There is one of the most famous aphorism of the brave soldier Švejk, a great satiric character, created by the Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek:
“I visited twenty eight places during one night, but, to my grace, I didn’t drink more than three beer jugs.”
So, we decided to visit the Czech Republic and Prague – the native town of Švejk and twenty eight Czech places, not drinking more than three beer jugs. Riding before the hounds, we visited twenty eight places exactly and didn’t drink over three beer jugs per capita…
So, 20 representatives of the Union had a business trip to the Czech Republic, followed by a varied business, training and excursion programs from December 13 – 17, 2015.
The main purpose of the trip was participation in the training workshop “Czech brewing traditions” at the premises of the Chemical Technological Institute in Prague http://old.vscht.cz/kch/lidezamcv_dostalek.html with participation of the experts of the Czech Scientific and Research Crop Institute.
One of the leading Czech experts Prof. Ing. Pavel Dostálek took part in the seminar. The following questions have been studied during the seminar:
– malting barley breeding and seed production;
– profitability of the economic activity of crop plants;
– risk management of crop cultivation;
– malting and brewing technologies.
As a result of the seminar, all participants were awarded Advanced Training Certificates, issued by the Chemical and Technological Institute. Two breweries, used for educational and research purposes are created as a part of the Institute: traditional, based on the technological equipment of the beginning of XX century, and completely modern. Products of these breweries were tested by participants of the seminar.
Also participants demonstrated great interest in Czech breeding and seed farms, producers of malt and brewing products.
A giant Pilsner Urquell, a medium-sized brewing plant, the malt production Hodovar and a craft brewery – malt house of 86 years old Pan-engineer Klusachek (unforgettable India Pale Ale brewed with hop Mandarina Bavaria) have much in common – all of them produce high quality beer made of the natural Czech malt, hop and water according to Czech brewing traditions with German origins, because the very Bavarian Josef Groll, born on October 5, 1842 in Plzen brewed the most popular beer in the world – PILSNER and in 1898 the brewery registered a unique brand Pilsner Urquell, translated as “from primary source”.
The heart of the plant is a renovated brew house and the hall of fame with very interesting old collection of the brewing equipment of the nineteenth century. Among exhibit items you can see a boiling vessel where the first batch of pale drink has been made.
The bright final of the excursion was a visit of lager cellars. The total length of cellars is unthinkable 9 km, with a temperature below 8 degrees. Participants of the trip tested original Pilsner Urquell, brewed according to the historic receipt, in oak casks in cellars. It is interesting to note that sweet-smelling beer has medical properties thanks to unique mould, existing in cellars of the brewery.
There is a famous brewery Hodovar in the city of Chodova Plana, well-known by unique beer as well as beer spa. Beer bath is filled with mineral water, beer and herb tea; there is also a beer tap and a jug near the bath, followed by massage from beer extract and a compress from brewers’ malt. Who of participants had beer baths is a secret under heavy beer foam.
So, as an epilogues, famous words of Švejk:
“Uncultured person can be tolerated in everyday life, in any ordinary activity, but in cooking without intelligibility, you’ll get lost”.
We believe in intelligence of our Russian brewers, so a giant SAB MILLER with their Pilsner Urquell and Velkopopovický Kozel together with medium HODOVAR and craft Pan Klusachek live together amicably. Everybody occupies his niche and takes care of business – brew high quality beer.
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