Sunday, June 20, 2010

Slovakia - Golden Pheasant & Czech Pilsners

The beer scene in Slovakia is a step up from the worst countries I've encountered so far, but still appears to be a good bit below the best countries.  Fortunately I can say that I have had a beer from Slovakia, as Golden Pheasant used to be a staple of the Chimes menu and a key part of their "Around The World" challenge.  Golden Pheasant is a Czech-style pilsner along the lines of Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, and that other Budweiser... Budweiser Budvar.  And geographically and historically it would make perfect sense for Slovakia to be putting out similar beers to the Czech Republic, as they used to be part of the same country!

Czech Pilsners are known for their liberal use of hops for such a light style.  They tend to be smooth and crisp brews, best served cold, with a malty finish.  They implement the native "noble" Czech Saaz hops which give an earthy floral aroma but aren't nearly as bitter as some other hop varieties.  This makes the Czech Pilsner style a perfect one to enjoy on a hot day when sitting back to relax.  Some American breweries might want to claim 'great pilsner taste' but they don't have anything on some of these Slovakian and Czech beers.  In fact, as hot as it is in South Louisiana these days, a good Czech Pilsner would be the perfect drink to toast with for Father's Day.  Or for the Slovakians, the perfect drink to wash away memories of that 0-2 loss to Paraguay this morning.  But don't worry, in the World Cup of beer, Slovakia wins that matchup every time!



Credits:
Beer A Day (Photo)

No comments:

Post a Comment