Making (at least a bit) of sense of it

Some time ago I wrote a post strongly critisising the Protected Geographical Denomination "České Pivo" (Czech Beer). One of the conditions a beer has to meet in order to be eligible for the DGP is that it must be brewed with a decoction mashing. As if Czech brewing tradition started in 1842, I said then.

Well, I didn't know what I know now.

In the comments of one of the post in the Argentinean beer blog Logia Cervecera I ranted that a proper lager should be brewed using a decoction mashing.

Someone answered saying that that is not true anymore and that most German breweries have stopped using decoction. According to him, thanks to the highly modified malts used today, the process is no longer necessary for soft waters to be able to extract enough sugars from the grain, and that a multi-rest infusion mash (don't know if that's the exact term, but you know what I mean) does the job just fine. He also added that the breweries from Northern Germany never used decoction to begin with.

Since he seemed someone who knew what he was talking about, and I didn't have any data to prove him wrong, I agreed with my silence.

Later, during a conversation with someone else, the information was confirmed. Though the reason I was given was that German breweries had dropped decoction for reasons more related to costs than anything else.

It was then that I started to see some sense in the insistence of "Český Svaz Pivovarů a Sladoven" (Association of Czech Brewers and Maltsters) about this brewing method.

For better or worse, pretty much everything that is brewed in the Czech Republic are bottom fermented lagers and, according to people who know more than I, these kind of beers should be brewed with a decoction mashing.

Of course, there's still all the other conditions, among them the ABV limits (3.8 to 6%). That, I still find stupid.

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A Cholesterol Bomb

Warning: If any of you out there has cholesterol problems, you'd better not read the following recipe. If any of you out there is voluntarily on a diet, leave it! It's not good for you. Get you ass off that chair and do some exercise instead.

Some of the names of classical Czech dishes are rather curious. "Moravský Vrabec", for example. The translation is "Moravian Sparrows", but it's actually made with roasted cubes of marinated pork. It's a favourite pub grub, specially at lunch time.

The other day I thought I would make my version of the recipe. It's ideal for an ugly weekend day, when we have more than enough time, but don't feel like doing much. It doesn't need much work, but it requires quite a bit of time.

Another advantage is that this is a very versatile recipe. Here it's usually served with knedlíky and stewed cabbage, but there's no problem to serve it with potatoes in any form, veggies, rice or salad.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1.5 kg of pork. Shoulder or any other fatty cut.
Almost a pint of beer. I used a good Czech Pale Lager, but a German Pils or Export or even a Pale Ale would do the job just fine.
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of Hungarian paprika.
1 tablespoon of cumin or caraway seed
Some sage, thyme and rosemary
Salt and pepper
Approx. 100g of lard.

For the marinade. In a large bowl put all the ingredients except the pork and lard. I do it this way. I first add the spices, salt and herbs, then a bit of the beer and mix well with an eggbeater. Then I add the rest of the beer, the oil and garlic and mix once again until it looks rather uniform.

Cut the meat in cubes of 3 cm by side, sort of, leaving all the fat, no matter how thick, and add it to the marinade. Leave it on the counter for 2 (maybe 3) hours.

Put the meat with the marinade in a deep and not too big roasting pan. Add enough water to cover 3/4 of it, then add the lard cut in small cubes (without it this would be too light, and we don't want that to happen).

Put the pan in an oven preheated to 200°C and roast for 60-70 min. Halfway through have a look to see if there is enough liquid and also mix it a bit. Serve still warm with some of the juice from the pan.

If you've been careful with the liquid, the meat will be really, really tender. Even the fat will melt on your tongue. Truly delicious stuff.

I didn't try, but I reckon the juice left in the pan could be a nice base for a gravy, otherwise, it's great to dip some bread in.

Since the side was a salad, we paired it with a pale lager, Svijanský Rytíř, the same I used as ingredient. Had I served it with something more solid, I think a Polotmavé, Dunkĺes, Bock, Pale Ale or even a good Porter would have gone down really well.

Enjoy, without moderation. Remember that it's not what you eat, drink or even smoke what kills you, it's how you live.

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Changed my mind

Do you remember that I told you I was going to let MB Porter årgång 2008 age a bit? Of course you don't! Well, I did say it, you can read it here, at the bottom of the page. Doesn't matter, I changed my mind, anyway.

As I've already mentioned, I really fancy dark beers this season. The other day in the afternoon I went to the cellar to pick something dark to drink and there she was, MB Porter, calling me, tempting me. I couldn't resist. I'm not the patient kind of guy, I don't think I'll ever be able to let a bottle gather dust in my cellar for a year or so.
MB Porter årgång 2008 pours very dark amber, clear against the light, topped by a spongy beige head. The bouquet has prunes, molasses, chocolate and a little bit of tobacco. The palate is treated with notes of chocolate, roast, some licorice, everything wrapped in an unctuous mouthfeel that is really nice to roll around your mouth for a bit. The finish is dry with a background of dry fruit, long and very tasty. A hint of smokiness lingering throughout the sip makes this beer even more pleasant to drink in a cold autumn afternoon.

I don't have experience with aging beers and, save for this one occasion, I haven't had the chance to compare the same beer with and without aging. However, something tells me that I did well in opening this beer now, a bit more than a year and a half after it was bottled. I can't really tell why, but I feel that it would not have improved with further aging. I guess I'll never know.

Another thing I noticed. When Gnoff gave me the bottle (thanks mate!), I asked him if this was a "Baltic Porter" or just a Porter. He told me it was the latter. I don't know how "true to style" MB Porter is (and frankly, I don't give a toss), but I couldn't help but notice a strong family resemblance with several Baltic Porters I know. Interesting.

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Aren't they missing something?

Just as it happened last year, I had a great time with Knut Albert at at Zlý Časy. While we were enjoying several of the 16 beers they had on tap, we spoke about many things, most of them beer related (I bet you are surprised by that).

There was a topic that stayed in my mind after the evening was finished. It might be something that does not concern some of the more developed markets, but it does apply to those where the micros are just starting to make some sort of impact.

I'm not going to discuss here the advantages of pasteurising/filtering or not, neither of bottle fermenting, because that is not what we talked about with Knut. It was something more cynical, if you want. Picture the scenario:

You love "good beer", you might even consider yourself a "beerevangelist". You also make a point in supporting your local micro-breweries (provided their beers are good, of course). You are organising a BBQ. You see the event as a good opportunity to introduce your friends to what you see as quality beer.

Which beers from your local micros will you offer them?

Before answering thing about this: It's a barbecue, so beer will have to be easy to drink. It can't be too strong or complex. Nobody will be interested in bouquet, mouthfeel or citrus and tropical fruit notes, they will want to have good beer with their steaks (or whatever you'll be grilling), period.

I'm sure some of you already have a list. Before you go shopping, think about this: It's a barbecue. Will you have enough glasses for everyone? And even if you do, will you want to wash them after the party (many people will eat with their hands, they'll be really greasy!)?

You'll have to find something that can be drunk from the bottle.

How many beers have you got on your list now?

Even if the glasses were not an issue, sediments will be. Many people will not like the look and/or the taste of them.

Your only choice then will probably be buying some good industrial beer. I'm sure you'll be able to find some, but your beerevangelist plans were shattered before they even got a start.

What we wondered was if all stuff about not filtering and bottle-fermenting (and to a certain extent, not pasteurising) isn't playing a bit against the ambitions of reaching the most possible people. I'm not saying that these micros will have to change their philosophies, but they should consider brewing something that could be more accessible to the novice or that it can fit into situations like the one described above (which isn't so unreal, either). Perhaps, thanks to that, there will be more people willing to explore a bit further.

Na Zdraví!

PD: While writing this I couldn't but think how much of this "unfiltered, unpasteurised" is actually product of a philosophy, and how is product of some sort of financial reality.

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What a find!

It might be because the weather chilled so incredibly fast, (really, one day, at the beginning of the month we all were wearing shorts, sandals and t-shirt, less than a week later, it was snowing!) but I had never felt such an intense crave for darker beers.

Fortunately, I have plenty to choose from, I live in the Czech Republic, the country where the widest range (gravity-wise) of amber and dark lagers are brewed. So I have plenty to choose from. That is something that, despite living here already more than seven years, I had always overlooked and didn't realise until I saw it written in Decotion, a book written by Ron Pattison.

Another thing I had more or less always overlooked is Pivovar Rakovník, a.k.a. Bakalář. The reason is that, to be honest, they don't make anything that stands out. The only exception, perhaps, is their 18° Balling Jubilejní Speciál. The rest are your typical Czech lager. Not that there is anything wrong with that, quite the opposite, but I don't buy them because they aren't as easy to find as, say,  Svijany or Bernard (or actually, because the place where I buy beers by the case doesn't stock it and I can't be arsed with going anywhere).

The other day I had to go to the Dejvice branch of the supermarket chain Billa (had to buy something for the baby) and I came accross Bakalář Polotmavé Výčepní. I took a couple of bottles. It wasn't only that I had never drunk this beer from Rakovník, I didn't even remember having a beer of that style at all! I wasn't expecting anything special, really, but It's always good to have something new.

And what a surprise I got!

With 4.5%ABV Bakalář Polotmavé Výčepní must be in the upper limit of its category (Výčepní are beers brewed at a range of 8 to 10.99 degrees Balling). It pours a glass-like dark amber with a hue between ocher and brown. Even when pouring carefully it forms a generous spongy head with a pretty long life. A very handsome beer indeed. There isn't much in the aroma, caramel, mostly, with some roasted notes there in the back, but you'll have to stretch your nose a bit to catch them. It's light bodied, as expected, but with a surprising pack of flavours. Caramel base, almost toffee, with a healthy touch of licorice and roasted notes in great balance, which vanish in a mild dry herbal finish. Wonderfully easy to drink, perfectly sessionable. It is very difficult to resist the temptation of opening another bottle (and why should you?) and it must be impossible to drink only one at a place where they have it well tapped (which I hope to find soon).
It's also nice to wash down some foods, in the picture it is together with a piece of roasted smoked meat, potato salad and rye bread. A simple, but tasty lunch, with a simple, but tasty beer.

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A Pro

... Well, sort of.

It's been already more than two and a half years that this blog is online (the Spanish version at least). I started writing it because I felt I had something to say and share with the rest of the world. There have been many changes, yes, and very likely there will be still more. The reason is that what I have to say and share has also changed or actually, evolved. I don't write hoping to make anyone happy. Of course, the more people that agree with me, the better, but I will not loose any sleep over it. Anyone who doesn't like the contents is free to say so in the comments (which I never moderate) or simply leave the page and never come back. I have no problem with that.

Never, ever I've written a single word hoping to catch the attention of someone working in the media and get a job offer. I'd be lying my ass off if I said I never dreamt or fantasised about the possibility. But it was something like the dream or fantasy many men have of spending the night with a super model. We know it'll never come true, but stranger things have happened and dreaming is for free, anyway (in my case, I hope it never comes true, I don't think my wife would be too amused be it).

Well, believe it or not, that fantasy has come true (not the supermodel one! the one about writing, you pervs!). Not long ago I was contacted by Alberto Benavídez, Chief Editor of Bar&Beer, as far as I know, the only specialised magazine written in Spanish. Alberto had been following my blog for quite some time (what I said the other day about my reputation in Spain is true) and, seeing that his magazine doesn't give Czech beer the coverage it deserves, decided to hire me.
So, starting from the next issue, the readers of Bar&Beer will have (I hope) the pleasure to read my regular articles about Czech beer. I've written the first already, still needs some polishing, but I'm happy with it and I'm very happy that the people of Bar&Beer have given me this opportunity.

Na Zdraví!

PS: Now that I'm a pro, is it my duty to start bitching about all them amateurs that blog about beer?

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The Tap Race: A New Leader

When I first spoke about "The Tap Race", U Prince Miroslava, in Prague 5, was the leader with 13. Not anymore.

The other day, when they inaugurated their new rack of 12 taps, which together with other four make a total of 16, Zlý Časy became the new leader.

I wasn't surprised. Hanz, the owner, had told me about his plans over a year ago. Still, when I heard the news I was at first glad, then I started having some doubts. Firstly, the diversity of the beers. What's the point of having 16 taps if 14 of them will pour pale lagers? I'm sure there are plenty of people who wouldn't mind that, but still, that's not the idea of having such a wide offer. Secondly, the freshness of the beers. Knowing Hanz as I know him, I was sure he would try to have as many beers from micros as he could get, and Czech micros don't filter. Czech unfiltered lagers are wonderful, but they are not known for their long life, a keg has to be sold in two days, maximum; in fact, even filtered and pasteurised Czech beers don't keep fresh for too long once the keg's been tapped. I was a bit afraid of finding something similar to what I found at U Radnice the last time I was there.

The visit of fellow beer blogger and friend Knut Albert was the perfect excuse (as if I needed any) to pay a visit to Nusle's beer temple and see how those 16 taps were working.

The 12 tap rack is almost as wide as the bar. It looks a bit too industrial for this hospoda (you can see a picture of it at the bottom of this page) and the beers are listed in crude handwritten sheets of paper nailed to the wooden beam above the bar.

The beers offered were as follows: Two desítky světlé (one unfiltered), six ležáky světlé (two with 11° Balling, the rest wit 12°, in total, four unfiltered), a 14° Balling pale lager, a Polotmavé with the same graduation, two Czech wheat beers (one with ginger), a Czech smoked lager, a Czech Scotch Ale and two German brews (an Oktoberfest and a Rauch). The absence of at least one dark lager was a pretty big minus, still, the variety was not too bad for the Czech market.

It was time to check the freshness of the beers. We started the session with excellent Tambor 11°, a světlý ležák as it should be, fresh, crisp Saaz hops over a solid malt base. It was followed by another světlý ležák, from Chotěboř, one of the new "micro-industrial" breweries that have opened this year. This one was very different from Tambor's, one Balling degree denser and unfiltered. It had more fruit and notes of fresh white bread, very nice, too.

Knut picked the next round. He chose Harrach Kouřované (smoked). Basically, a hoppy pale lager where perhaps some of the Caramel malt was replaced by rauchmaltz. Very, very good.

We fancied a wheat beer now. Just when we were finishing our pints of Harrach we saw how the keg of Zvíkov Rarášek (a lovely wheat beer with ginger) sold out. We would have to make do with the Weizen from Pivovar Matouška. The horror! This pšenka is not Knut's cup of tea, but I love it, specially that finish full of spice.

We switched then to something more exotic, Ken, the Scotch Ale from Pivovar Kocour. It didn't quite make it. It was served way too cold and the hops seemed to want to go somewhere else. Drinkable, but missing some balance.

We finished the evening going back to basics with another světlý ležák nefiltrovaný. This one coming from the not so consistent Pivovar Kozlíček, Horní Dubenky. Fortunately, the beer was every bit as good as the first time I drank it over a year ago. Maybe we were lucky, maybe (and hopefully) the owner and brewer Milan Kozlíček has finally been able to adjust things after the expansion of his microbrewery.

Personal tastes and stylistic diversity aside, I was really glad that each and every one of the beers we drank were in tip-top shape, they all tasted fresh. Of course I didn't taste all sixteen of them (I wouldn't be writing this if I had) and it might be that we were lucky, but with such a representative sample, I have reasons be happy.

Other things that were nice to see:

It was Tuesday evening and the place was full, everyone was drinking beer. The prices per half litre went from 22CZK from desítky, to 55CZK for the Germans. The most expensive Czech beer was Kocour's at 45CZK. We were sitting right in front of the bar and I could see that it wasn't the cheapest beers what most were drinking. It was very nice to see people trying different stuff.

The fridges also had good news. I found several bottles from Czech micros, and not just PET as usual, but proper glass bottles. The nicest ones were Matouška's, very fine looking 75cl (I think) glass bottles with crown cap. Knut took a nice assortment with himself and we saw several people also buying bottles to take home.

All this is very encouraging and I'm really happy for Hanz and the rest of the people working at Zlý Časy. When I first went there about a year and a half ago, they only had four taps and they were just starting with the rotating beer model. Today they've become the top beer destination in Prague. Hats off to them and hope the success will continue.

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