Pivovar Zlatý Bažant - Golden Pheasant

Translated to English, Zlatý Bažant means Golden Pheasant. Unlike the major U.S. beer makers, who stretch out their barley with the addition of cheaper corn and rice, Slovak producers use 100 percent barley, most of it grown and processed in Slovakia. This makes nearly any Slovak-made beer richer, with more body and depth of flavor, than any of the watery U.S. brand-name beers. Expect spicy herbaceous hop aromas with toasty pale malt notes. Very crisp malt flavors give way to lingering hop bitters and a distinct note akin to dried autumn leaves. Winner of a Silver Medal at the World Beer Championships. Geographically-speaking it might be an odd match, but Sushi or Indian Curried dishes with Jasmine rice will work quite nicely with this beer.

Located near the southernmost tip of Slovakia, near the northern border of Hungary, in the small town of Hurbanovo, you’ll find Pivovar Zlatý Bažant. Now, as a beer lover and member of the club, you’re likely familiar with great brewing heritage of the Czech Republic. You might already be aware that a town known as Pilzen, in Bohemia, was the place where in 1842 the most consumed style of beer the world over was invented (Pilsner beer). And you might also know of the Czech’s reputation as being the nation boasting the highest per capita beer consumption figures. This latter distinction was earned when Slovakia split from Czechoslovakia, forming the two separate republics. The reason that a united Czechoslovakia did not hold the title of beer drinking nation of the world was due to the Slovak’s preference for wine. But don’t be discouraged by this point, for the brewing heritage of the Slovak Republic is actually quite esteemed; the geography and history of the land mean that brewers in this region have unrestricted access to all things brew: the best hops, grains, yeast strains and the softest water in the world. Pivovar (or brewery in English) Zlatý Bažant was started in 1968 as a state-owned enterprise to supply beer to Western Slovakia. As a part of the massive European beer market consolidation, the brewery was purchased in 1995 by Heineken in what was the first investment by a major brewing corporation in this region since the fall of Communism. However, beer connoisseurs may rest assured that this beer has not been spoiled by the massive enterprise that is Heineken. It is made in the same facility according to the original recipe. One sip and you’ll understand that this beer is not the silhouette of a true Pilsner that passes for mass-market U.S. beers. It is an authentic, rich, aromatic and delicious Pilsner to be praised with the best of them.