E-Malt.com News article: The Czech Republic: Gambrinus recognized as true Czech Beer

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) awarded the most popular Czech beer, Gambrinus, permission to use the registered geographical name "Czech beer." Brewer Plzeňský Prazdroj communicated on November, 2.

"Receiving the certified authorisation to use the registered geographical name Czech beer is, without a doubt, proof that Gambrinus brews high-quality beer, thanks to the use of modern production equipment in combination with traditional recipes. Also, the name Czech beer has been a big international success for the Czech beer industry and I believe that it will contribute to maintaining the Czech beer phenomenon in its traditional understanding," says Jan Hlaváček, main brewer at the Gambrinus brewery.

The term "Czech beer" is officially protected by a geographical name (CHZO), which was granted by the European Commission in response to demands made by the Czech union of breweries and malt plants. The system of protecting the name of an agricultural or a food product was established by the European Union in 1993 with the aims of protecting producers from competitors who plagiarise, and of protecting consumers from unwanted deceit. Protected names also serve to promote quality.

The conditions for using the name Czech beer are:


• place of production: at a brewery located in the Czech Republic;
• place of origin and composition of basic ingredients (including contextual specification in percentages): malt (from approved harvests of barley), hops (from the Žatec, Ústí nad Labem, Tršicko regions, from the Žatec medium-ripening červeňák [a type of hops], Sládek, or Premiant), water (from local sources with specified hardness), brewer's yeast (brewer's yeast for lower fermentation of beer);
• classical production of beer, based on specification – that is decoction, one to three malting processes, decantation, and boiling of hops. After the boiling of hops finishes, it will cool to a fermentation temperature, then it is aerated and brewer's yeast will be added. Fermentation has to take place in two phases. After finishing the second fermentation phase, the beer is filtered and put in barrels. Unfiltered beers can be also produced;
• indicators of quality of final products.

The designation of Czech beer was awarded by the CAFIA to three other local breweries from the Plzeňský Prazdroj, a.s. portfolio – these are Pilsner Urquell, Velkopopovický Kozel and Radegast.



06 November, 2009