The Culture of Czech Republic in a Glass of Budvar Beer

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The glass industry and beer industry in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic are proud cultural heritages and traditional industries of the Czech Republic from ancient times to the present. Through the recently launched original Czech lager Budvar beer and the specially named beer glass Iconic Tankard, you can experience two representative Czech cultural heritages simultaneously in Korea.

The Czech glass industry, represented by Bohemian glass, known as the art of light, has led European glass culture and gained worldwide fame thanks to the delicate glass processing techniques developed through the relentless efforts of artisans. The various colors and shapes of Czech glass, made with processing techniques inherited from ancient times to the present, and the highly precise craftsmanship captivate the viewer’s gaze. Even today, Czech artisans actively create various glass artworks and commercial products by adding modern sensibilities and more advanced techniques.

Thanks to the glass manufacturing technology in the Czech Republic, which has continuously developed since the 2nd century BC, the Czech glass industry began to flourish in earnest during the Middle Ages. Glass products, which require a lot of effort to produce, were expensive items owned only by the upper class. As the Czech Republic enjoyed economic and cultural prosperity, demand from kings, nobles, churches, and the upper class expanded, leading to a rapid increase in glass production and the creation of high-quality Czech glass characterized by transparency and beauty. A representative glassware from this period is the ‘Czech-style drinking glass,’ which has a long and slender shape with pearl-shaped decorations on the surface.

In places where beer is brewed, there is a Czech proverb that says, "Where everything goes well, and beer is drunk, life is happy everywhere," reflecting the special affection and pride Czechs have for Czech beer. Currently, with a massive beer production volume exceeding 1.9 billion liters and over 400 breweries producing various types of beer, the Czech Republic is famous as the country with the highest beer consumption in the world, and its global beer export volume ranks 10th.

Since 903, hops cultivated in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic have become famous for their excellent aroma. At that time, anyone who exported the hop vines outside the Czech Republic was sentenced to death, as they were treated as treasures of the Bohemia region. Recognizing the true value of Czech beer, rulers spared no national support to protect and improve the quality of Czech beer, and under the protection of the state, the Czech beer industry flourished greatly to the present day.

Meanwhile, Budvar beer is brewed at the Czech Republic’s only state-owned brewery using only the finest Czech Saaz hops and Moravian malt. Over the past 125 years, it has preserved traditional values and brewing principles, earning recognition as a beer representing Czech beer culture. Budvar beer, considered one of the three major Czech beers, is an original Czech lager beer characterized by a deep flavor and smooth finish, undergoing a longer maturation process of 90 days compared to regular lagers.

Budvar’s new dedicated glass, the Iconic Tankard, is supplied to pubs and restaurants selling Budvar draft beer, and a limited package consisting of four cans of beer and the dedicated glass is available for purchase at large supermarkets.