London-based Bohem Brewery is launching four of its authentic Czech-style lagers in cans, along with a new distribution partnership with The BottleShop.
At the same time, the craft brewery is announcing its Lager Manifesto, making a ten-point pledge of authenticity to beer drinkers to maintain the high standards of quality that differentiate Bohem’s lagers.
The four-strong range of lagers, in 440ml cans, with recommended prices ranging from £3.75 to £5.55, will be available in The BottleShop’s own outlets, as well as to independent bars and retailers through The BottleShop’s wholesale operation. A four pack of all the beers will also be available with an RRP of £16.
The beer line-up
- Amos Czech Pilsner, 4.9% ABV, 20 IBUs: the brewery’s best-selling, classic Czech Pilsner. With plenty of body at 4.9%. Floral, citrus notes in the aroma are followed up with subtle lemon and honey in the flavour, balanced by a growing dry bitterness, that lingers in a long spicy aftertaste. RRP £3.75.
- Sparta Amber Lager, 5.4% ABV, 41 IBUs: the premium amber lager of the family, at 5.4%, with a great amount of complexity. Bitterness and some spicy hops complement the honey and orange marmalade notes. The aftertaste has orange peel, toffee and a building dry spiciness. RRP £3.90.
- Druid Black Lager, 5.7% ABV, 24 IBUs: a Czech take on the German schwarzbier, this is a multi-faceted, smooth-drinking black lager, with a roast and earthy hoppy nose. Flavour has dark chocolate, sweet treacle and dark plum notes. Soft lingering dry finish of roast and sweetness. At 5.7%, it is a perfect blend of full-bodied taste, and smooth creaminess in the mouth. RRP £4.05.
- Vasco Double India Pale Lager, 7.4% ABV, 55 IBUs: this full-flavoured 7.4% DIPL delivers a taste adventure through its use of British, Czech and US hops. The combination of Admiral, Kazbek, Jarrylo, Simcoe and Mosaic delivers a full aromatic front end with a balanced resinous hoppy finish, through a full eight weeks of lagering in the Bohem fermenters. RRP £5.55.
Desire for quality
Andrew Morgan, founder and managing of The BottleShop, said: “It was an easy choice to support Bohem, given their clear desire for quality in the lager marketplace. As a huge fan of Czech lagers, it’s great to have something so accurately brewed in London to ensure it’s as fresh as can be.
“The cans are a great step forward and we’re delighted to be partnering with Bohem as our house lager brewery and to offer their beers nationwide through our wholesale business.”
Zdenek Kudr, chief executive of Tottenham-based Bohem Brewery, said: “We’re delighted that four of our authentic lagers are making the leap from keg into cans, bringing them to an even wider range of craft beer aficionados.
“At the same time, we’re launching the Lager Manifesto to ensure that consumers appreciate the point of difference that authentic lager brewing delivers across our full range of beers in keg and can.
“There are now more beers than ever on the market that call themselves lagers, but our commitment to brewing in the authentic Czech style delivers the genuine article.”
Bohem uses bespoke lager brewing kit, manufactured in the Czech Republic, and brews with specialist malts and yeast at low temperatures, to create unfiltered and unpasteurised beers that are lagered for a minimum of five weeks.
Zdenek added: “We’ve invested more than £325,000 to date in specialist brewing and storage equipment that allows us to produce beers that are far higher quality than most lagers, whether they come from multi-nationals or craft brewers.
“The standard industry approach is to try and engineer lagering out of lager because of the cost of holding beer in storage, but we celebrate the time it takes to craft an authentic lager — some things are worth waiting for.”
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