While I may be a little behind the curve on this one, at the end of last month the executive branch of the European Union granted protected name status to Czech beer. Evan Rail mentioned this possibility back in February, as it was still being debated by the European Commission, but it has finally come to pass. Add that to the protected appellation of Saaz hops, standing alongside the confusingly non-protected Pilsner style, which clearly originated in the town of Plzen.

So how many Czech brewers will seek to apply the “české pivo” namesake to their labels, and what importance could it have? Distinction is one thing, and for those concerned with “beer terroir,” it could make all the difference. But what about the impact on the Czech beer market? Director of the Czech Beer and Malt Association, Jan Veselý, had this to say:

The protected designation might not mean so much for large, well known breweries such as Budweiser and Prazdroj, which are known to be as Czech as Guinness is Irish, but small family beer producers will finally start fully benefiting from their specialties.

How will this assist smaller breweries that have less distribution and are not tied to SABMiller or any other giant brewing firm? Granted, foreign beer lovers may be delighted to learn that certain beers in their markets are authentically Czech, but how does that help increase sales or expand these beers’ distribution network? When Pilsner Urquell is cheaper in Germany than in the Czech Republic, you have to wonder.

Furthermore, with several brewing operations in other countries, such as PU’s output in Russia, does the “české pivo” moniker only apply to the beer actually brewed within Prazdroj’s walls in Plzen? Not having seen the final criteria myself, the Prague Post article mentions that the beer “must use precise ingredients, and the final product must have a certain quality of color, taste and foam, as well as an alcohol content of 2.6–6 percent.” Precise ingredients, I can take a guess at what those are supposed to be. But I’d be interested to see what recipe restrictions are required in terms of quantity for each style. Color can be judged using SRM or EBC scales, but I’m not sure how taste would be determined for the variety of beers produced in the Czech Republic. And if it’s brewed in Brno, measured to be the perfect color and taste, but weighs in at 6.5% alcohol by volume, it’s not Czech?

While this appears to be a good-natured effort to promote Czech beer abroad, and one that I think could eventually have positive consequences for their respective breweries, it appears to be an amalgamation of the Reinheitsgebot and BJCP style guidelines. Breweries like Pivovar Kocour have been making waves in the land of lagers by cooking up some exciting beers (believe it or not, ales!), and apparently Czech beer lovers can’t get enough. Do these guidelines prohibit them from being worthy of the “české pivo” label?

Perhaps inspiration from brewers in other countries has influenced these new rogues in the Czech beer world, and in doing so, is helping to break the staid bonds of tradition. Then again, tradition and preservation seem to be what many of these efforts to cling to style are all about, and it gives historical and geographical credit where credit is due. But if these innovative Czech brewers cannot apply this newly approved label to their products, will they suffer for it, or thrive because of it?

 

Full disclosure:  there are currently twelve bottles of deliciously crisp Pilsner Urquell in my fridge at the moment.   – E.S.