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Hoppy as it was
The other Michael Jackson sounds off on Czech beer
Staff Writer, The Prague Post November 4th, 2004 The world's best-known writer on beer shares his name with an even better-known American pop star. But Michael Jackson, the British author also known as the "beer hunter," has his own renown to contend with. And when he arrives in a beer-loving country like this one, people listen. Thus the large crowd of press and public at Jama last month when Jackson guided a tasting. Wearing a burgundy jacket and cask-and-tap-themed necktie, the beer hunter and self-styled "maven of malt" held forth on brewing, Czech beer legends and the emergence of new beer culture in other countries. Among other points, Jackson expressed disappointment with the changes of some Czech classics. Pilsner Urquell, Jackson said, has modified its taste compared to years past. "It tastes decidedly less hoppy," he said. "I used to love the rich maltiness of it -- it's almost like the smell of fresh air, that first scent of Saaz hops. It's still a good beer, it's a very good beer, but it was a great beer." Asked what non-exported Czech beers he wished he could drink in his home city of London, Jackson instead expressed longing for brews from the past, even though many still exist today. "It's more that they don't exist in the way that they did," he said. "I mean, I used to love Krusovice. It's kind of come back a little bit, but it's nothing like as hoppy as it was." Jackson pushed for continued government ownership of one of the country's flagship brews, Budvar. Though the idea of privatizing Budvar has recently been floated in the Czech press, Jackson is against it. "Remaining under state control would maintain the welfare of the brewery," he said. "It's like the Green Bay Packers, who are owned by the city of Green Bay. If they weren't, I hardly imagine Green Bay would have a team." Jackson also spoke against Budvar allowing the beer to be produced abroad, as Pilsner Urquell has done, and argued against the high-alcohol Bud Super Strong. "I'm worried that they want to brew Budvar under license in other countries," Jackson said. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm also worried that they made a very strong beer at 7.5 percent alcohol. It's a beer for kids to get drunk on. That's not what Budvar should be doing." Though he spoke highly of the country's zymologic history, Jackson put the blame for many of the recent changes squarely at the feet of Czech drinkers. "They accept the dumbing down of these beers," he said. "And they accept the closure of breweries." Unlike Jackson's homeland and several other European countries, the Czech Republic currently has no active beer drinker's association. In Britain, the Campaign for Real Ale, or CAMRA, has been highly successful in maintaining brewing standards. It also works to purchase and restore historic pubs and breweries. Jackson also pointed to the emergence of great brewing traditions in the United States, where a renewed interest in the craft has created a diversity of beers over just the past 20 years. "If we were talking about the beers of New Jersey, I'd say this is a great abbey-style beer; this one's a wonderful imperial stout; this one's a great English-style ale," Jackson said. "There's a British style of beer, I.P.A. [India pale ale]. If I want a really good one, I go to the U.S." In this country, 95 percent of the beers consumed are Pilsner-style lagers whose taste tends to be similar. "The style is very limited," Jackson said. His own tastes are catholic, even omnivorous. But Jackson is hardly holed up in his office with a never-ending supply of exclusive microbrews. "More often I stop after work and have a pint of Fuller's in the pub," he said. Despite his critical comments, Jackson had many good things to say about the country's reputation abroad. In fact, so many questions were asked about the international importance of Czech brewing that it started to seem as if the legendary beer hunter was primarily here as part of a national confidence-boosting exercise. "I think it would surprise you how many people in the world, how many beer lovers, have a very special place in their hearts for the Czech Republic," he said.
Evan Rail can be reached at
erail@praguepost.com
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