Sharp’s head brewer, Andrew Madden, has reached out to Jan Špacek — otherwise known as ‘Honza’ — a brewster at the Staropramen Brewery, in Prague, to collaborate on an authentic Czech lager — with a Cornish twist.
Honza is the latest in the brewery’s limited edition range for 2018 after golden pale ale, Manu Bay, was released in May — a collaboration with New Zealand brewer, Galbraith’s.
Honza is a cask lager, which is something of a rarity in today’s market, and has been created to challenge modern perceptions of what a lager can be. Crisp, refreshing and moreish, with aromas of malted biscuit, subtle caramel and lemon, Honza, at 3.8% ABV, is the perfect beer to be enjoyed on long summer evenings, says Sharp’s.
Andrew Madden said: “Lager as a beer style is often misunderstood and underrated, so Jan and I took a look back at the roots of lager, and gained our inspiration from this heritage. Evidently, lager is renowned for its
refreshment, and in our brand new Honza cask lager we have created a beer that is perfectly revitalising, thirst quenching and highly drinkable.
Unique yeast strain
“We’re really proud of this brew. We used a unique yeast strain, the finest lager malt and choicest noble hops from central Europe, and the quality ingredients allow the combination of flavours to really shine through.”
Ed Hughes, Sharp’s beer sommelier, said: “With the nicer weather, Honza is the perfect brew for beer lovers to enjoy on those longer summer evenings. It is light and clean, with hints of malt and citrus and a lovely dry, crisp finish.
“This means it pairs particularly well with a variety of Cornish summer food favourites, such as light shellfish and chicken dishes, or even baked white fish and soft mild cheeses.”
Honza is available to buy on draught in pubs and bars around the country from this month.
