Just on time for the SuperBowl…

I have stumbled on the following in the UK before, this time I had to get to the bottom of it:

Budvar is a Czech brewery that has existed since the 1785.  Anheuser-Busch registered the name Budweiserin 1878.  The two companies originally agreed to stay off each others turf as there was little overseas exporting at the time the conflict originated.  In Canada and the United States we can purchase Czechvar and Budweiser becomes Bud in many Eastern European countries.  It’s like a multi-generational family feud!

I have a lot of respect for the American Budweiser – a beer that gets unfairly beaten around by many Canadians who claim to be beer experts.  I will put a separate entry on this some day – Bud takes more than 3 times longer to brew than most Canadian beers, produces 70-90% less beer in the same time, has a long tradition and they really do add wood chips to their final product before bottling.  The Czechs have a fabulous tradition with beer and are the creators of my favorite style (Pilsner).

I found the American version to taste smoother and was clearly more carbonated out of the gates.  It’s straw color was not as pretty as the Czech equivalent which was crisper, stronger tasting and prettier to gaze at.  The head lasted longed on the Budvar – possibly after the US version spent all of it’s bubbles early!

Tajikistan changed sides in 2004 by reversing their previous support of Budvar and now endorse the product from Anheuser-Busch.  As for my favorite?  I’ll take a football game and 2 of each (*#$cough##*$) please!