Get The Beers In On 83 Mins
Czech Republic U21 1 v England U21 2
UEFA 2022/23 U21 EUROs Qualifying Group G
Friday 3 June 2022
Played at Fotbalový stadion Střelecký ostrov (home of SK Dynamo České Budějovice)
Let's deal with the first stat. Dynamo's well appointed & tidy little ground was the 395th ground I have sat/stood/laid (Stade de France, don't ask) in for a footy kicky game.
In case you didn't hear, České Budějovice is home to the Budějovický Budvar brewing operation. Budvar Budweiser in more colloquial English. One of THE entry level beers for English gals n guys into European brews. Hell, it was served in bottles at my Wedding (nearly) 25 years ago. (Those bottles sourced from EastEnders Booze Warehouse in Calais).
I am not an expert in Czech Football and Beer Culture. But, I am an observer. Budějovický Budvar beer was on sale all around the ground tonight. At one end there was even a bar facing the pitch, with a neat little standing area where you could perch with your pint. Some fucking Czech dons came up our aisle with a beer each and sausage on a plate. I looked at the big screen - 83 minutes gone. Heroes.
So, the second stat is I've been able to push my Czech Beer Ticks up to 61. And, number 58 was the one in the ground;
Vycepni
Budějovický Budvar, Svetle Vycepni on Keg at 4%
As you'd expect, I have my own Czech Beer categories. Vycepni, I feel is a gentle, easy drinking, pale lager. Not much hop action. Not spooned in sweet sugar either. And, if balanced well is a nice beer. This 'un was. I'm going to deal upfront with pricing. Don't ask me how they do it. But, a decent 500ml beer will be between 40Kc & 50Kc. Call that £1.70 tops. We were routinely having 6 beers in a brewery/pub and leaving with change from a tenner. (I mean we weren't really leaving with any change, as we were tipping like a mofo, but you get the picture). The Vycepni in the ground was 40Kc, £1.40.
Right, back to the Carrier Bag Firm approved Czech Beer categories. You have your…
Světlý Ležák - Budvarka Budvar
Světlý Ležák. Core beer really. If you get a good 'un, it'll have a good burst of sugar. Like sucking on an old skool Barley Sugar sweet from the sweet shop. The sugar will taste rough n ready, not refined and not too sweet like Tate n Lyle. I often think of the best sugar hits as being "dirty sugar". The beer will mellow out, maybe some floral gibberish off the hops, but nothing overpowering, just bouncing off the sugar.
It is normal for Czech brewers to express their beers by degrees, by gravity. A core Světlý Ležák would normally be an 11°.
The best Světlý Ležák I've had on the trip was;
Budějovický Budvar, Budvar 33, Světlý Ležák on Keg at Budvarka Budvar, České Budějovice. That's the very modern pub/bar out at the Brewery itself. I'd started with the Budějovický Budvar, Original Kroužkovaný. I mean, I'm sort of on a pilgrimage an' all that. But, that tasted a bit "industrial". The Budvar 33 surprised me a lot. No drama, it was waaaay better than "original". Short n nice hit of sugar. Calms down a bit. Tangy all the way through. The bar itself felt a bit set up for tours. But, they were welcoming an efficient. They had four of their own on. The Original (ticked), the aforeticked Budvar 33, the Tmavy Ležák (ticked) and the Vycepni (unticked in the bar, but ticked later in the ground).
Světlý Ležák (Premium) - Minipivovar Krajinská 27
Next, I'm going to cover Světlý Ležák 12°. A sort of premium, stronger version. I'm singling out;
Krajinská 12 Světlý Ležák Premium 12° on Keg at the Brewery/Pub itself, Minipivovar Krajinská 27, České Budějovice
Great little place on one of the cobbled streets in the old town. A few seats on the pavement. Then you walk in and the everything crammed in brewery is in a small room on your left. The Master was in there turning out spent grains into big buckets. An open courtyard in front of you & the small Pivo Hall on your left. Felt proper Czech this place. The 12° was nice enough, without being outstanding. Deffo a lot of sugar, but well balanced. I read it's triple hopped with Žatec Hops. All that action going into balance against the sugar.
They had an impressive six of their own on. The aforeticked 12, the Jantar (a Polotmavá (ticked)), a Světlý Ležák 11 (unticked), a Summer Ale (unticked), a Trappist style 27 (unholy & unticked) and a Blondyna, Psenicne, Wheat Beer (unticked).
Polotmavá - Restaurace Solnice
And, the next beer category is Polotmavá. Maltier, browner, redder than the Světlý. Sometimes referred to as Vienna Lager, or Amber Lager. Personally, I sometimes feel the brewers get carried away with the malt. Making a Polotmavá that's too nutty & too sweet. Looking like, and beginning to taste like, an English Bitter. As always, it's about the balance. The best one I had on the trip was;
Solnice, Polotmavá 11 on Keg or Tank at Restaurace Solnice, České Budějovice. Just across the street from the Brewery. That's a great place. Lots of tables outside in the bustling square overlooked by the church. Inside it's quite modern. There are a few tanks lined up by the wall. But, a bit tricky to tell which beers were out of keg, which tank. Long tables & comfy, cushioned benches. Allowing us another insight into Czech Beer Culture. If you can't see any isolated spaces. Just put on your best Carrier Bag Firm gormless smile & make universal gestures on someone else's bench -
"do you mind if we sit here?"
You'll never be refused. Matey tonight even reached into the communal beermat pile & put one in front of us in a gesture of welcome. The Polotmavá was lighter in colour than many I've seen, with a faint amber glimmer. Great balance.
All told, they had five of their own on. The aforeticked Polotmavá 11, the Solnice 10 (ticked), the Solnice 12 (ticked), the Solnice 11 (unticked) and the Solnice Psenicne, Wheat Beer (unticked).
Tmavé Ležák - Pivovarská Nalévárna, Praha
Next category up - Tmavé Ležák. Dark. Lager. It's Lager. But it's Dark. Sometimes…
"Looks a bit like a Stout, Phil"
But, it doesn't have that burnt apple, bit of toast hoo haa. Nor is is sweet like British chocolate, coffee, etc stouts. A good Tmavé will have a fairly neutral mouthfeel. Thinner than it looks, but still enough to keep you going. Maybe some caramel, but it should calm down into fairly easy drinking.
That said, I'm singling out;
Pivovar Hostomice Pod Brdy, Fabian 14° on Keg at Pivovarská Nalévárna, Praha. Which is sort of their brewery outlet in Prague. Great old school gaff this one. Basically a single room affair. Sit anywhere (again) with who you like. Looks very run down inviting. I could spend my life in boozers like this.
Three on from Pivovar Hostomice Pod Brdy. I ticked 'em all. The aforeticked Fabian 14, Fabian 12 a Světlý Premium, and Fabian 10 a Světlý Ležák.
Honey Beer - Pivovar Kněžínek
And the final CBF Czech Beer category is our great friend - Other. For example…
Kněžínek, Medová 14, Honey Beer on Keg at the Brewery, Pivovar Kněžínek, Nové Dvory. That's a marvelous place out in the České Budejovice sticks. Basically in the middle of a wetland nature reserve. Bus #9 out there to Ceske Vrbne. Walk among the lakes n ponds. Drinkypoos. And catch Bus #1 from Haklovy Dvory. The Carrier Bag Firm in their natural habitat.
A load of tables in a courtyard. And a glass fronted pivo hall, with a darker room off. Loads of cyclists. A few punters staying at the attached spa retreat and people pulling their motors up & piling crates of the gear in.
I often find Honey Beer too varnish sweet. But, this 'un had a nice spicy balance. The malt n honey do all the talking. They had three of their own on. All ticked. The aforeticked Medova 14, a Světlý Ležák 11 and a Polotmavá 11.
Are you aware of the work of Vojta Bohuslav? Born in 1953? He was with Viktoria Plzen for 8 years. Played as a defender. He really never came back from that bad ankle injury & operation. Left a right old scar. Vojta showed it to me before kick off. Great bloke. He doesn't speak a word of English. I don't speak a word of Czech. I mimed…
"What position did you play?"
"STOPPER"
Came the emphatic reply. Vojta was at the game (with his very proud daughter) promoting a new book.
Mistry navzdory, jak dorostenci TJ Igla titul ziskali…
Roughly, Champions In Spite Of Everything
How the teenagers of TJ Igla won the title.
Vojta was one of those TJ Igla teenagers. Learned his trade there. Played in the red n white stripes. Went on to bigger things. TJ Igla were the football arm of the Igla Engineering Company in Ceske Budejovice. Their biggest success as a junior club was winning the Czechoslovak Youth Championship in 1971/72. The final was held right where I fist bumped Vojta, in this Dynamo Stadium. Absolutely superb that they've produced a book celebrating the kids achievements after all these years.
Sometimes, civilians ask me why I attend these youth games. Because some bloke is buying beer in the 83rd minute & I met Vojta Bohuslav, that's why.
Is there a recently released version of Bella Ciao? The Italian folk protest song from the 19th Century. Originally a protest against hard working conditions in the Northern Italian rice fields. Subsequently adopted by the Italian Resistance opposing the Nazis in 1943. In "my world" versions of Bella Ciao are sung worldwide as an anti fascist hymn of freedom. For whatever reason, it was blaring out of the PA before kick off in the Fotbalový stadion Střelecký ostrov. Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao sang the masses (5,654). And then they booed as Morgan G-W & the England lads took the knee !!!
Not a superb performance. Lacking pace & intensity at times. Both teams riddled with mistakes. Riddled I tells ye. But, the Young Lions got it over the line safely enough despite a late Cz goal & six up top for a bit. Keeps the beer ticking in Romania & Georgia next Summer alive. Great trip…
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