Czech Beer seeks EU protection
Beer' be given EU protection, writes Kim Hunter Gordon.
The proposal follows the state's victory in gaining EU protection for the the name 'Budweiser', signifying beer originating from the city of Ceske Budejovice.
Jan Vesely, the head of the Czech Beer and Malt Association, said that the aim of the current proposal was to preserve the uniqueness of Czech Beer and assure consumers of the characteristics associated with Czech origin.
He told BeverageDaily.com that it had taken one and half years of consultation with producers and consumer groups to determine the agreed characteristics and properties that Czech beer should have.
The final proposal, he said, detailed these on a number of levels: the beer must be brewed in the country; specific varieties of barley, yeast and hops must be used; it must have characteristic brewing procedures, specifically a slow fermentation under a low temperature; and, the final appearance and taste has to correspond to the understood characteristics of Czech beer. Czech beer is distinctive for its dark golden colour and rich bitter taste.
Under the proposal, the Czech Food and Agricultural Inspectorate would verify these specifications. Beer producers in the Czech Republic would be allowed to make other types of beer but would not be able to call them 'Czech beer'. "If we get this protection we can use it as a marketing instrument for our beer. Wherever the consumer sees the words 'Czech Beer', it will be an assurance of these characteristics," said Vesely.
Iain Low from the UK-based Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the world's largest beer consumer group, said that he would welcome this move. "Ultimately, what CAMRA would like to see, everywhere, is for what's written on the label to correspond to what's inside. Ingredients should be listed on every beer, as should the place of brewing."
CAMRA came under recent criticism from Vesely when two of its members made it known, on a visit to the Czech Republic, that they thought the quality of beer from some Czech breweries had dropped. Low confirmed the claims, adding that CAMRA was aware of Czech brewers who were not storing the beer long enough after the initial fermentation process.
The time a lager spends in cold storage should be at least 60 days, said Low, adding that this is crucial in ensuring the full taste and character of the beer; 'lager' is the German word for 'store'. This type of lager, he said, used to be widely regarded as the highest quality and is still synonymous with Czech beer. He declined to name any specific products which had not been correctly stored, saying "that's for the Czech Beer and Malt Association to do".
When asked if lagering time was one of the technical procedures that would be protected under the Czech proposal, Vesely said: "No, because that's different with each beer".
Suggestions that protection would also be sought for the term 'Pilsner', meaning beer from the city of Pilsen, were denied by Vesely. He said that this had now become a generic term for lager, rather than a specific product of origin, such as Pilsener Urquell.
Iain Low, on the other hand, said that he would support the hypothetical move. "A serious beer drinker would know what Pilsener means. We are against terms such as this being used to sell beer dishonestly because their meanings are not well known."
