Style: Pilsener
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 330 ml green bottles / 500 ml green bottle
Brewery: Brewery Budweiser Budvar
Country: České Budějovice, Czech Republic

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This traditional Pilsener is one of my regular standbys for a hot weather quencher. That was the original intention with the invention of this style, or at least to produce a light yet tasteful easy drinking beer. One thing to take note about Bohemian Pilseners, or more currently lagers that are produced in modern day Czech Republic, is that the spelling of this style has an extra “E” in it. This is due to a sort of appellation status, as the first Pilseners were developed in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia in 1842 (now referred to as Plzeň, Czech Republic).

Produced elsewhere this style is shortened to Pilsner, or even Pils. It’s an old Germanic practice to add an “-er” to the end of any location when referring to a certain product that was first developed there, a sort of famous namesake. It wasn’t uncommon to project this custom onto neighbouring nations either.

This leads us into the controversy that has been hounding this beer for over a century now. While the Czech name of the city that Czechvar is produced is České Budějovice, the Bohemian name was Budweis. It was back in 1785 when a brewery first started up, producing a beer called
Budweiser Bürgerbräu. It was in 1895 that a 2nd company, presently called Budvar, also started producing a beer called Budweiser Budvar. It’s this latter one that concerns us and our Czechvar. Two breweries from a city called Budweis, both producing beers called Budweiser. I’m sure the name rings a bell with you.

Now a certain American company also started using the label of Budweiser to brew under as far back as 1876, and had it legally registered a couple years afterwards. This immediately led to copyright lawsuits when the breweries from back in Budweis tried to share their products with the American market as well. Although there were small concessions over the years, let’s just say that things have been ongoing and the company who could afford the most lawyers has managed to maintain the most leverage. Well, at least here in North America. Hence why Budweiser Budvar is known as Czechvar here in Canada and the U.S.

That’s about as much as I want to cover regarding the legalities and the politics behind all of this, but thought it was necessary to cover the curious and somewhat unstipulated history behind the pedigree of this excellent Czech Pilsener. You may see the name Czechvar now, but you’ll know better about what lies behind it

With that taken care of let’s check out what all the fuss is all about. A tall fluted Pilsner glass is the way to go to insure an authentic experience, but if your glassware collection is limited then pull out the trusty pint glass. Chilled is definitely the way to serve this style, just make sure it’s not iced cold. With a style like this it’s what you don’t taste at times that is most important, but nearly frozen beer will mask almost anything and everything.

What fills your glass is a clear bright golden beer, with a shock white head. If not too cold you’ll be able to smell some mild bready malt, along with the classic Czech Saaz hops which are a bit spicy, and tend to possess a character of fresh cut grass. At times I even pick up some citrus notes as well. Crisp and clean are the first impressions of the flavour. A little bit of bready malt up front, but what follows is almost a metallic character of clean grains, finishing with the spicy, grassy, light citrus countenance of the traditional Noble Czech hops. Clean, dry aftertaste. Medium-bodied mouthfeel with a brisk amount of carbonation, and a crisp, dry finish.

If you’re a fan of spicy foods then this is your new best friend. Between the crispness of the hops and the cleansing aspect of the carbonation, you’ll be able to cut through almost any heat while scrubbing your palate clean and hitting the reset button in your mouth to allow you to go back for more. Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and Mexican dishes have met their ideal match. Forget the pickled ginger too, this Pilsener is subtle enough to pair with sushi while having enough character to subdue the most intense wasabi. Salty or fatty foods will be tamed as well, from pork dishes to Chinese food in rich sauce. There really isn’t much that this Pilsener can’t pair up with to one degree or another, even if you have a taste for shellfish—raw or slathered in butter or a wine steamed preparation. It will cut through fats and neutralize acidity or heat. It appears that all the fuss over this beer was worth it after all, even if it has to enter our country with a pseudonym.

The next steps in the cooler:

Czech Pilseners:
Pilsner Urquell
Krušovice Imperial
Žatec
Litovel

Other Pils:
Lagunitas Pils
Paddock Wood Czech Mate
Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner
Raasted Pilsner
Brooklyn Pilsner
Bitburger Premium Pils
Radeberger Pilsner
Pinkus Organic Ur Pils

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Premium Verum
Kulmbacher
Alley Kat Charlie Flint’s Original Lager

For The Adventurous:
Duvel
Erdinger Weiss
Edelweiss Snowfresh

Style: Pilsner
ABV: 4.6%
Presentation: 500 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Zatec Brewery
Country: Czech Republic

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Not all pilsners are made equal, but one thing’s for sure, Zatec sure stands out from the crowd.  For those interested in branching out a bit from their usual fare such as Molson’s popular chuck wagon bedecked version, or the afficianado who knows exactly what makes a true pilsner and draws them to the style, this import is a real treat.  The beer and the brewery itself are named after the region in Czech Republic that it is brewed in, which is famous for its Saaz hops and boasts exports of them for over 1000 years.  In fact Zatec is Czech for Saaz.  The current facility brewing Zatec is about 200 years old, built on the grounds of an old castle in collaboration with a neighbouring brewery, both of which had been producing beer in that region for almost 700 years now.

As with this particular style the fresher it is, the better. Unfortunately this brand doesn’t come with a “best before” or “brewed on” stamp on the bottle or the label.  Available in 500 ml brown bottles, expect to find a transparent golden amber body in appearance when poured into glassware, along with a tall fluffy white head that will slowly settle and leave a good amount of lacing in its wake as the glass is emptied.  A baked bread aroma from the malt will also greet you, even a bit of a metallic character from the grain, along with mildly spicy, grassy hints of Saaz hops.  Silky smooth is the texture of the mouthfeel, this is a well balanced pilsner, with the biscuity character of the malts blending nicely with the floral and grassy qualities of the hops.  Some versions of pilsners like to lean more heavily towards a bitter dandelion green hop presence, yet for those intimidated by hoppy beers Zatec is still very approachable and balanced, in fact I would recommend it as a great introduction to the style for the uninitiated.  Personally this is one of my new favourite pilsners since I first sampled it, one of the most enjoyable of the style that I’ve had in quite a while.  Definitely worth trying.

For those interested in pairing this balanced pilsner with food you suddenly have a new best friend for your Mexican cuisine (although not the overly spicy dishes) or your next Indian take-out, so long as you don’t get too hot of a curry like madras or vindaloo.  However it’s refined enough to not overwhelm sushi either, or many noodle dishes.  Ham will also pair well with Zatec, even the saltier or spicier varieties.  And when seafood is on the menu this is almost an ideal match for most shellfish, from crab and lobster to mussels and clams.  Lastly for the cheese lovers out there a rule of thumb is to pair pilsners with American Cheese, yet the assertive malt presence in Zatec will also go nicely with Swiss, Emmental and Havarti.

The next steps in the cooler:

In-Style:
Krusovice
Czechvar
Pilsner Urquell
Radeberger

Domestic Fare:
Czechmate - Paddockwood
Phil’s Pils - Half Pints
Kelowna Pilsner - Tree Brewing
Powderhound Pilsner - Grizzly Paw

Lateral Steps:
Wild Rose S.O.B. (Special Old Bitter)
Pump House S.O.B. (Special Old Bitter)
Propeller Bitter
Fuller’s ESB (Extra Special Bitter)

For The Adventurous:
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. - He’Brew
Rogue XS Imperial IPA