad thing. I wasn't able to enjoy this beer. Not because there was anything wrong with it, V3 is a good rauch and it might have even paired better with the lasagna than the other would would have, but it wasn't the beer I wanted and I had looked forward to.

Later, this made me thing about the way expectations affect the impression we get from a beer (or any product or service). It's true that in this case my expectations were very specific (a given beer that I knew), but I think you understand what I mean. We read blogs, some also consult sites like RateBeer or Beer Advocate, full of reviews and tasting notes. Some of those reviews can shower a beer in praise, which can result in very high expectations. To this, we have to add some of the not very concrete information on some labels, like styles, for example, which not few consumers associate with a exaggeratedly limited range of characteristics. So I wonder how much all this helps and how much it harms our relationship and experience with beers and if sometimes those beers we have the least references about aren't the ones we end up enjoying the most.

And the moral? Pay bloody attention when you are shopping.

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No surprise here

2012-01-13T08:13:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, the daily Hospodářské noviny anounced on its front page that "Američané koupili známky Budweiser Bier" (the Yanks have bought the Budweiser Bier brand). It didn't surprise me the least bit, actually, I knew that something like this was going to happen sooner or later. But before explaining you why, let me give you a few more details about the news.

What Anheuser-Busch bought was a company called Budějovický měšťanský pivovar. They haven't even bought a brewery proper, just a bunch of papers and some symbolic real estate. Before the sale the owners of the brewery had split the company in two, one of them is now called Pivovar Samson a.s., it kept almost everything, the facilities, technology, staff, you name it, while the other one was left only with the "Budweiser Bier" registered trademark and some land.

The main reason why I wasn't surprised at all by the news is something I read a couple of years ago. I don't remember exactly when, I think it was at the time when there were rumours that Heineken might buy Staropramen, but I do remember that the owners of Budějovický měšťanský pivovar wanted to sell the company for a ridiculous price, 1.5 billion CZK, I think. A brewery that back then was producing less than 150,000hl a year couldn't have been worth that much. It was obvious for me back then that what they actually wanted to sell was the brand and that they wanted to sell it to AB-InBev, who else (besides Budvar) would want to buy it?

It's difficult to say now what all this could mean for Budvar and its future, but I don't think there are any reasons to panic, though there might be a few to be a bit worried (just a bit, not much, at least not now).

It's true that it could be said that Budějovický měšťanský pivovar has a more legitimate claim to be the "Original Budweiser", the brewery was established almost a century before Budvar, but things are a bit more complicated than that. The fact that this company now happens to be owned by AB-InBev doesn't necessarily mean that Budvar's position is in danger, at least that's the way I see it.

For instance, in Germany AB-InBev can't use the Budweiser brand because it had been registered first by Budvar and this is a fact that won't change regardless of who is the owner of the other brewery that can use the brand here in CZ.

What could happen, though, is that AB-InBev, through Budějovický měšťanský pivovar, starts brewing Budweiser in the Czech Republic using, perhaps, the capacity of Pivovar Samson. Not to sell it here, of course, but to export it. But even if they did that, or something similar, I can't see how another beer called "Budweiser" could be sold in those markets where Budvar has already won the fight against AB-InBev, and it's not clear to me, either, how this could affect the other trademark disputes both companies still have in several courts.

However, there is another factor to consider. The Ministry of Agriculture wants to privatise Budvar, that's no secret. For that, according to what the Minister has said, they want to find an out of court solution to the remaining cases with AB-InBev this year. Once they have taken care of that (if they can do it) the plan is to turn the National Company into a Joint Stock Company (if that is the correct translation of "a.s."), with the Czech state as the sole (or main) shareholder. Later on, the state could offer part of the shares of the company to the best bidder or even in the stock market, and here is where Budějovický měšťanský pivovar could come in, and believe me, they will have quite a few monies for that.

But all this is speculation, in the meantime, enjoy your Budvar, it's not in any imminent danger.

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Selected Readings: December

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

I was going to post this right before the end of the year, but I couldn't be arsed, I was going to post this last week, but I had a lot of work. Better late than never.

Zak Avery and Boak and Bailey deal with the issue of beer snobbery, approaching it in a different way, both worth reading (better in the order they are linked).

Adrian Tierney-Jones presents us with a beautiful bit of beer poetry, the kind I wish I could be able to write (and he also posted a very flattering review of my book)

Mark, in Pencil & Spoon, shares a curious bit of "history" about the the genesis of Porter and its colour. Can you imagine the Twitter/Facebook shitstorm this would cause if it was published today?

Still in the realm of history, but proper, more fact-based history, Evan Rail publishes a few corrections to "The Oxford Companion to Beer". I had a few beers with him recently and he told me he was preparing something more comprehensive about the history of Pilsner Urquell that will prove that some of my speculations weren't correct. Sometimes it's great to be proven wrong.

Bollocks of the month goes to this article published in the website of an Argentine news channel. Actually it is a translation of an article in English I'm quite sure I have read. The bollocks, actually, is in the awful level of the translation, which translates "fermentation" as "destilación", "sour" as "amarga" and "India Pale Ale" as "Cerveza Clara de India". The blame is not so much on the translator, who was probably some intern working for free, but on the person who green lighted this piece of shit, which actually proves this Open Letter has a point.

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A sign of the times?

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

Weizenbock is one of my favourite kinds of beer, specially in this season. It's just perfect to drink in a grey and cold afternoon. A good Weizenbock is like sitting in an armchair next to the fireplace after coming in from a winter walk in the forest.

Der Weisse Bock from Leidmann Private Landbrauerei, besides being a great model of what I say above, it's a great example of what I said a few days ago in this post: no, not that "Trappist/Abbey is not a style" thing, that couldn't be any clearer, but this "..if you really want to understand a beer, you must drink it. And I mean drink it, not "taste", sharing a 0.33l bottle with four friends, but to sit down and drink a full portion of that beer".

If someone had asked me what I thought of Der Weisse Bock when I was still drinking the first part of the glass, I would have said it was boring. There was nothing wrong with it, everything was where it should be, but it seemed like one of those beers made after the brewer was told "Helmut, we MUST have a Weizenbok this year!" and the brewer said "Bugger! OK, what the fuck...". However, already halfway down the glass the beer had opened up, as it if was feeling more comfortable in my company and started to show its true self, and what a beauty it was! I ended up smacking my lips with every sip, enjoying every single drop, and regretted not having another bottle.

Then I remembered other experienced in which the opposite happened, a beer seemed nice at first, but by the end it had become boring or had even completely fallen apart, Staropramen Nefiltrované is a good example of that, it starts OK, but before finishing it your are asking yourself "What the fuck did they want to do with this?".

I often read blogs where the authors attend festivals or go to one of those pubs with massive beer lists and tell us how they liked the many different beers they had in 0.1l or 0.15l samples. I've done that as well, it's natural, you are there and you want to taste as much as possible. But now I'm wondering how many of those beers described as "wonderful", "superb", etc. would have received the same praise if we had drunk a full portion of them, and how many of those "boring", "forgettable" ones would have ended up being "wonderful", "superb", etc.

"Tasting" is very useful to get a very good idea of what a beer is like and great to determine if there is nothing wrong with it, but not always is enough to know whether we have liked a beer or not.

On the other hand, can this habit (trend, craze?) of tasting as many beers as possible in the shortest possible time while minimising the risk of ending up more plastered than a young football player after getting his first big paycheck be one of the reasons of the apparent success of the hop bombs and extreme beers in general?

High IBU are loud, bombastic, like action films full of explosions and special effects. Malt driven beers, however, are more like thrillers where you must pay attention to the details. I'm not saying here that ones are better than the others, I can enjoy a good CGI packed blockbuster as much as a brainy whodunit, each in a different way and in a different moment.

Or could it also be that, in some way, hop bombs and extreme beers in general are a reflection of these times of instant gratification, when it's not expected (or wanted) that people will have much of an attention span?

What do I know, I'd better go get a pint.

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Wishlist for 2012

2011-12-30T16:30:00.000+01:00

In 2012 I want:

To keep on drinking good beer, regardless of where, how or by whom it is brewed (not too hard, I know)
A couple more "čtvrtá pípa" pubs, but also more places like U Slovanské Lípy that sell only one "alternative" brand (there are times when all I want is to order "pivo")
Aliance PIV to keep on growing
Prague Beer Museum to once and for all sort out their problem with the storage of the beers
A top of the range restaurant to start offering a solid list of domestic and imported beers that will be announced everywhere and that will not include rubbish like Corona, Guinness Draught or Desperados.
The fever for extreme, hop/yeast/wood driven beers to slow down a bit and that "innovative" brewers everywhere will take the challenge of making down to earth beers with moderate % of ABV, but at the same times tasty and interesting.
That those brewers who have quality control or consistency problems get their shit together or shut down (they are disrespecting beer and consumers and they are taking market away from people who really want to do things well)
That those who are planning to open a brewery do it only if they are willing to invest on a professional kit and not before they have thoroughly worked out a couple of recipes (consumers should not finance an eventual modernization of the facilities nor professional training)
More beer blogs in Spanish and that their authors and the authors of those that exist already won't gaze their navels so much.
That the Spanish speaking media keep on publishing bollocks about beer. No, really, I must confess that it is a lot of fun to pick them apart. Of course, if they want to start giving beer the respect it deserves, they'll be more than welcome.
That BrewDog, etc. cut it out already with the marketing gimmicks and the bombastic rhetoric. Throwing shit at the macros (or at CAMRA) isn't exciting or cool anymore. Let your beers dictate the discourse, if you have the balls for that.
To travel. I want to go back to Bamberg, but I also want to go somewhere I haven't been before.
To read, books
Success for Pivo, Bier & Ale, that it grows in circulation and that it gets more advertisers. This magazine is really important for our beer culture.
That my book sells more copies.

That's basically it. If anyone can think of anything else, or has their own wishes, feel free to use to comments.

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2011 - The finest

2011-12-23T07:34:00.002+01:00

Without further ado, here you have what I've liked the most during this year that is almost gone.

Domestic beer, draught: Únětická 12º, I was going to pick Chýně's magnetic Stout, a fantastic brew, no doubt, but Únětice's is not only great, but can also be drunk in more and more places in Prague and around.

Honorable mentions: Besides the aforementioned Stout, Polotmavá 13º from Pivovar Antoš.

Domestic beer, bottle: Primátor Stout.

Honorable mentions: Eggenberg Nakouření Švíhák, Janáček Kounic.

Foreign beer, draught: Mahr's Brau Ungespundet Kellerbier (at the brewery's taproom).

Honorable mentions: Neder Annafestbier, Schlenkerla Märzen (at the brewery's taproom).

Foreign beer, bottled: Pretty difficult here, but, Pliny the Elder (thanks Brian), one of those few beers that are better than their fame.

Honorable mentions: N'ice Chouffe, DeMolen Hel & Verdoemenis, Kraus Hell Lager

Pivovar: Únětický Pivovar. Not only they are making excellent beers, but they are also doing a great job with the most important thing any brewery has to do, sell their stuff, the sign of Únětický Pivovar can be found in God knows how many places already.

Honorable mentions: Pivovar Vyškov (they came back from death and now are making a pretty nice IPA and a lovely světlý ležák), Rukodělný Pivovárek Třebonice.

Hospoda (that is not Zlý Časy): Zubatý Pes

Honorable mentions: U Vodoucha, U Slovanské Lípy

Magazine: Pivo, Bier & Ale

Book: "Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide" (don't tell me you were expecting something else)

Event: Annafest

Blog in English: Boak&Bailey

Blog in Spanish: 2d2dspuma, por favor

I don't know about you, but 2011 has been the best year since I started with this blog, in many ways. Publishing my book has brought me enormous satisfaction and I was finally able to take a least a short holiday, which I greatly enjoyed. I hope 2012 will be along the same lines.

Anyway, have a nice Christmas, all of you!

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It's obvious, but...

2011-12-21T07:40:00.000+01:00

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but...

TRAPPIST IS NOT A STYLE

Dear micro brewer, unless you are a member of the said monastic order, your beer isn't "Trappist", nor it is "Trappist style" because, besides the fact that you can't even call it "Trappist", TRAPPIST IS NOT A STYLE.

"Abbey" is not a style, either. In some cases, it is only a little more than a label, like "craft", but in the case of the so called Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier, it referes to breweries that are subject to certain regulations, which, as with the Trappist, do not concern the quality or kind of beer that is brewed. In other words, and quoting my friend "Thirsty Pilgrim": "Westvleteren could make a farty filtered lager and it would still be Trappist beer."

The reason why Abbey and Trappist breweries don't make a Pils is the same reason why Czech industrial breweries don't make a Tripel.

And since I'm in the realm of the clearly obvious, and in response to some messages and comments that I've received or read here and there:

If you want to understand a beer, you must drink it.

Style guidelines are utterly useless. Books, magazines, blogs, articles, reviews can, at most, be good to have some additional information (something that's always welcome) and to help us know where to spend our money (which is even more welcome). But if you really want to understand a beer, you must drink it. And I mean drink it, not "taste", sharing a 0.33l bottle with four friends, but to sit down and drink a full portion of that beer (ideally, it should be as close to its source as possible, immersed in the beer's own culture, but that's something most of us can't do that often).

So drink, pay attention, compare with other similar beers you might have drunk, think, drink again (and maybe you'll finally realise how silly it is to call "Abbey" or "Trappist" a beer brewed in Argentina, Chile, Australia or Canada)

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Vaclavák for Czechs?

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

In the almost 10 years that I've been living in Prague I haven't been into any of the pubs, bars, restaurants or cafés in Wenceslas Square. Those that don't have "tourist trap" written all over, are simply not my kind of places.

The other day, though, I decided to make an exception with Restaurace v Melatrichu, which according to the The Prague Post wants to be a place that not only caters for tourist, but also for locals. At first sight, this can be confirmed by the prices of beer list (more on it later), with the exception of Pilsner Urquell, all beers are below the 40CZK mark a pint.

There are, however, a couple of things that could set some alarms off. The beers are also sold in tupláky, the only people here who drink from 1l glasses are the most obtuse tourists. On top of it, at the entrance to the restaurant the beer list is posted in Russian. Now, I've got absolutely nothing against Russians, but it is well known that, in average, they are by far the biggest spenders among all the nationalities that visit Prague. But well, those are prejudices, and wise is the person who will not be guided by them.

For some reason I expected this restaurant to be on the first floor. It's in the cellar, good, I like underground places better. It's large, spacious, divided into several spaces. I'm sure there are people who like this kind of place, I'm not among them, I find it too impersonal.

It was lunch time, there were plenty of busy tables, all the patrons seemed to be Czech. The service was pretty good, professional, no TGI friendliness, they did what they had to do and they did it well, which for me is the definition of good service (I'm one of those who prefer authentic surliness over fake smiles).

I ordered the special. It promised good value for 99CZK. It consisted on Hrstková, a pulse soup that was lovely and a very generous portion of prejt, cabbage and potatoes. The prejt (something like baked stuffing for black pudding) was perhaps a touch too salty, but not bad, the cabbage was just as I like it, a bit crunchy and the potatoes were really well made (it's remarkable how many places can fuck up something as simple as boiled potatoes). As far from sophistication as you can imagine, but it did a great job on a day that couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be autumn or winter.

But I hadn't come for the food, the service or the atmosphere. What brought me to Restaurace V Melantrichu was the beer. Besides the aforementioned Urquell (which I bet they still keep due to contractual obligations), they have some of the stuff from K-Brewery, two guest beers Únětická 10º y Permon 11º, that day) and, if that wasn't enough, V Melantrichu is one of the few places that has "its own" beer. It's brewed in Sokolov and it's called Melantrich, they didn't spend too much imagination on the beer's name, perhaps as much as the spent to choose what kind of beer it would be, světlý ležák.

I don't want to contradict what I said the other day, I still believe that in good hands a světlý ležák can be one of the most wonderful drinks anyone can have. But it's also the most common kind of beer in the Czech lands. If the chose to have their own beer, why didn't they have something else brewed? It didn't need to be anything "exotic", a good polotmavé would have done just fine.

Prejudice once again, perhaps Melantrich would turn out to be one of those Czech pale lagers I love so much. I get it in its own glass, head white as if it has just come out of an ad for Persil, very well tapped, not a single bubble in sight in a liquid that is as dark as světlý can be without becoming polotmavé.

I wish I could say more good things about it, but the truth is that I didn't like it, not a single little bit. A handful of dried flowers coated in toffee dusted with crushed honey flavoured candy, that's the best way I can describe it. Nasty and proud of it, I found it. (i also wish I had more pics of the place, but they turned out awful).

When I left the restaurant I wondered if that was what the beer was supposed to be, according to the wishes of the owners or if I had been unlucky and got something from a duff keg or batch.

Either way, I don't think I'll go back to find out. If that is the way the beer is supposed to be, then I know I won't like it, so why bother. Now, if bad luck was the problem, then it would be worse, it would mean that the people of V Melantrichu can't be arsed with giving the proper care to the only one thing that makes them really different from any other restaurant, and that would be pretty stupid.

But well, go see for yourselves. Restaurace V Melantrichu is still a decent alternative to the pubs that appear in the first crawl of Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide.

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Restaurace V Melantrichu
50°4'54.567"N, 14°25'34.123"E
Václavské náměstí 793/36 - Praha-Nové Město
+420 224 210 127 - info@restauracevmelantrichu.cz
Mon-Sat: 11-24 Sun: 11-23

PS: If anyone out there is still wondering about the fate of U Černého Vola, it's official. The lease has been sign with Mr. Benda and this pub will remain the wonderful dive we all love.

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R.I.P. Vašku

2011-12-18T15:09:00.003+01:00

Václav Havel has passed away today. Let's all raise a pint of black beer in his memory, I'm sure he'd appreciate the sense of humor.

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News on the Black Ox

2011-12-09T08:09:00.001+01:00

It seems there are some good news about U Černého Vola. One Anonymus left a comment on yesterday's post that brought my attention to some recent developments. After reading about them on the page of the petition, I decided to contact Matouš Hájek, the petition's organiser. Besides saving me some time, I thought he would be able to explain me the situation in a better way. The conlusion, it's probable that U Černého Vola has survived this. But before telling you how and why, let me tell you how this whole thing came to happen.

In his e-mail, Hájek, gave me some details that paint a pretty interesting picture. The story goes like this: Mr. Landergot, who is the current leaseholder, had decided to retire and to devolve the contract to one Mr. Benda, who's a member of the same association as him, Sdružení za zachování hostince U Černého vola (Association to preserve the pub U Černého vola). To do this he had to rescind his contract with Prague 1, the owners of the building. The town then acted exactly according to the law and opened a public tender. It was expected it would be a formality, but someone made a higher bid than Benda's.

Fortunately, it seems the authorities of Prague 1 have listened to their common sense and have decided that this coming Tuesday they will still grant the contract to Mr. Benda anyway. Hájek added that they had repeatedly told him about their intentions to keep Vola as it is, petition or not. However, I agree with him that regardless of that, the petition is important (if you haven't signed it yet, do it here, the more, the better).

It makes me feel good to know that I was able to contribute to this cause, if only with a few signatures and some strong words. Kudos to Matouš Hájek for having initiated the petition and also to the authorities of Prague 1 for having decided to preserve a small, but important, bit of the local culture.

If you are in Prague, or planing to come, do stop at U Černého Vola for a pint or two. Oh! Fuck it! Get absolutely legless there! After all, it'll be to help those handicapped children.

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PS: If you missed the chance to buy Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide (a "beery bath tub of Rabelaisian wit and wisdom", according to Adrian Tierney-Jones) with a 30% discount, you have until next wednesday to buy it with a 25% discount. Go to this page and when doing the purchase put the code COUNTDOWN.

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Save the Black Ox!

2011-12-08T15:40:00.001+01:00

U Černého Vola, an institution in the Prague beer scene and one of the finest dives in the city, if not the world, might soon cease to exist.

Unfortunately, this isn't due to the place doing bad or because some bureaucrat so decided. Quite the opposite, actually. The authorities of Prague 1 have said that they would like Vola to stay as it is, but their hands are tied by the law. Prague 1 is the building's landlord and someone has offered to rent the premises for 400,000CZK a year, which is more than the current tenants can afford, and the must accept the highest bid.

Currently, U Černého Vola is run by a non-for profit organisation that donates all revenues to a school for handicapped children. The wannabe tenants are Plzeňský Restaurant, who, if I'm not wrong, have several restaurants in Prague and around.

I'm not going to go all Occupy Wall Street on you here. I believe in Capitalism (the real one, not the travesty governments have allowed bankers and speculators to spawn) so I've got nothing against someone who wants to make money, or even become filthy rich, provided they do it honestly and fairly, and I don't have any reason to believe the people of Plzeňský Restaurant are crooks.

But I'm still quite made at this. These people want to replace a classic, unique hospoda with a lot of history, the only one in Hradčany, I believe, where locals can go for a pint without feeling like foreigners in their own town, for a Gastro Pub that'll be designed to the very last detail by the computer of an Architect and a team of Marketing Consultants. Of course, instead of a grumpy geezer that brings beer and haminex or nakladaný romadůr, tourists perhaps will be greeeted by a young, Mcfriendly waiter who can bring them a latte macchiato, a mojito or a Caesar Salad, while the use the free wi-fi to upload photos to their Facebook accounts using their smartphones.

But you know what? Fuck the Mcfriendly waiters! Fuck latte macchiato, mojito and Caesar Salad! Fuck free Wi-fi! And fuck smartphones, too, why not! I don't give a flying fuck about what some sensitive, modern, family friendly souls say, the historical centre of Prague doesn't need any more preprocessed places desinged to please a younger crowd.

A petition has been started on the internet to tray to save U Černého Vola. If you are someone who appreciate real pub culture, with all its warts and wrinkles, go to this page and sign it. It might not change much in the end, but at least it made me feel a little better.

However, there's a gleam of hope. According to what I read on Tuesday, the rent that this non-for-profit organisation is currently paying plus the money the send to that school for handicapped children is more than what Plzeňský Restaurant has offered. Let's hope that someone in the Prague 1 Town Hall can find a loophole in the law that, for a change, will benefit a majority and not just a few chosen ones.

Na Zdraví!

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A great idea for a Christmas present

2011-12-06T17:57:00.001+01:00

Do you want to buy someone a really special Christmas gift? How about a book, you can never go wrong with a book, specially one that is not only great fun to read, but also practical for anyone planning to come to Prague (or even dreaming about it).

But that's not it. You can get that wonderful, unique, fun (did I say it was fun?) book with a 30% DISCOUNT!!!

Yes, that's right! You can buy "Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide"(Certainly, the best guide of Prague written by an Argentine) with a 30% DISCOUNT. But hurry up, you have until tomorrow.

So go to this page, My Author's Page at Lulu.com pick the book the whichever version you want (did you know? Now it's available in e-book format for the I-Pad!) and enter this discount code WINTERSAVE305 during the purchase. Your loved one will love it!

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Thoughts after a couple of early pints

2011-12-05T08:30:00.000+01:00

I love Kaaba, in Lucemburská. It's a small café in a quiet, tree-lined, side street of Vinohrady with an intimate atmosphere and fantastic soundtrack. Or at least that's how I find it on Tuesday and Thursday mornings when I go for an early pint or two of very well tapped Polička Hradební Tmavé, one of the finest exponents of one of the most underrated Czech beer categories, tmavé výčepní. Much of that atmosphere is generated by the štamgasty, who are a pretty colourful bunch. It's really fantastic to sit down and chat about history, films, music, Argentina, politics and what have you with people like a retired Mariner, an Investigative Journalist or the Chairman of the Czech Monarchist Party while listening to Cream, Tom Waits, Max Raabe or Chet Baker.

This wouldn't be possible without the figure of the owner, a pretty interesting bloke himself, with a theatre background (not acting) and great taste for music, and with whom it's also very interesting to talk.

The other day I was having a conversation about beer about beer and the local beer scene with him and he told me how he got to Polička.

When he decided to start selling draught beer Pilsner Urquell was the most natural choice, the cans and bottles were selling really well. He got in touch with the company and the representative explained him that he couldn't help him because of the low volume this place could have. Someone later recommended him Polička and now he couldn't be any happier, not only with the quality of the beer, but also with the company as a business partner.

I love talking to people from "the other side of the counter". It helps you see things from a different perspective (something that is always good to do) and occasionally you get to hear something that can be almost a revelation, just like this time. After I left the place I started asking myself whether cases like Kaaba's aren't one of the reasons why some regionals are doing so well in a shrinking or, at best, stagnant market.

Some people might say that the attitude of PU's representative is nothing but an example of the arrogance of large companies. I see it more like a example of common sense in business. Let me explain you.

Some years ago, a senior manager of a large B2B service company, which in fact was the leader in its market, was explaining me their client portfolio. At the bottom of the pyramid there were a huge number of small clients who, according to this man, brought little value and required the allocation of disproportionate resources to keep them satisfied. He added that if it was up to him, he would get rid of the lot of them, which would result in a bigger profit margin for the company with the added bonus that they would be able to take better care of the important clients, which could result in bigger revenues. Unfortunately, the owners at the time, an investment fund from the US, were the kind of people who have growth at any price as sole strategy (a pretty dumb philosophy, which I believe is to blame for much of what's happening now in the world economy) and their policy did not allow for the loss of a single client.

For a company like Plzeňksý Prazdroj Kaaba would be one of those small clients and it's understandable that they weren't interested. And they never had to worry too much about that either, after all, this kind of owners can always go to the distributors or wholesalers to buy the beer, if they want to.

But that times have changed. It's always better to deal with the producer and some mid-sized and small breweries might be filling the hole left by the big boys. Žatec, in the last year or so they've shown up in who knows how many places, most of them quite modern and fancy.

I doubt the macros are in a position to reverse the trend.

This has little to do with personal taste or even optimism. It's a simply business issue. For your average regional brewer places like Kaaba are an interesting client, not only because every keg sold counts, but also because it offers them the possibility of reaching to new consumers. The owners, on the other hand, can buy beer that is cheaper than Pilsner Urquell (plus getting all the marketing goodies and even taps). And to make things more interesting, we should not forget that the regional brands are getting more awareness by the day and, if we look at cases like Jama's (a place where people didn't use to go because they had this or that beer), switching to a regional brand can end up being very good for the business. It's only a matter of time until more people realise about this.

And then they say an early pint of bad for you.

Na Zdraví!

Kaaba
Lucemburská 15 – Praha-Vinohrady
50°4'44.863"N, 14°27'15.196"E
Mon-Sat: 7.30-22, Sun: 9-22

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Selected Readings: November

2011-12-02T09:17:00.001+01:00

For a change, I'm on time this month. It feels good! But enough bollocks, let's go through last month's best beer bits.

Velký Al is not too happy with what he read about Pale Lagers in an article published by American newspaper. The author, one Steve Body, a.k.a. "The Pour Fool", is one of those people who speaks with authority about a topic he doesn't understand, nor is he interested in learning much about, which isn't so much foolish as it is stupid. On the other hand, it's good to know that publishing bollocks about beer isn't exclusive to the Spanish speaking press.

Of all the people involved in the beer industry, from the suppliers of raw materials to the final consumer, nobody has the chance to feel the market better than the owners of specialised bars and shops. That is why when someone like 2D2dspuma offer their (extensive) point of view about what the new brewers should consider when putting together their product portfolio, it's a good idea to pay attention. I believe that even in Spain there is a market for "simple" beers (CCM + Lupulus, Guineu Coaner or Agullons Pura Ale are good examples), but I'm not in the privileged position of 2D2 to judge properly.

Quite related to simple beers is the topic of "Light" beers. Marcelo Braga explains to an oenophile in a very clear way what they are about, closing his piece with a brilliant conclusion.

The opposite of Light beers are the so called "Extreme" brews, among which are the super hoppy ones. Mark seems to have got tired of them a bit, or at least of those that don't offer much more than enamel stripping bitterness. It's all a matter of tastes, but to me, in these days when there are more and more hop/IBU (or even yeast or wood) driven beers, it is really refreshing and rewarding to enjoy the complex subtlety of beers where the malts are allowed to set the pace.

Pete Brown explains us what Beer Respect means to him and at the same time complains about those who, according to him, take beer "too seriously". A few days later, this last bit prompted a very good response by Boak&Bailey. Pete might be right, but I have to agree with B&B, I believe it is good that there are people who consider beer as something worth of such profound study and debate.

I doubt many of you out there have much sympathy for the American (fake) Budweiser , or forAnhauser-Busch. However, I couldn't help but feel a bit of it after reading this article that tells about what's happened in the three years since the company fell in the claws of InBev.

That's it for this month.

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In praise of the bores

2011-11-30T12:00:00.001+01:00

These days I've read more than one blog post quoting some people denouncing the "uniformity" of the German beer landscape, which reminded me that until not long ago I was saying more or less the same about the Czech one.

Tandlemann spoke about Schönram, a rural Bavarian brewery owned by a yank, that specialises in Pale Ales, Porters, etc. A few days before, Stan Hieronymus presented TAP X, Schneider's new beer. Both cases are shown as proof of a slow change in the "boring" German beer market.

Something similar, though in a bigger scale, is happening here. Pivovar Kocour, Matuška and others are becoming more and more specialised in "exotic" styles and, generally speaking, with very good results both in quality and sales. The relative success of these beers have motivated others to have a go at making "something different" and the other day it was announced that the recently privatised and rescued from a certain death Pivovar Výškov is coming out with their own IPA (that looks pretty good).

All this vitality is more than welcome. Interestingly, though, it has helped me to learn to appreciate once again those beers that I was starting to find boring. Last weekend I was having a few pints at the gorgeous Výčep of Únětický Pivovar. I started with the Desítka, switched to Dvanáctka and finished off with a couple of portions of Polotmavá 13º, their Christmas special. All of them great, very different not only from each other, but also from other beers in their respective categories. All of them simple classics. The same could be said about the Dunkles, Keller, Märzen, etc. from Franconia that I've drunk either in situ or here bottled. Kraus's Hell Lager, for example, was symphony of subtlety and personality.

My point is that anyone can make something "distinctive" with an imported hop variety or with ingredients or processes that aren't the usual. Even the most obtuse consumer will notice they are drinking something different. Achieving something similar using the same old, boring ingredients to brew the same old, boring three or four styles is a lot more difficult, and not only because it requires the drinker to pay more attention (something that unfortunately, few do).

I'm not saying the "innovators" should focus more on the "classics", I'm sure they know very well what they are doing with their business. Nor am I saying that one group of beer is better than the other, Chýně's Stout is one of the best beers I've drunk this year and I am a fan of diversity, there can never be enough of it, and that's why I'll keep on encouraging those who want to bring more colour to the market.

However, I believe that those who prefer to stay with the "usual stuff" and manage to elevate a světlý ležák, a tmavé or polotmavé or even a desítka to new levels deserve every bit as much praise.

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It's time to grow up

2011-11-24T18:46:00.000+01:00

"Unlike industrial beers, the so called "craft beers" tend to be yeast soups of incredibly irregular quality. That could be because they are brewed by amateurs who use equipment that is a bit more than improvised. These self proclaimed "Brew Masters", be it due to their poor knowledge of the trade or their limited business vision, often sell clearly flawed beers and expect the consumer not only to pay a high price for them, but also to accept and even admire them because they are "craft" or "artisan".

Can you imagine what would happen if someone published something like this? The author would be greeted by a barrage of heavy caliber insults fired by platoons of lovers of good beer. And it would be well deserved! That thing above is not only false, but also massively stupid.

Not a lot more false and stupid, though, than the first paragraph of this article published in a Chilean beer site (SP):

"The main difference between industrial and craft beer is found in the proportions, in the treatment of the raw materials and in the brewing process. Regarding the raw materials, their proportion is lower in industrial beers, which also use non natural preservatives."

It's not the first time (and I'm afraid, nor the last) that I read something along those lines and I wonder when they will cut it out with that bollocks.

Yes, it's true that there are, not few, "industrial" beers brewed with chemical additives, etc., nobody is denying that, but it's also true that there are, not few, "craft" beers and brewers that could very well fit in that silly description at the beginning. And yet, nobody in their right mind would ever think of making such generalization. Why then is it's OK to do it with the "industrial" beers?

If micro brewers, specially those in "emerging markets", expect to be respected and taken seriously, they should start by acting like adults and leave behind all that childish nonsense. There are a multitude of arguments that can be used to establish a rhetorical difference between "craft" and "industrial" beers, which not only are much closer to reality, but also will address more effectively the mature, and if you want, sophisticated, audience I'm sure many would like to reach. (Of course, those arguments would be as solid as a morning fart the moment someone gets a dodgy beer, but that's something that many brewers know well enough already).

It would also help, too, that those "craft brewers" who haven't done it yet would finally come to terms with the fact that their brewery is a COMPANY, a BUSINESS and not and art project or a political manifesto; that their beers are COMMERCIAL and that brewing is a noble TRADE people people have been practicing for a long, long time with the main purpose of MAKING MONEY. Wanting to make money, or to even get rich, is not a sin, and what we really care about is to be able to drink a consistently well made beer.

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The magic of Lípy

2011-11-23T09:19:00.000+01:00

Does any of you have a favourite pub in your town that for whatever reasons, that don't have to do with money, you don't go as often as you'd like?

That is exactly what happens to me with U Slovanské Lípy. I love this pub, so much that for the IN Magazine's survey I put it on the second spot of my Top 10. The reason why I don't go that often is perhaps the opening hours. At 4PM I'm usually on my second or third pint somewhere else and don't feel very much like moving.

Those who follow this blog for a longer time might remember that early last year Lípy closed, something that caused much sadness. Fortunately, it was only for a few weeks, a bunch of new people took over the place and has it running to this day. I don't know if it was their own choice or lack of resources, but whatever it is, I'm glad they've kept the small town dive decoration pretty much intact, only a few Rock'n'Roll touches here and there to give it an even better vibe.

After heavens know how long, the other day I was roaming around the neighbourhood and thought it would be a good idea to stop by at U Slovanské Lípy for a quick pint of Kout 10º. The bloke at the bar recognised me from this blog (something I'll never get used to) and we started to talk. It turned out to be Michal, the person in charge of the place now. I asked him how business is going and he told me that it's going pretty well (one thing I like about Czechs is that if things don't go well, they'll usually tell you they are going like crap). He also told me they've started running a hostel in the building above the pub, which is going fairly well, too.

I stayed a bit longer than I had planned, talking to Michal about beer and pubs and having a very good time. After I left I promised myself I would try to go more often, in only, to be able to have a chat with Michal. I won't go on now to tell you how passionate he and his team might be (you know what I think of that), what is to me more important is that it is evident they are committed to do things well, which, I believe is a basic ingredient for success.

But that aside, if you are in Prague, drop by U Slovanské Lípy, not only you'll be able to enjoy the outstanding beers of Kout na Šumavě, probably at their best in Prague, but you'll be able to do it at a truly unique place.

Na Zdraví!

U Slovanské lípy
50°5'14.693"N, 14°27'12.343"E
Tachovské náměstí 288 - Praha 3-Žižkov
+420-602-190-112
Mon-Sat: 16-23

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A quick question

2011-11-21T10:07:00.001+01:00

I've got a couple of topics going around my head, but I'm too lazy to sit down and write about them, so I thought I would ask a hypothetical just for the sake of it.

If you had a brewery with a capacity of 3-5hl a batch, what sort of beer would you have as your "workhorse"* and which would be your "flagship" and why?

That's it.

Na Zdraví!

*meaning here the beer that would sell the most by volume

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Selected Readings: October

2011-11-18T16:40:00.008+01:00

A bit late, I know, but still better than last month.

Actually, I wouldn't say there was a lot (I was still quite bus) and much of the discourse was dominated by Oxford Companion to Beer, which generated a few heated debates.

Martyn Cornell, after finding a few history mistakes in some bits he'd read, asked, a bit too vehemently perhaps, if the book wasn't a dreadful disaster (no wonder after all the work he's done trying to bring some light to the myths about the history of English brewing). Of course, the book's Chief Editor, Garret Oliver, wasn't too thrilled and said his bit in an interview he gave to Alan, which itself generated a few interesting comments.

To me, however, the best review of this book was Barm's, who dissected it bit by bit and gave his opinion in a long, fair and fun to read post.

Now, if any of you is interested about the opinion of someone who hasn't read the book yet, I think The Oxford Companion to Beer has been a victim of its own ambitions and of the huge reputations of the publisher and of Garret Oliver. Maybe Barm is right when he says it might have been rushed a bit to make it in time for the Christmas shopping.

Still in the field of History. Evan Rail calls scholars to study a bit more the history of the beers of Central and Eastern Europe, of which little is known, and suggests a few books to get started. If the number of visitors my post on the historical relationship between Pilsner Urquell and Pale Ale can serve as an indicator, there are quite a lot of people out there who are interested in the topic, and I can't begin to imagine how much they'd like to know about Mum, a old, and gone, German style that according to Page 123 of this 1838 book was "made principally with wheaten malt, with a portion of oat and bean malt, tops of fir and birch and various herbs".

But enough with history. Let's come to the present.

Velký Al has heard enough about oxymoronic beers. It all started with the Black IPA and now there are people speaking of Black Pils and Black Kölsch. What's next, a Pale Schwartz?

Czech speakers should read this "parallel" interview where one of the authors of Pivni Recenze and the ~~Head Brewer of Gambrinus~~ the PR guy of Prazdroj both answer the same questions. Priceless.

Bollocks of the month goes to that rubbish from Murcia, of course, but you've read about it already.

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Off with the legend

2011-11-14T12:13:00.000+01:00

"In 1838 the Burghers of Pilsen gathered in the town square and poured 36 barrels of beer into the drains [...] This uncharacteristic revolt was prompted by the various poor quality, unsavoury brews being offered up as beer."

Thus is the tale about the pivotal event that prompted the good burghers and brewing rights holders of the city to set up the brewery that would eventually become Pilsner Urquell.

It's a story I'm sure many of you have read more or less adorned in countless websites, blogs, magazine and book articles and even books. It's a story that I don't believe for a second. And not (just) because I took the above quote from The Book of Legends, in Pilsner Urquell's global website, neither because it's a little bit too convenient for the brand's discourse. There are other reasons.

First of all, there's no precise date of the event, while we do know when the first batch of PU was tapped (5 October, or 11 November, or 25 February of 1842, depending on whom you ask), but of the revolt, not even a month, which is strange for something of such apparent importance. And believe me, I looked for it, I spent much of last weekend researching, trying to find a reliable reference (my social life is awesome, as you can see).

After realising that web pages were a bit of a waste of time, I went to Google Books (what a wonderful tool) and found a couple of very interesting things.

The London general gazetteer, by Richard Brooks, published in 1838, on p. 581 mentions that "Pilsen [...] is particularly rich in sheep, and noted for excellent cheese". No mention of beer or breweries. In the same book, on p. 607 we are told that in Rakovník "very good beer is brewed" and on p. 403, that Jorkau, a town near Žatec (I wasn't able to find the Czech name of Jorkau) is "celebrated for its breweries".

Mc'Culloch̓s universal gazetteer, published in 1855, in the entry for Pilsen (p. 604), the author mentions the schools, the woolen, leather and iron industries and also the large fair that was held once a year, which was attended by traders from all over Bohemia. Nothing about the brewery, or brewing industry at all.

And in a book called A dictionary, geographical, statistical, and historical: of the various countries, places, and principal natural objects in the world, Volumes 1-2, published in 1866, we can read on page 391 that in Bohemia "Some wine is made, but the quality is very inferior; and beer is the national beverage". Yet there's no mention of Pilsen (or Prague for that matter) as a brewing centre of particular importance.

In fact, I found very few references of beer and brewing in Bohemia in these and other contemporary books I consulted. In one of them, I can't remember which one now, the author speaks at length about the beauty of Prague and its architecture, and about its cultural life, but doesn't mention a single brewery. However, beer and breweries are mentioned in the entries of other cities and countries. For example, A Gazetteer of the world (1856) says that in Belgium "the number of breweries amount to 2800 and a large portion of their produce is exported". The breweries and beers of cities in Saxony, Bavaria and even France and Holland, among many others, are mentioned as well in this and the other books. That might be because at the time those books were written, brewing in Bohemia was done mostly by small breweries and not the large ones that would become the norm by the end of the 19th century.

The only reference to the "Pilsen's beer revolt" was was an indirect one and I found it in a Czech book called "Pivovarnictví", by Ladislav Chládek. On page 40 the author mentions that the "Měšťanský Pivovar v Plzni" (Burghers* brewery in Pilsen) was established in 1839, adding that it was because the beer in the city was bad, but I don't quite believe that, either.

Now, I'm not saying that the beer in Pilsen was good, I don't know, but with brewing had been practiced in the city since it was founded in 1295, so one would expect that the brew masters knew what they were doing, but even if it had been on the wrong side of crap, I believe the Burghers' motivations were other...

On the same page in Pivovarnictví, just above the reference mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are a couple of interesting things that might start shedding some light on all this. We are told there that bottom fermented lagers had already been brewed in Bohemia in the 15th Century (something Evan Rail already talked about a while ago, and that, if proven correct, would challenge the latest findings of cold fermenting yeasts tracing their origin to Patagonia). However, they seemed to have been rather exceptional. Bottom, or cold, fermented brewing didn't catch on in Bohemia until 1840. Yes, that's 2 years before the first pint "Měšťanský Pivovar v Plzni" was tapped. According to this book it was brewmaster Votěch Wanka (please, keep the silly jokes to yourselves) who brewing lagers in U Primasů, a brewery in Koňský Trh (Wenceslas Sq., today) and only a year later, already 10% of all the breweries in the realm had switched to bottom fermenting, and their number was growing. Though, according to this lagering was already being done in Prague as early as 1830's, though with top fermented beers).

This was not fortuitous. When Anton Dreher took over the family business in 1833, he switched to brewing lagers (or 1836), which turned out to be a pretty good idea. Dreher's brewery near Vienna expanded rapidly and would later become the centre of a company that owned breweries all over the Austrian Empire.

During those years, Mr. Dreher and his mate Gabriel Sedlmayr II, owner of Spaten, in Munich, went to Great Britain where they were very impressed with what they saw, and tasted, in Burton and by the English method of malting. And in fact, according to something Ron Pattison told me once in an e-mail, Dreher was so impressed that he tried, unsuccessfully, to brew pale in Austria.

So my theory is that the Burghers in Pilsen actually wanted to make something like Pale Ale. It all fits in quite well. The Pilsen malts were made using the English method, but brewing a PA the English way had proved to be a risk (or maybe they even tried it, and didn't work out). Lager brewing was expanding rapidly in Bohemia. And there's the beer itself, the Pale Lager. There are no analysis of colour of Pale Ales in the 1830's, but in Ron's, and in other places, I found several mentions of these beers being brewed from "the palest malts", so it's possible to believe that their colour was that of Pilsner Urquell. Moreover, unlike most other styles of lager of the time, and still now, the Pilsner was also much hoppier, just like Pale Ales. Too many coincidences.

It could have been that the beers in Pilsen were not that good or, at least, were not as good as lagers, as I especulated once, either way, it's clear to me that "Měšťanský Pivovar v Plzni" was established purely because its owners saw the way the wind was blowing and they were no fools, how bad or good the beers were had little, if anything, to do with it. Another thing to also bear in mind is that, unlike what I used to believe, the Pale Lager wouldn't take the world by storm right away, it was more like a slow change in the seasons, even in Bohemia, but that's another story.

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* I believe "Burgher" is a more appropriate translation than Citizen to the Czech word "Měšťan"

3 stars Hotels in Prague with 75% discount.

A quick German question

2011-11-09T11:02:00.000+01:00

Is there anyone who can explain me what "Vollbier" and "Landbier" are supposed to indicate? Are they legal categories like Märzen, Bock or Weizen (that many people seem wrongly consider them "styles") or are they something more arbitrary? And since I'm asking, is "Rauchbier" also a legal category when it comes to German beer?

Well, more than one question, actually. Thanks in advance for your answers.

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