Czechmatediary

A recent study of the Czech Hydrometerological Institute concluded that “even with the modest warming so far experienced, hop yields in the Czech Republic have stagnated and quality declined”. The increasing temperatures (although very suttle) have been taking  the toll on the ‘beer plants’ which in turn could reduce their yield  by a further 7-10%. Perhaps the most worrying is the decline in the quality of the Saaz hops, which produce our good old Czech pilsners. “The “Alpha” acid content – “a major determinant of quality”, according to the team, as it’s the compound that produces a pilsner’s defining bitter taste – is likely to fall a further 13-32% if the predicted warming occurs. The study found that the concentration of these acids has fallen by 0.06% a year since 1954.” (more…)

Czech beer has had a long history. A first brewery  is known to have existed in as early as 1118. It’s hard to believe but Wikipedia claims that the beer wasn’t really nothing special until 1842, when Josef Groll, a German brewer, was employed by a brewery in Pilsen. He invented the so-called cold fermentation larger method along with the miraculous golden Pilsner beer, which was the first light coloured beer ever brewed! From then on the Czechs – ironically, thanks to a German dude – were the kings of beer. The British newspaper The Times has recently published a list of the 10 best Czech beers/breweries and here is the verdict: (more…)

Czech beer is so popular  these days that the EU is most likely going to allow the Czechs Republic to use the “Ceske Pivo/Czech Beer” trademark. The beer is very unique because it is “brewed using  specific technologies in a specific latitude”. I don’t know if you knew this (I certainly did not), but the “Czech” beers like Staropramen or Pilsener Urquell are also made in Poland, Russia and Slovakia (i.e. different brewing technologies and different latitudes), hence the taste may not be exactly the same. (more…)