Beers I miss (part three): Braník 12° Dark

I was lucky enough to visit Prague several times in the 1980s. When Czechoslovakia had the highest general beer quality of anywhere in the world. I looked hard, but was unable to find any bad beer. Though a couple of beers really stood out, both of them dark. U Fleku 14° and Braník 12° Dark.

As a hardened Mild drinker, Czechoslovakia's dark beers naturally drew my attention. Though they could be difficult to track down. Most pubs only sold a single type of beer. And that was usually a pale Lager. Either 10° or 12°. Only the occasional pub plumped for a dark option. They did exist, though. And I managed to hunt some of them down.

There was a small one-room place on one of the narrow lanes leading to Charles bridge. An unassuming pub, unlike the larger beer halls. And it was there that I got my first taste of the the wonderful Braník 12° Dark. Unike some of Czechoslovakia's dark Lagers it wasn't particularly sweet. Though it was packed with malt flavours, topped off with a reasonable level of hop bitterness. And very drinkable, as all good Czech beers are. It reminded me of a really good Dark Mild. Though somewhat stronger.

"Pijte Branícke Pivo!" is the title of a Hasek (the author of "The Good Soldier Svejk") story. The title comes from a slogan attached to brewery, meaning "Drink Branik beer!" The story itself is about a travelling down the Vltava by boat. Where they go past the brewery. For me, it was just another reason to drink Branik beer.

Prague's breweries were privatised in a particularly stupid way. In the communist period, breweries were grouped together on a regional basis. All the breweries in Prague were in one such group. Which was sold off as one entity. Weirdly, ending up in the hands of Bass Charrington. Who would want to own multiple breweries in one city? Inevitably, all but Staropramen, the largets, were closed.

Braník closed in 2006. Which was pretty annoying. Even more annoying when I recently discovered that the plant had been completely modernised just a little earlier.

How I would love to return to the mid-1980s and drink a delicious Braník 12° Dark served by air pressure in a pub with stinky toilets.

Favourite places to drink

This isn't going to be what you might expect. Because it's not just about where. It's also about when.

My absolute favourite place ever to drink was 1980s Prague. In the communist days. There are several reasons why it was my favourite.

Number one, obviously, was the beer. I've never been anywhere with such overall high quality of beer a s Czechoslovakia. Everywhere else I've been, there's been a mixture of good, indifferent and bad beer. In 1980s Czechoslvakia that wasn't the case. All the beer was at least reasonably good. And some of it was amazingly good.

I got off to a good start. On my first visit to Prague, my train arrived at around 7 AM. Which gave me enough time to check into my hotel and get to U Fleků for opening time. Back then it wasn't the tourist trap it is today. The beer was amazing, dark and rich. And I'm pretty sure at the time it was 14º rather than 13º.

I can still remember my first taste of Pilsner Urquell. One sip changed my ideas about pale Lager forever. Light, crisp, malty and topped off with a wonderful dose of Saaz bitterness. I understood immediately why one beer had changed the world.

But Prague wasn't all about pale Lager. There were some pretty good dark beer, too. Not just at  U Fleků. U Malvaze, a tiny pub close to Charles Bridge served the magnificent Braník 12% dark. One of my all time favourite dark Lagers. Sadly no more. Disappeared, along the the brewery,

U Supa sold another wonderful Braník beer, the 14º pale Lager. Another cracker. And another lost beer.

For those into something more mainstream, U Medvídků sold Budweiser 12º. A famous beer, but deservedly so. Maybe not quite reaching the heights of Pilsner Urquell, but a damned good beer.

The pubs were cool, too. Often pretty basic, but joyful and welcoming. And, even in the city centre, full of locals, not damned tourists.

I'm so glad that I visited several times. Because it's all now disappeared. Or almost. Hostinec U Rotundy is pretty much unchanged. One last reminder of a lost city. Damn you, capitalism.

Best beer towns

There was a list on the web of the best beer towns. In the US, obviously. Fair enough, as it was an American publication.

It got me thinking: which are my top beer cities? (And also worrying that I'd visited 8 of the 9 cities on the list.) Not just in the US. And not just in the present.

I'm old. 4-D bloke. More of my life lies scorched behind me than greenly beckoning ahead. Why should I limit myself to the now? What could be more nowist? ("Or just modern, dad" "Shut up, head Andrew, I'm trying to bash out some billocky bollocks before I go on holiday that doesn't require me sticking my head up a library's arse for six months." "Just don't bother to post every day." "And disappoint my readers?" "Dad, you don't have readers. Just a few weirdoes with nothing better to do. And home brewers.")

That's why best a best town answer needs to be in 4-D. Talk about pushing the envelope. I'm giving it a whole extra dimension. Eat innovation shit Cranberry Gose.

Before I annoy you with my random decisions from the past, with a sauce of wilfull obscurantisms, I'll explain my pretend criteria. Or how I define "best" "beer" and "town".

Best: better than better
Beer: alcoholic thing
Town: any settlement with a pub

Beer heaven is subjective. My choices wouldn't be shared by everyone. More likely, by anyone.
 Here are a few hollow phrases to give you give you the impression there's some thought, however small, at the back of this:

quality over variety.
reliability over novelty
general beer quality
maybe today isn't the best
overall quality vs. elite beer
working class vs. middle class (Mild, Porter)

Sorry. They were just the notes I scribbled down after having that Hawkwind session last night. I'm in a rush so they'll have to do. I even quickly ended a call with Lucas, despite Arsenal losing yesterday.

Best beer cities. A carelessly assembled 4-D list by someone who can't remember his best nights out:

1. Prague 1984
By a street. Using one of my main criteria: overall beer quality. Never had a bad beer. And lots of cracking ones. Dirt cheap. Great, down to earth pubs. I can still recall that first Urquell on air pressure.
Best Beers: Pilsner Urquell; Branik 12º Dark and 14ºPale; Fleku 14º Dark.Best pubs: U Rotundy, U Zlateho Tygra, U Dvou Zpevacku.
Today: Remnants remain - U rotundy, I believe, survives - if you want to get a sniff of this particlar past's arse.

2. Leeds 1976
My second year at university. And when they put handpulls back in loads of Tetley's pubs. Including the Cardigan Arms. The landlord, and Irish bloke, knew his stuff. Through electrics it was a damn good pint of Mild. When he changed to handpulls* it was as like moving from a muddy footpath to a motorway.
Best Beers: Tetley's Mild
Best pubs: Cardigan Arms, Black Dog, Rising Sun, Adelphi, Garden Gate, Brassmoulders Arms.
Today: Adelphi is still pretty good, but without Tetley's. Without proper Tetley's, what is Leeds?

This is too much to finish now. If I go to a full nine towns. Or ten, if I'm being more decimalist. Maybe I should go for an octal revival by picking eight.


I've spoilt the tension a bit by starting at the top. Bit late now.


* Obviously with a univac.

Bohemian Lagers of the 1880's and 1890's (part two)

Here's the rest of those Bohemian beers I didn't have time and space for last time. Honestly, there's so much material, I'll be busy for months, if not years.


Maybe I'd have made my life simpler had I included the Pale Lagerbiers with the Pilsensers. Then again, maybe not, because, although some of the averages are very close a couple aren't. Meaning I can draw some conclusions about the differences between the two. I was going to say attenaution, then I noticed that outliers - the Prälat Flaschenbier and Touristenbier, that I'm not even sure were Lagerbiers - was dragging the average down. Take them out and attenuation is 74%.

Oh. I notice I've also included a couple that are Pilseners. What the hell, I can't be bothered to fiddle with the tables any more today.

Bohemian Pale Lagerbiers 1886 - 1894
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1895	Bürgerliches Brauhausin den Kgl. Weinbergen, Prague	Helles Lagerbier	Helles	draught	1044.4	1011.2	11.09	4.31	74.77%	0.103
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Lagerbier	Lagerbier	draught	1047.3	1012.7	11.78	4.49	73.15%
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Lagerbier	Lagerbier	draught	1047.3	1012.6	11.78	4.50	73.36%	0.103
1891	Wittingauer (Třeboň)	Weisses Lagerbier	Helles	bottled	1048.5	1012.7	12.07	4.65	73.81%	0.099
1895	Aktien-Brauerei Eger	Lagerbier	Lagerbier	draught	1048.5	1012.0	12.07	4.74	75.26%	0.078
1890	Wittingauer (Třeboň)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Lagerbier	bottled	1048.5	1012.4	12.07	4.69	74.43%	0.160
1894	Kalthausen	Pasteurisirtes Touristenbier	Lagerbier	draught	1051.8	1025.4	12.85	3.39	50.97%	0.146
1890	Kreuzherrn (Krizovnicka)	Prälat Flaschenbier served in Prague	Lagerbier	bottled	1057.0	1020.1	14.07	4.78	64.74%	0.290
	Average				1049.2	1014.9	12.22	4.44	70.06%	0.140
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

The level of acidity is much lower than for Pilsenser and again taking out those two beers, averages to just over 0.1%. I'd have expected the Pilseners to have been cleaner.

The next group are Dark Lagers:

Bohemian Dark Lagers 1890 - 1895
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1890	Br. "U Stajgru"	schwarz Flaschenbier served in Prague	Dunkles	bottled	1036.0	1011.3	9.06	3.20	68.61%	0.150
1890	Br. Zum blauen Hecht	schwarz Flaschenbier served in Prague	Dunkles	bottled	1043.3	1012.5	10.83	3.99	71.13%	0.260
1890	Brauerei "U Flecu"	schwarz Flaschenbier served in Prague	Dunkles	bottled	1046.3	1016.2	11.54	3.89	65.01%	0.180
1895	Bürgerliches Brauhaus in den Kgl. Weinbergen, Prague	Schwarzes Königsbier	Dunkles	draught	1052.1	1016.8	12.92	4.58	67.75%	0.097
	Average				1044.4	1014.2	11.09	3.91	68.13%	0.172
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

Being honest, the only thing they really have in common is their colour. They look like two Schenkbiers one Lagerbier and one stronger beer.

I was delighted to spot U Fleků's beer in there. It's obviously not the same as the current beer, as that's 13º Plato. Now it doesn't say right out in the source that it's a bottom-fermented beer. But, it is in a table devoted to bottom-fermenters and top-fermenting beers have tables of their own.

Pretty crap attenuation and a high level of acidity are other features. The other averages are pretty meaningless as the beers are all of different gravities.

And finally what I'm calling stronger Lagers. Uninspired, I know. Speciální Pivo would be the modern Czech term.

Bohemian stronger Lagers 1888 - 1892
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1890	Wisotschauer	Bockbier served in Prague	Bock	bottled	1047.4	1016.7	11.81	3.96	64.77%	0.270
1891	Smichower	Granatbier	Export	bottled	1053.5	1021.0	13.24	4.19	60.71%	0.121
1891	Pracer	Granatbier	Export	bottled	1053.6	1019.0	13.27	4.48	64.55%	0.092
1892	Gödinger (Hodonín)	Märzenbier	Märzen	draught	1053.6	1026.3	13.27	3.50	50.93%	0.272
1888	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Bockbier	Bock	bottled	1054.8	1015.4	13.56	5.11	71.90%
1888	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Exportbier	Export	draught	1059.7	1014.6	14.70	5.88	75.54%
	Average				1053.8	1018.8	13.31	4.52	64.73%	0.189
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

I've rather arbitrarily attributed styles to some of these. Märzen and the one Export I'm fairly happy with. Granatbier is a guess. There are still quite a few beers called Granát in the Cezh Republic. Usually amber or dark and sometimes 13º or 14º Plato, others 11º or 12º Plato. I seem to remember seeing old adverts or labels for Granát as a stronger Exportni beer. Here you go. I knew I had it somewhere. It's an old enamel advert I spotted on the wall of a Prague pub.:

So, amber (or dark) stronger beer. Sometimes even called Export. They'd be called Speciální Pivo in the modern Czech Republic.

They look very much like the Märzenbier, except for the latter's shitty degree of attenuation. Don't assume the Märzen was amber. It could just as well have been pale. Or even dark.

Clearly Bock meant something different in Bohemia. Neither of those is anything like strong enough to count as a Bock in Austria or Germany. The weaker one looks like a low-end Lagerbier. The stronger one you could maybe call a Märzen.

Finally the Export. Decent gravity, decent attenuation, a fair bit of oomph in the finished product. The strongest beer of the set and doubtless my first choice.

Not sure what I'll do next. There's so much of this stuff. Maybe some of the North German stuff.

Bohemian Lagers of the 1880's and 1890's (part one)

I can't express my love for "Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" in words. Perhaps I should write a song.

I've caught 350 new analyses in the last week or so. There are hundreds more. I've really improved my data set on Czech Lagers, much to my delight. I never dreamed that I'd be able to find so many details. I suppose I should really do something constructive with them. Which I guess this sort of is.

The 58 beers in this set I've somewhat arbitrarily lumped together in 5 groups: Schenkbier, Helles Lagerbier, Dunkles, Pilsener and stronger Lagers. It's arbitrary because the Pilseners are also Pale Lagerbiers and some of the Schenkbiers are Pilseners. But I had to draw the lines somewhere. Feel free to rearrange everything in your head if you disagree with my categorisations.

All the place names were given in German and, where I've been able to work out the Czech name, I've put that in brackets

I'll begin with Schenkbier, because I've the most of them. Which is another confirmation that this was the most common type of beer in Bohemia. As it still is today. I suppose I could have used the modern Czech name of Výčepní Pivo, which is what these beers really are.

Bohemian Pale Schenkbiers 1888 - 1894
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1895	Aktien-Brauerei Eger (Cheb)	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1031.2	1003.0	7.89	3.68	90.38%	0.089
1890	Petromitzer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1037.7	1012.4	9.48	3.28	67.11%	0.270
1890	Nusler	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1037.9	1015.6	9.53	2.88	58.84%	0.170
1890	Popowitzer (Popovice)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1038.4	1010.9	9.65	3.56	71.61%	0.170
1890	Wisotschauer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.0	1013.0	9.79	3.36	66.67%	0.150
1890	Raudnitz (Roudnice nad Labem)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.2	1010.6	9.84	3.71	72.96%	0.150
1890	Miliner(Milín)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.4	1010.5	9.89	3.75	73.35%	0.230
1890	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1039.6	1007.0	9.94	4.24	82.32%	0.170
1888	Alt-Pilsener	Schenkbier?	Schenkbier	draught	1039.7	1012.1	9.96	3.58	69.52%
1890	Konopischter (Konopiště)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1040.0	1017.8	10.03	2.86	55.50%	0.140
1890	Jinonitzer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1040.3	1014.7	10.11	3.31	63.52%	0.120
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1040.9	1012.0	10.25	3.75	70.66%	0.115
1890	Wrschowitzer (Vršovice)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.0	1018.2	10.51	3.06	56.67%	0.180
1895	Bürgerliches Brauhaus in den Kgl. Weinbergen, Prague	Helles gewönhl. Bier	Schenkbier	draught	1042.3	1011.6	10.59	3.98	72.58%	0.098
1890	Actien Brauhaus, Smichov	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.4	1016.4	10.61	3.35	61.32%	0.170
1891	Unknown, Pilsen	Pilsener Schenkbier	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.6	1014.8	10.66	3.59	65.26%	0.092
1891	Pracer	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	bottled	1042.9	1012.4	10.73	3.95	71.10%	0.131
1898	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Schankbier	Schenkbier	draught	1043.0	1011.5	10.76	4.09	73.26%	0.112
1890	Pracer	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1043.0	1012.7	10.76	3.93	70.47%	0.170
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1043.2	1014.5	10.80	3.71	66.44%	0.108
1894	Unknown	Abzugsbier	Schenkbier	draught	1044.7	1016.6	11.16	3.63	62.86%	0.092
1890	Kreuzherrn (Krizovnicka)	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Schenkbier	bottled	1045.5	1020.3	11.35	3.25	55.38%	0.150
1892	Gödinger (Hodonín)	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	draught	1047.6	1018.0	11.85	3.83	62.18%	0.218
1892	Budweiser	Schenkbier	Schenkbier	draught	1047.7	1010.8	11.88	4.80	77.36%	0.258
	Average				1041.3	1013.2	10.33	3.63	68.22%	0.154
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

I was surprised by how low the gravities were for some of this class. Quite a few are below 1040º and one barely over 1030º. On the other hand, a couple at the top end have gravities more in line with a Lagerbier. Thought the majority are between 10º and 11º Plato. The average gravity is just a touch over 10º Plato, which is about what I'd expect.

You'll note that a lot of the weaker examples are bottled beers. I find it a little that the weakest beers should be bottled.

In common with most 19th-century Lagers, the average rate of attenuation isn't great at 68%. In some examples it's a good bit worse than that, leaving the odd beer under 3% ABV. This really isn't how you usually imagine Lager of the 1800's.

Once again, the average acidity looks high. I'd expect a maximum of 0.1%. Compare this values with these ones from the 20th century:

20th-century Czech Lagers
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Attenuation	Acidity	colour
1935	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1049.4	1013.8	12.28	4.62	72.06%	0.05
1961	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1032.5	1010.9	8.21	2.70	66.46%	0.02	10
1950	Pilsner Urquell	Lager	Pils	bottled	1049	1013.5	12.19	4.61	72.45%	0.08	10.5 B
1950	Pilsner Urquell	Lager	Pils	bottled	1038.9	1010.3	9.77	3.71	73.52%	0.05	11 B
1957	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Urquell	Pils	bottled	1036.4	1010.1	9.16	3.41	72.25%	0.04	12
1957	Pilsner Urquell	Pilsener	Pils	bottled	1036.3	1010	9.14	3.41	72.45%	0.04	9
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

What next? How about Pilseners? Using modern Czech terminology, these would be called Světlý Ležák. Or Pale Lagerbier in German. I know. It's very inconsistent as I've also got a group Pale Lagerbiers.

Bohemian Pilseners 1888 - 1894
Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	package	OG	FG	OG Plato	ABV	App. Atten-uation	lactic acid %
1894	Mährisch-Neustädter (Uničov)	Lagerbier a la Pilsen	Pilsener	draught	1047.1	1011.1	11.74	4.68	76.43%	0.194
1890	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Flaschenbier served in Prague	Pilsener	bottled	1047.2	1015.8	11.76	4.06	66.53%	0.210
1886	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1047.8	1015.4	11.89	4.19	67.75%
1897	Unknown Pilsen	Original-Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.0	1014.3	11.95	4.36	70.21%	0.242
1890	Unknown Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.1	1013.1	11.97	4.54	72.77%	0.186
1888	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1048.5	1015.0	12.07	4.34	69.07%
1898	Unknown Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Berlin)	Pilsener	draught	1048.5	1014.3	12.07	4.44	70.52%
1891	Actien Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	Pilsener	draught	1048.9	1012.0	12.16	4.80	75.46%
1891	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener (sold in Zürich)	Pilsener	draught	1049.3	1014.6	12.26	4.50	70.39%
1892	Pilsener Export-Brauerei	Pilsener (sold in Bern)	Pilsener	draught	1052.2	1011.1	12.94	5.35	78.74%	0.120
1893	Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen	Pilsener	Pilsener	draught	1053.2	1013.2	13.18	5.20	75.19%	0.320
	Average				1049.0	1013.6	12.18	4.59	72.09%	0.212
Sources:
Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel by Joseph König, 1903, pages 1102 - 1156

You'll see I've got a few from Pilsen itself. Bürgerliches Brauhaus, I'm sure you realise, is Pilsner Urquell. In terms of gravity and ABV the average is scarily close to modern Pilsner Urquell. Interestingly, four of the 5 strongest examples had been exported abroad.

Attenuation is better than for the Schenkbiers, but still well below the level of modern Lagers. Once again the level of acidity is high, even higher than in Schenkbier.

There are going to be just too many tables if I do all of this in one go. You'll have to wait until next time for the Dark Lagers, strong Lagers and, er, Pale Lagers,