The Hungarian Girl » Beer

Czech beer facts

The Hungarian Girl — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:58:25 +0000

Founded in 1869, Staropramen is one of the most famous brands of beers in the Czech Republic.

Czechs love beer. Whether it’s the water, hops, or simply that Pilsner was invented here, beer is undeniably central to Czech culture. To help you prepare for a great beer drinking experience in the Czech Republic, here are a few interesting facts about Czech beer.

• Czechs consume more beer than any other country in the world – more than 150 liters, or 320 pints, annually per person. That puts them ahead of Germany and even Belgium.

• Official town records indicate that the first Czech brewery was established in Cerhenice and was opened in 1118 AD.

• The world’s first pilsner-style pale lager was produced in the city of Pilzen in 1842. Today, beer-lovers from all over the world come to Plzen, which has become something of a brewing Mecca.

• Budweiser Bürgerbräu, or Budweiser Bier, was the original Bud, founded in the city of Budweis in 1785. In 1876, the U.S. company Anheuser-Busch borrowed the name for its now famous Budweiser.

• Famous Czech beer brands include Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Velkopopovicky kozel, Radegast, Budvar, and Staropramen. In addition, there are several local and regional brews.

• A Pivnice is a Czech beer hall named after pivo, meaning “beer.”

• The numbers attached to beers in the Czech Republic refer not to alcohol content but to a “degree” figure, which is used by brewers to track the density of certain ingredients. A higher degree figure generally means a fuller flavor and results in a stronger brew.

• Beer in the Czech Republic is generally cheaper than bottled water or soft drinks.

• Since the mid-1990′s many restaurants and pubs have been serving unpasteurized beer, called tankové pivo. The beer is kept in pressurized tanks that steady the temperature. The result yields more complex flavors that are full of hops and spices.

• In Prague, the Prvni Pivni Tramway, or “First Beer Tram”, at the end of the No. 11 line is a tram themed pub.

• The world’s first “beer health center” was started in the town of Chodova Plana. The center offers soothing hot baths containing mineral water and beer. This curative therapy claims to have rejuvenating effects.

• The Czech Beer Festival in Prague is the biggest beer festival in the Czech Republic which is held for 17 days every year in May.

• Na zdraví means “to your health” in Czech.

What to drink in Hungary

The Hungarian Girl — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:48:01 +0000

Bottles of palinka for sale at a wine shop in Budapest. Palinka is one of Hungary's most prized drinks.

Hungary has a vast array of alcoholic beverages including quality wines and beers, as well as liqueurs and brandies that are made exclusively in the country.

Here are a few suggestions of various drinks to try.

Egészségedre! (Cheers!)

Palinka

Produced in both Hungary and Transylvania, this traditional brandy is made from various kinds of fruit such as plums, pears, apricots, mulberries or quinces. It is consumed at all hours of the day, but is particularly popular as an after work or after dinner drink. A must try!

Wine

Hungary is famous for its excellent wines. There are 22 distinct wine regions across the country which produce the full spectrum of wine styles including reds, whites, roses, and sparkling wines. Tokaji Aszu, which comes from the Tokaj region, is Hungary most famous wine and is even mentioned in the Hungarian national anthem. Other wines include full-bodied, robust reds from Villány-Siklós and Szekszárd, while Somló and Badacsony is regarded for its mineral rich whites.

Beer

Although Hungary is better known as a wine-producing country, beer has been made here for over a thousand years and the country has a significant history of commercial beer production. Top domestic brands include Arany Ászok, Kobányai (the first commercial brewery in Hungary that was established in Buda in 1845), Borsodi, Soproni and Dreher. A number of small microbreweries have also emerged in recent years.

Spritzer

Spritzer also known as fröccs in Hungarian, is a popular drink in Hungary that is mixed from wine and soda water in varying proportions. The most common is the basic classic, known as the “nagy“, or large, fröccs. This is a mix of two parts wine to one part soda water, a third of a litre in size. Fröccs is especially ideal for the summer.

Unicum

This traditional bitter liqueur has been produced by the Zwach family for over 150 years. It is a blend of 40 different herbs, based on an old secret recipe. Unicum is sold in a characteristic bomb-shaped bottle which features a golden cross on the front. Usually drunk as an apéritif, Unicum is an acquired taste.

Hungary’s first craft beer festival

The Hungarian Girl — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:31:22 +0000

Hungary will host its first ever craft beer festival from May 13-14th at Mikszáth Kálmán Square in Budapest. The festival’s aim is to showcase the achievements of Hungarian craft-beer, that has been largely overlooked due to Hungary’s primary classification as a wine-country.

From all corners of the country, 10 microbreweries will bring more than 200 barrels of craft-beer to Budapest. Visitors will have a chance to taste Korty, Hungary’s most famous speciality beer, fermented with Tokaji Aszú, usually only on tap in Miskolc and Prague, the 10% strong black beer brewed with blueberry on the southern parts of Alföld, or the Millet-Beer, brewed to double gravity. There will be beer-premiers as well – the premier of Grabanc IPA – the first Hungarian IPA, and Keseru Méz (Bitter Moon), the first Hungarian hop-lager, a substyle just invented to refer to a specially hopped light unfiltered lager.

Special guests from abroad will include the renowned Pivovarsky Dum from Prague, with their festive green beer brewed with nettle, and Slovakia’s No1 craft-brewery, Kaltenecker from Rozsnyó with a rauchbier among others.

Admission is free. For more information about the festival, visit FozdeFeszt (Hungarian Craft Beer Festival).

Oktoberfest celebrates 200 years

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:02:51 +0000

Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. The festival traces its roots back to 1810 when the citizens of Bavaria came together to honor the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

On October 12, 1810, the townspeople of Munich came together to honor the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

The following day, celebrations continued with various activities, including concerts, parties, balls, and even a horse race. It was so spectacular and intense that the royals of Bavaria decided to hold another event a year later. Eventually, it was agreed that Oktoberfest would become an annual event which was prolonged and moved forward into September for better weather conditions.

Oktoberfest is now the world’s largest fair with over six million people attending every year. It consists of 30 different tents across the grounds of Theresienwiese Park, each specializing in different beers, food and music.

This year Oktoberfest will mark 200 years since it first began as a royal wedding celebration. Officially Oktoberfest has only taken place 176 times due to cancellations from wars and conflicts. However, organizers still consider this to be an important year and have arranged for some special activities including extending the festival by a day at opening and closing.

Events include a historic reconstruction of the original festival using an antique Oktoberfest tent and exhibition of historical fun fair attractions. Traditional horse races will be held daily twice a day. The last time a horse race occurred was in 1938, after which it was cancelled for political reasons.

The city of Munich will also host a special tribute of its own. The Oktoberfest-Exhibition at the City Museum of Munich will showcase the history of Oktoberfest from its origins as Bavarian celebration with royal overtones to the world’s largest beer and folk festival from July 9 through the end of October. Approximately 800 artifacts are on display including those that were directly involved in the original festivities at one time or another.

Visitors can also purchase an official 200 year jubilee stein handmade by the company Rastal. It features image of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen along with the “Muenchner Kindl” (the coat of arms of Munich). The stein can be purchased from the official Oktoberfest website.

This year’s festivities will run from Friday, September 17th through Monday, October 4th. The official tapping of the first beer barrel will be celebrated on Saturday 18th at noon. Admission to the event is free.

So get ready for two weeks of thigh-slapping-om-pah-pah-merriment!

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BeerFest Slovenia

The Hungarian Girl — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:26:35 +0000

The 1st annual event of BeerFest Slovenia will be taking place from June 16th – June 20th in Ljubljana at their Exhibition and convention center.

A wide range of beers from various Slovenian and European breweries will be represented at the festival. In addition, visitors can relax and enjoy live music and entertainment.

In cooperation with the City of Ljubljana, live public viewings of the World Cup in South Africa will be also be available.

Admission to the event is free.

For more information, visit the BeerFest Slovenia website.

German beer steins: an introduction

The Hungarian Girl — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:47:13 +0000

The word "stein" is of German origin and dates back to the 14th century.

Definition of a Beer Stein

A beer stein is a traditional German beer tankard or mug, made of pewter, silver, wood, porcelain, earthenware or glass with a hinged lid and levered thumblift.

The word “stein” is of German origin. The etymology of the word is either from “Stein Krug” (meaning stone jug/mug) or from “Steingut” (meaning stone goods).

History of Steins

The origins of steins date back to the 14th century. As a result of the black plague and several invasions of flies throughout Europe shortly thereafter, Germany established several laws in the early 16th century requiring that all food and beverage containers be covered to protect their contents. By combining a lid, hinge, and thumblift, these “German” containers could easily be opened and closed with one hand. Later, it was discovered that the lids on steins was a great way to prevent the beer from being spilled while engaging in song and dance.

By the 16th century, ornamental beer steins were starting to be produced along the Rhine River. The abundant clay in Germany and river transport started a boom in beer stein art. Colored glazes, hand painting, ceramic art and carved decorations began to adorn the steins, and the personal beer stein soon became the most important status symbol and display piece for many Germans. Steins also began to be made in a variety of materials and sizes.

Today steins are still being manufactured, with antique beer steins being some of the most sought after collectibles on the market. Fancy or simple, steins can be found priced anywhere from a few to several thousands of dollars. An invention out of necessity ended up defining the hobby of drinking beer.

Stein Materials

In the early years, steins were traditionally made from stoneware, a material that proved to be highly resistant to chipping and cracking, as well as being more sanitary. During the 1700′s, other materials were used to make steins such as glass and porcelain. Nowadays, steins can be made from any type of material including sliver, ivory, pewter, wood, or even gold.

Stein Markings

Steins can have lots of different markings etched on them. This can vary from family coat of arms to images depicting nature such as animals or flowers. Some of the most sought after are traditional designs such as brewery emblems, Bavarian motifs such as Neuschwanstein or the Marienplatz Rathaus-Glockenspiel of Munich, and the colorful official annual Oktoberfest souvenir mug featuring the year’s winning poster design.

An authentic German beer stein will always have a Made in Germany label. Some steins may also have the artist’s name or the company’s name that manufactured the stein on them.

Just for Fun!

The world’s largest beer stein, which can hold a whopping 8.45 gallons of beer, can be found in St. Goar, Germany.
A Bavarian-born man set a new world record by carrying 20 steins of beer at once for 40 metres.

Best Czech beers

The Hungarian Girl — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:33:08 +0000

The golden beer known as the "pilsner" was first brewed in the Czech Republic during the mid-19th century. Today, the beer is still made according to the original recipe.

There’s no doubt that the Czechs are truly passionate and proud of their beer heritage. In fact, the country leads the world in per capita beer consumption. Beer is served almost everywhere in the country especially in Prague, where there are a countless numbers of pubs and restaurants. So, if you’re wondering what beers to try in the Czech Republic, here’s a list of some of their best beers.

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell is the original lager that all others are based upon. This quality beer owes its crisp, hoppy flavor with a touch of bitterness and smooth finish, to the famous Saatz hops and soft water drawn from 1,000 feet deep artesian wells under the brewery.

Budvar

Budejovicky Budvaris a light lager with 5% volume alcohol content, best known as Budejovicky Budvar in the Czech Republic, Budweiser Budvar in the European Union, Czechvar in the United States and Canada, in the rest of the world either Budweiser Budvar or Budejovický Budvar. The beer matures in cellars for 90 days which gives it a pure, rounded and rich flavor. It has no relation to the American Budweiser.

Staropramen

Brewed in the Smichov district, Staropramen is both a local and international favorite. The beer is made with a special blend of Bohemian barley and Žatec hops. It is distinguished by its crisp and light, fruity flavor. Staropramen is owned by global giant InBev.

Krušovice

The Královský Pivovar Krušovice (the Royal Brewery of Krušovice) is one of the oldest breweries in the Czech Republic. It was originally founded in 1517 by Jií Birka in the village of Krušovice. The brewery gained a contract to provide beer to Emperor Rudolf II in 1581, allowing them to use the Imperial Crown of Austria as part of the company’s logo. One of it’s most famous brands is Krušovice Cerne, a dark lager with a sweet caramel taste and a light hop flavor.

Gambrinus

Gambrinus is one of the most popular beers in the Czech Republic. It was named after the legendary king of Flanders that was known for his mythical brewing abilities. This premium quality beer comes from the same brewery as Pilsner Urquell.

Rebel

Czech Rebel, founded in 1834, is a well-balanced, golden pilsner produced from a small brewery that dates back to 1673 in Luxembourg. The brewery is named after the town of Havlickuv Brod which in turn is named after a famous local Czech writer Karel Havlicek Borovsky (1821-1856), who was fighting against the powerful Habsburg monarchy by writing “revolutionary and rebellious” articles. Hence, the name “Rebel”.

Primator

Primator comes from the brewery town of Nachod where they’ve been perfecting their brewing technique for centuries. It draws its water from the Adršpach-Teplice protected landscape region. In 2006, the brewery launched a reconstruction of their cellar technology including an excess pressure transfer chamber and newly installed yeast farmstead, a promotional station and a classic beer-storage cellar. It is one of the most technically advanced breweries in the country. Primator has a strong, balanced flavour, sparkling gold colour and long-lasting head.

Radegast

Named after the mythical old Slavonic pagan god of fire, sun, harvest and hospitality called Radegast, this brewery has been around since the 1970′s. Stemming from the name for the beer is the slogan: “Život je horký: Bohudík”, a Czech phrase which translates into English as “Life is bitter: Thank God” (in reference to the beer’s “bitter” taste). The brewery is now owned by South African Breweries Ltd (SAB).

Holba

The Holba brewery is based in the picturesque Hanušovice region within the Jeseníky mountains foothills. Currently, the independent brewery is one of the ten largest in the country. It specializes in the production of light beers.

Bernard

On October 26, 1991 Stanislav Bernard, Josef Vávra and Rudolf Šmejkal launched the revival of a Humpolec brewery constructed in the 16th century. Today, the brand is well-known throughout the Czech Republic. It produces traditional unpasteurized light and dark lagers.

German Beer Guide

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:27:31 +0000

Germany currently ranks as the 3rd largest consumers of beer per capita just after the Czech Republic and Ireland.

There’s no doubt that Germans love their beer!

The history of German beer dates back to the beginnings of the country when monks began to experiment with brewing around 1000 A.D. Eventually, brewing became very profitable for the monks and the country’s leaders began to implement laws surrounding the production of beer.

Today, there are over 1,300 breweries across the country along with more than 5,000 kinds of beer varieties. As well, Germany currently ranks as the 3rd largest consumers of beer per capita just after the Czech Republic and Ireland.

So if you’re interested in finding out more about German beers, here’s a brief guide to getting you started.

Prost!

Reinheitsgebot

The Reinheitsgebot also known as the “German Beer Purity Law” or the “Bavarian Purity Law” is a regulation on the production of beer in Germany. The Reinheitsgebot dates back to 1516 and is the oldest food regulation in the world. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops. However, in recent years some breweries have decided to include other ingredients in their production as well.

Beer Styles & Varieties

The following below is a list of the most common German beer styles and varieties:

Altbier: A strong, dark, top fermented hoppy beer brewed around Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Berliner Weisse: A pale, very sour wheat beer brewed in the city of Berlin. It’s often served with fruit syrup.

Bockbier: Originally drunk by monks during the Lenten fast to assist in providing more protein and calories. Bockbier is an amber, heavy-bodied, bitter-sweet lager. It can have an alcohol content of up to 16% making it stronger than many wines.

Dortmunder: A full-bodied, moderately hopped beer of at least 5% alcohol by volume. The beer originated in Germany’s steel and coal district along the River Ruhr in the 19th century.

Dunkel: A dark, sweet beer containing roasted malt flavors. Dunkel is the German word for “dark.”

Helles: A full-bodied, bottom fermented, pale lager from Munich.

Oktoberfestbier: A well-aged, stronger lager brewed in March for consumption during and around Oktoberfest time.

Pilsner: One of the most well-known types of German beer, pilsner is a light-colored lager. It accounts for two-thirds of the German beer market share.

Märzen: Medium to full body texture with a malty flavor. Märzen can vary greatly in color from pale to dark varieties.

Schwarzbier: A bottom-fermented dark lager with chocolate or coffee flavor.

Spezial: A pale, full, bitter-sweet and delicately hopped lager.

Famous Brands and Breweries

There are over 1,300 different types of breweries across the country. The following is a list of the most famous brands and breweries:

Augustiner Bräu – Established in 1328, Augustiner Bräu is Munich’s oldest independent brewery and produces some of its most popular brands of beer.

Beck’s Brewery - The famous Beck’s beer is brewed on the riverbanks in Bremen, in the North of Germany. Slightly bitter and known around the world, Beck’s and its local version Haake Beck’s have been crafted since 1879.

Bitburger Brewery – The Bitburger Brewery is known internationally for its Premium Beer brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516. Its popular, dry-finished, hoppy taste has secured Bitburger’s Premium Beer the position as Germany’s no. 1 draught beer.

Krombacher Brewery – The Krombacher Brewery was founded in 1803 by Bernhard Schadeberg and has continued to be in the hands of the Schadeberg family for generations. The company produces the most consumed Pilsener within Germany.

Warsteiner Brewery – Germany’s largest privately owned brewery dating back to 1753. It’s most popular brand of beer is Warsteiner Premium Verum.

Weihenstephan Brewery – The oldest working brewery in the world dating back to 1040 AD.

Beer Festivals

Germany has several large and well-known beer festivals. The most popular is the Munich Oktoberfestwhich is the world’s largest fair and has over six million people attending each year. Many other places in Germany and around the world have similar events called Oktoberfest, which were founded by German immigrants or their descendants.

The 2nd largest beer festival in Germany is the Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart. In recent years, it’s popularity has increased and so too have the amount of people from around the world visiting the festival.

Beer boots range in size from a shot glass up to several liters.

Just for fun!

Germans may take brewing very seriously but they also like to have a lot of fun. Did you know the ”Beer Boot” is a uniquely German invention? Some believe the Beer Boot was originally invented in the 14 century where soldiers would pass around a leather boot filled with beer before engaging their enemy in battle.

In Deutschland they are called Bierstiefel and these boots are popular with tourists in Bavaria and Munich in particular. Beer boots have became increasingly popular in North America after being featured in Hollywood films and television shows.