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The secret of wonderful Czech beer lies in the perfect natural conditions for hop nurturing in this country.
The first record for this plant producing refers to 859 A.D., and already in 903 the Czechs began to sell their beer to other countries. Since the Czech hop was unique, King Venceslav declared death penalty for anyone who would steal a sprout in order to cultivate it abroad.
First state official brewery was built in 1088. Another one started its operation in the city of Rakovnik in the 13-th century gaining right for its own brand in 1545. The first Prague brewery was built in 1499.
Only Czechs had the right for brewing in the past. Any citizen could obtain all the necessary ingredients at the “central brewery” to brew beer in his own way at home.
This way, a tremendous variety of brands appeared, subsequently making Czech beer famous all over the world. The Czech brewers were even sent to other countries to share their experience. The Mexican brewing industry is entirely based on the secrets of Czech manufacturers of the hop drink.
The Czech beer history has some mirthless pages either. For about a century, the German fashion of brewing was propagated strongly, and only in the end of 19-th century, the Czechs returned to the longstanding methods of beer production.
Brands of beer produced in Rakovnik
In the Middle Ages, wheat beer, the so-called “white” beer, prevailed, old and young ones. Along with these, scarce beers existed, brewed after the “white” one. For this purpose, a little more malt was left on the growing floor for leaven to be still called "beer". This weak and cheap beer was called “freiberk” in Rakovnik, or, sometimes, “post-money” beer, and was meant for poor. To prevent other brands from cheapening, it was prohibited in Rakovnik.
In consequence of bad state of roads and lack of quick transportation, the surface leaven did not live an easy life. It could not survive long transportation. Merely some strong brewed beer like Rakovnik one, could bear transportation by horses to Prague, ?ate? and other places.
Rakovnik based “berezniak” and “kozel” brands were produced at the time of communal brewery and Joint Stock Company called “Rakovar”. Bitter and black brands were brewed. These had been bottled in the labeled tare and sold in Prague since 1900. The brewery also possessed one-liter bottles provided with bas-relief legend “The Philistine brewer in Rakovnik” or “Rakovar”. |
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Special fourteen-percent beer had been produced until 1957, except for the war periods, when alcoholic content in beer was minimal and beer itself brewed out of various substitutes.
At the time of the brewery being the section of the Middle-Czech breweries “Velke Popovice”, “Special ten-percent Rakovnik black beer” and “Twelve-percent middle bedstone Rakovar” were produced there.
After 1969, Rakovnik became an independent brewery of Middle-Czech breweries “Big Popovitse” and returned to its own names of beer which existed since the time when the famous bachelor Jan Pisecky enjoyed it.
Frolicsome bachelor: this person glorified the beer of Rakovnik
In the Middle Ages, home-made beer was mainly brewed in Rakovnik. Both visitors and inhabitants were eager to enjoy beer in Rakovnik's taverns. In 1588, educated bachelor Jan Picka Pisecky, kind, affectionate, and non-arrogant teacher (whose nickname was "Frolicsome bachelor"), arrived in Rakovnik. The bachelor Jan Picka used to be the head of the well-known Karl’s Academy in Prague. He was transferred later to the school of Rakovnik, thus having left the Saint Peter's school in the new town of Prague. It was the time when everyone in Rakovnik rejoiced over Rudolph Emperor’s signing of the famous decree advancing Rakovnik to the third municipal level.
Rakovnik's headman along with some member of the magistrate arrived one day to the bachelor in Prague to negotiate the terms of his employment. They found him in the tavern "Under the Tower". The offer to lead Rakovnik school was accepted by the bachelor, who supported his decision by the following words, “Gentlemen from Rakovnik, the beer you brew is really good”. Then he added as an expert, “The best Rakovnik beer is being bottled in the district of White Horse, at Aist and Dudkov in the Old City”. Living in Prague Jan Picka Pisecky enjoyed his trips to Rakovnik very much, especially Rakovnik beer, the source of which, as he said once, was the spring unspoiled by Vltava.
The day was already ending, as Jan Picka arrived in the cart with his students and luggage to the Hill of Justice located above the town. The town looked friendlier in the twilight than it was in reality. At that time, it had only 190 houses. Four town gates with their marquee-shaped Gothic roofs towered above. The same evening, the bachelor stayed at Oskolki at the corner of the town market until late; he really enjoyed the beer. Later people often saw him in the tavern “At Skazilbaba”, in the tavern-house “At Rejcuv” and in other beer cellars. He was so persistent that he left no rummer unfinished, leaving only after keeper's words, “Master, the rummers are over!” The bachelor sometimes visited “At Black Eagle”, where Jirik from Nasile ran non-stop beer sales despite the opposition of the magistrate members. After all, the latter had gained a "free house" status from the king, as well as the right to brew beer with no limits.
The bachelor taught his students Latin, exercised them in Greek, and trained them in dialectics, still having great time.
In a while, the town officials and inhabitants got tired of the bachelor’s limitless drinking. Yet, he did not wish to leave the town since “there is no better beer than the local one”.
The period of his service had expired though, and the members of municipal magistrate decided to fire him. It was in 1590 that the bachelor left Rakovnik for the old town of Prague. But Jan Picka Pisecky had forever become Rakovnik beer protector under the nickname "Frolicsome bachelor", still on the labels of Rakovnik beer for good and all. | |
