Czech Beer Day Makes Stellar Return To Embassy Land

Roll out the barrel. After a hiatus of two years since the last Czech ‘Beer Day’ due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual event saw a healthy turnout on its return this September to the grounds of the embassies of the Czech and Slovak republics in London’s Notting Hill.

The event, which came on the heels of ‘International Beer Day’, which normally takes place in August and was started back in 2007, presented 10 independent Czech breweries and two technology companies.

There were a few differences from the same event held in the midst of the brutalist-styled embassy building from 2021, but also some ever present brewers. Hard now to imagine that the Royal Institute of British Architects gave the building the thumbs up and an award for the best building in the United Kingdom created by foreign architects (namely from the atelier Beta Prague Project Institute).

As well as a host of beers on tap for attendees - from the trade to hospitality sector to fans more generally of Czech lager and ales – a buffet went with proceedings. Among a throng of guests to sample the various craft lagers and dark beer were representatives from the Irish and Saudi Arabian embassies as well as diplomatic officials from Taiwan based in the UK.

The event, which was organised by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture with the assistance of Czech Trade, had been a little touch and go as to whether it would actually proceed. But in the end it did, the weather stayed fair and there were up to 300 attendees - more than in previous years.

Over 200 British companies, mainly well-known importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, independent pub chains, pub groups and restaurants, accepted the invitation to the tasting. Added to that mix journalists, consultants, agents and influencers took part too.

The range of craft beers showcased - in draught, bottle or can format - were provided by ten Czech breweries from across the country - both large and small and from north to south. It all comes against a backdrop of premium craft lager being the UK’s fastest growing beer segment, up some 25% in the past year.

There was an impressive stand in the shape of Budweiser Budvar (‘The Original’), which was established in 1895 and is the only state-owned brewery in the world today. For folks in the UK one needs to go back to the period 1916-1973 and the ‘State Management Scheme’, commonly known now as the Carlisle Experiment, the last time nationalisation took hold in brewing, distribution and sale of liquor.  

Budweiser mature their beer for seven times longer than most breweries. And, typically for real Bohemian premium lager the maturation period is between sixty to ninety days with 200 or more days are allocated to brewing. This is versus just a handful of days for other well-known global brands.

Rounding off things, slivovitz (plumb brandy) from Rudolf Jelínek, the world’s biggest fruit spirits producer established in 1894, that today exports to over 40 countries could be imbibed. It continues a more than 400-year tradition of Wallachian alcohol production.

Budvar Budweiser

Among the wares on the Budweiser stand beside the Original Czech pale premium lager, one could dip into Budvar Nefiltr (a hazy unfiltered 4% ABV brew) and Budweiser Dark with deep aromas of dark fruit, cocoa nibs and freshly brewed coffee.

In the run in to the event, in late May 2023 Budweiser teamed up with craft brewer Thornbridge in the heart of the Peak District to create its first lager - Czech Mates (ABV 4.8%) - brewed outside Czechia in over 125 years and using water from the Peak District.

Bohemia Regent

Among a number of the breweries showcasing their products, Bohemia Regent from Trebon in the south of the country and established in 1379, is reputably one of the oldest brewers with continuous brewing since the late 14th century. All of their range - from Bohemia Regent Premium (a Pilsner lager - 5.0% ABV), Rye Organic and Premium Dark are excellent. The latter, with a powerful hint of cappuccino coffee has been rated by award-winning beer writer Roger Protz in ‘300 Beers To Taste Before You Die’.

Jarosovsky

A firm favourite tipple of mine amongst the host of beers to be sampled was Jarošovský, which in its original incarnation as a brewery was established in 1688.

Continuing the centuries old tradition of brewing in Jarosov in the south east of the country, brewing started up again in more recent years in 2017. Of note, their unfiltered and unpasteurised beer (Jura 11% plateau/4.5% ABV) and Sohaj (14%/6% ABV) are simply outstanding for the crispness and taste. As are the labels on the bottles based on folklore motives that were designed by the Zlin-based agency Little Greta.

Clock

Passing the Clock Brewery stand in the embassy gardens I discovered in conversation with their representatives that behind the initial vision to the business that was created in 2012, was for the name ‘Robot’ to be used. However, due to copyright reasons this was dropped in favour of Clock. The word 'Robot' was in fact the brainchild of a Czech playwright Karel Čapek (1880-1938), who introduced it in his 1920 hit play, R.U.R., or Rossum’s Universal Robots.

Clock aspires to be Czech craft leader and touts: “…guilt-free sips, eco-friendly practices in every brew.” Among their beer portfolio are Hektor lager (10 degrees plateau/4.2% ABV), Sarah Bourbon barrel-aged stout (an 8.5% Russian Imperial Stout) and Sour Cherry Farmhouse ale, which uses 470 kilos of sour cherries per 1,000 litres of final beer.)

Konrad

The award-winning lagers from Konrad, a European beer star and World beer awards winner, were on tap too. Decoction brewing and double fermentation are part and parcel of their production process. Interestingly this brewery that dates back to 1872 still produces their own Pilsner malt at the brewery located in the north of the country. According to Martin Macourek from Czech Trade the wares of Konrad have started to be shipped to the UK and trucks have recently been despatched to venues in The Midlands.

Now some might say that Czech beer is the quite possibly the best in world. That view could be drunken speculation, but I would not entirely dismiss that view.

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Note: The Czech companies participating in the event included the Břevnov Monastery Brewery, sited by the oldest monastery in Bohemia and associated with brewing since 993, Planaczech Brewery, Bohemia Regent, Primátor, Jarošovský Brewery, Svijany, Dobruška Brewery, Clock Brewery, Budějovický Budvar as well as Lindr, a producer if cooling and dispensing equipment, and Adam & Partners, a producer of packaging (bottles, kegs, canisters) with over 25 years experience in the Czech, Slovak and Hungarian markets.