Czech Focus 2/2005 - AFI

LIVINGCZECH16In the land of beerThe world was astounded in 1913 when it was discovered that as many as 19 typesof beer were brewed in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago. It is fitting that thearchaeologist who first deciphered the Sumerian tablets containing thisinformation was a Czech, Bedrich Hrozny.• What are the “degrees”?Beer is measured here with degrees, according to the method devised byProfessor Balling in the 17th century. The degree sign caused some confusionfor consumers in the past, as international norms used it to signify thetemperature of brewing and other things. So it was changed to a percentagesign, which causes confusion among consumers today. Many think that thepercent is the amount of alcohol, but it’s actually the amount of malt extractused in the brewing process. The percentage of alcohol is about a quarter ofthe “percent” shown on the bottle, so 12% beer is roughly 3.1% alcohol,though it’s often higher. Czech beer comes in degrees from 6-19%, but 10%and 12% are the most common. The highest degree is probably Pernsteinfrom Pardubice.Beer was also brewed in the earliest Czech civilizations. There is evidence thathops were already being cultivated here in 859 and were being exported in 903- the first written documentation referring to brewing dates from 1088. EvenBritish beer authority Michael Jackson agrees that the Czechs are the number onebeer-brewing nation in the world today. Beer is considered a part of the nationalheritage of the country.• What are some good Czech urban legends about beer?One of the best ones says that drinking beer makes you live longer, because itreduces the aluminum in the body, saving it from the effects of aging and Alzheimer’sdisease. Beer does contain natural B-complex vitamins, though, so it doeshave some nutritional value (maybe that’s why it’s also known in Czech as “liquidbread”).• Which Czech beer is the best?As a famous advertising slogan once proclaimed: “Beer is the best”. It didn’t specifywhich brand. While the Czech Budvar (Budweiser) beer calls itself “the beer ofkings” (due to a royal inclination towards this brew in the early 16th century), it isimpossible to say which Czech beer is the best.According to Antonin Kratochvil, the executive director of the Czech Associationof Breweries, “Saying that some beer is better and some is worse is as nonsensicalas classifying women according to the color of their hair: some men like blondes,some like brunettes.” Of the classical beer styles, mostly bottom-fermented beeris brewed in the Czech Republic - that means lager (lezak), but especially, it meansPilsner beer. Pilsner is without a doubt the world’s most famous style of beer.Outside of the Czech Republic it is usually spelled Pilsener or abbreviated to Pils.• Where do the Czechs drink beer?Czechs prefer to do their beer-drinking in pubs rather than at home. Drinkingbeer is an opportunity to meet with friends. The milieu in pubs and country inns isgregarious, the discussion are forthright. The subjects can be anything under thesun: football, ice-hockey, politics and women. Draught beer is normally served inhalf-liter glass mugs. There’s light-coloured (svetle) beer, which comes in ten-degreeand twelve-degree varieties, and has more of a bitter flavor. Then there’s alsoten-degree dark (tmave), or black (cerne) beer, which is generally sweeter. Lightbeer is more popular, although dark beer is gaining ground. For those watchingtheir figure, there are even diet (dia) varieties of both light and dark beer, whichare lower in sugar and alcohol. Beer is usually available in bottles rather than incans. Bottles of beer have too long a tradition for Czechs to be replaced by canseasily. Canned Czech beers are available, but are mostly just for the consumptionof foreign tourists.• How about some tips for drinking Czech beer?The best temperature at which to drink beer is between 7-10 degreesCelsius. You can keep your beer at this temperature by keeping it onthe seventh step down to the cellar (this tip is from the Oscar-nominatedCzech film “My Sweet Little Village”). When buying bottled beer, hold it upto the light. It should be clear, not muddied in any way. And finally, drink iteach and every day.• What to eat when drinking Czech beer?Beer goes very well with the Czech national cuisine. For Czechs, it would beunimagineable for the Czech national meal (roasted pork, cabbage and the famousCzech dumplings) to be accompanied by any beverage other than beer.However, if you’re sampling beers and you’d like to clear your palate betweenbeers, try a piece of cheese (nothing fancy), a white breadroll, or some mild salami. For the adventurous, try all three.Want to know more about Czech beer?http://www.iniciativapivovaru.cz/en/goals.phpThe Czech beer firsts are:1 st in per capita beer consumption (160 litersor 43 gallons per year)1 st beer museum in the world1 st beer brewing textbook1 st Pilsener (Pilsner Urquell is a brand-nameCzech beer produced in the town of Plzen(or Pilsen) and is the original Pilsner)1 st Budweiser (Budweiser is a brand-nameCzech beer produced in the town of CeskeBudejovice (or Budweis) and is the originalBudweiser)1 st school of brewing in the world wasfounded in the Czech Republic at theend of the 18th century. Since 1816there has been a university-level collegeof brewing, and since 1868 also a secondaryvocational school specialising in brewing.ed.