just to let you know that Budvar maybe the best czech beer can be bought i think in 9 states now, but to get around copywright laws it is called Czechvar cause of those damn As*holes at budweiser
Pilsner Urquell's fighting brand (http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-d ... ew3976.php) Gambrinus is very nice. I don't know if they export it though. Its crazy because there is a beer importer named Gambrinus which imports many brands - but not Gambrinus.
Pilzner Urquell Can be bought at just about any nice grocery in Georgia. I wish I could find Budvar though. I especially miss the Dacicky that I had in Kutna Hora ,but i know you cant get that in the states.
Well from what I know about importation of Czech Beer there is a special distribution that, by US regulation, has to pasturize their product, i.e. the beer in order to import the product or it is pasturized once it reaches the US distribution center, and in my opinion makes the Czech beer taste worst than any american beer. I think it tastes better straight from a Czech pub tap, even most czech's prefer the tap over the bottle though. And from what I know about brewing beer the less it is shaken up, from things like transporting it from Frydek to Prague for example, the better it will taste. Cheers, Josh
your absolutely right, the difference between staropramen and pilzner imported to the states and that right out of the tap in Czech is almost night and day. Stupid U.S. regulations!
I have to agree that the imported Czech beer is different from the original in czech pubs, but it is still MUCH better than the water tasting bud light and company. To to the question of buying Czech beer in US stores. I know for sure, that Pilsner Urquell, Budvar (Czechvar), Staropramen, and some other less favorite czech beers are available here. There are a few places where to look for. If you looking for Pilsner Urquell, try QUick Trip gas stations, the bigger ones. In Illinois, and St. Louis, there are big liquor stores called Frier Tucks, which carry all of the mentioned beers, one time I counted about 10 of them!!! Some I didn't even know from back home. Good luck searching!
I just had a "Czechvar" earlier this evening with dinner. And there is a six pack of Pilsner Urquell in the fridge. Here in Connecticut I can get Czechvar, Pilsner Urquell and Czech Rebel. At the liquor store I go to they have also had Gambrinus and Czech beer called Kumburak. The Kumburak was the best of all, I thought, but apparently the distributor stopped doing business in this area. I am saving one bottle and one can of real "Budvar" that I bought at the train station in Železná Ruda last month while on vacation. Later on the vacation I took a tour of the Plzenský Prazdroj brewery and was disappointed to learn that they no longer lager most of the beer in the underground caverns. Oh well, time marches on. When I lived in Germany along the Czech border back in the 70s I hung out a place that served Pilsner Urquell on tap. The bottled stuff never did taste as good as that did. It is the same story for all the German beers also.
From the English point of view. I am fed up going to pubs that has been happily serving Budvar for the last few years to find out that it is being taken off of the shelves and replaced by American Bud. 'Allegedly' becasue the breweries are being told by American Bud that they won't supply if Budvar is on sale. Not Happy!! :evil:
Reply to Joss I would agree with you, is it the Big Brother syndrome - do as I say or I will take my ball home. My wife and I visited Prague in March of this year (sampling the beer - a cultural thing "don't you know!") and we found Czech beer (Budvar, Urquell etc) to taste better than any other beer and this includes beers from the UK. Especially better than the US Budweiser (Cat wiz). Is the Busche brewery frightened that bringing a better Bud into the country will knock them off their Ivory Tower? If the Czech Republic can produce it, I, as an ambassabor to the Cz - UK entente cordiale, will do my best to sample as many varieties of CZ beer as possible in the name of C.A.F (Cultural Alcohol Friendship). packhorse. UK
Ahoj! I know of a bar in Houston that has Pilsner Urquell on tap. 8) Also better liquor stores and grocers sell it in bottles, and some places also have Czechvar. I haven't seen any other brands here. Still, I think there's nothing like enjoying a glass of any of them in the Czech Republic. Perhaps it's the ambience... As for the American Bud thing, it would not surprise me in the least if they were doing something that dirty. It is alleged that there has been a feud ever since the American company stole the recipe. Na zdraví! :wink:
Just for interests sake have you guys ever tried any South African beers. I never had budvar or any czech beer, And my girl constantly goes on about them, but I have to say the Castle is the best beer known to man, and yes bud light does sucks ar$e.
I still have to try Budvar. It is available in Waitrose, and has been since Christmas - but as yet not been back to that part of town to buy it!! South african beers? We have a nearby off licence that sells all manner of imported beers - will have a look.
In Ireland recently, a Czech beer called Cesky Budejovicky has become quite popular, and is being marketed quite strongly. It's only available in bottles though. It's nicer than other bottled beers here but nowhere near as nice as draft beer in CR. Is this the same beer as Czechvar in the US? Is all beer from Ceske Budejovice from the same brewery? I like the fact that the real Czech beer name is used here in Ireland, but most people ask for 'a bottle of that Czech stuff' :lol:
There are two breweries in České Budějovice: 1. Budějovický Budvar n.p. http://www.budweiser.cz (Czechvar is Budvar in the U.S.A.) 2. Budějovický měšťanský pivovar a.s. (aka Pivovar Samson) http://www.budweiser1795.com These two breweries have some feud concerning the name Budweiser (= Budějovický).
In the St. Louis area bottled brands available often are PU, Czechvar, Rebel , and Radegast. Occasionally you will find Plzensky Prazdroj on tap. And in some specialty shops you'll find other brands that aren't quite so well known. An interesting Czech beer was availble at the local Slovak festival called Primator double bock. Thick, syrupy, kind of sweet and loaded with alchohol. Liked it but some might not. Can't seem to find it though on the shelves. Happy thanksgving to all, Dan Polacek