Hops

Prague brewers don't have to go far for their hops. The famous Saaz hop grows around the town of Žatec northwest of Prague, and the name "Žatecký chmel" has been registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 2007. In Bohemia, Saaz has been the benchmark for lager beer for centuries.

Hops give beer its bitterness, aroma and shelf life. The bitterness comes from the resins in the cones, the flower clusters of the plant, and is released when the wort is boiled. The aromas are volatile and therefore require short boiling times or late additions. Saaz varieties are considered fine, herbal and lightly spicy, without a citrus punch.

How bitter is a Prague beer? According to the style standard, dark lager stays at 18 to 34 IBU (a measure of bitterness), while pale Czech lager sits at 30 to 45. With the dark version, malt sweetness takes center stage, and the hops only keep it in balance. With Staropramen and other pale beers, bitterness is more pronounced.

The region's hops determine the character of a Bohemian lager. They grow in the same landscape as the barley, giving the beer a unified identity. Anyone who smells Saaz hops will recognize in them the aroma of classic Czech lager.

Even smaller houses like the Strahov Monastery Brewery brew seasonal beers, and with the arrival of craft beer, styles from other countries found their way into the brew kettles. The benchmark, however, remains the classic Czech lager made with Saaz, against which the newcomers must measure up.