Falling Down the Rabbit Hole of Craft Beer
People always ask me if I’ve discovered the secret recipe that gives The Up and Under Pub’s craft beers their magical taste. And if they haven’t tried the beers themselves, they want to know if they’re really as delicious as I claim. Lately, I’ve been telling them I’m not sure on either count.
You see, I’ve been on a relentless quest to uncover the secrets behind the craft beer brewed at this local pub. It all started a few years back when I first stumbled upon The Up and Under and fell head over heels for their surprisingly hoppy and charismatic pale lagers, as well as their rich and mysterious dark lagers. I was completely captivated, and I knew I had to find out more.
A Mysterious Brewing Log and the Legends of Kout na Šumavě
My journey down the rabbit hole began when I learned about the legendary brewing log that, according to rumor, was discovered hidden inside the walls of a brewery called Pivovar Kout na Šumavě in the Czech Republic. This ancient log was said to contain the secret recipe that supposedly accounted for the magical taste of their lagers. I was intrigued, to say the least.
So I set out on a mission to see this fabled brewing log with my own eyes and uncover the secrets of Kout na Šumavě. I traveled to the remote village in western Bohemia not once, not twice, but three times in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. The first time, I went on vacation with my family. The second, I went to film a spot with Anthony Bourdain for his show ‘No Reservations’ – and ended up taking a tumble through a hole in the floor of the old malthouse, nearly breaking my leg in the process. The third time, I braved a blizzard, but still never got to lay eyes on the elusive brewing log.
After that last trip, I swore to myself I’d never go back to Kout na Šumavě again. And yet, a year or so later, I found myself heading out there once more. There’s just something about this place – a remnant of the quasi-mythological Hercynia Silva forest mentioned by ancient writers like Ptolemy and Aristotle – that kept drawing me back in.
The Secrets of Czech Lager
As I delved deeper into the history and brewing traditions of this remote Czech brewery, I came to realize that the secret to their beer might not lie in some ancient, long-lost brewing log after all. You see, in the world of Czech beer, it’s not really about the recipe. A good Czech světlý ležák (pale lager) is usually pretty close to what homebrewers refer to as a SMaSH – a beer made with a single malt, 100% Pilsner, and a single hop, 100% Žatecký poloraný červeňák (also known as Saaz).
It’s all about the brewing process – the double or triple decoction mash, the cool fermentation with a Saaz strain of lager yeast at 45-52°F, and the long, slow conditioning at near-freezing temperatures for one to three months. The water, equipment, and even the geometry of the fermentation tanks all play a big role in determining the final flavor. But when it comes to the recipe itself, there really aren’t too many secrets.
The Elusive Kout na Šumavě Brewery
During my visits to Kout na Šumavě, I had the opportunity to sit down with the brewery’s owner, Jan Skala, and brewmaster, Bohuslav Hlavsa, for a tasting. They revealed a small detail about their pale lager that I hadn’t known before – it actually includes a pinch of caramel malt, in addition to the Pilsner and Saaz. But several other Czech breweries do the same, so I didn’t think that was the big secret I’d been searching for.
The brewery itself still had a bit of a ramshackle, rundown feel to it when I visited, though Hlavsa proudly showed off their new brewhouse that had been installed since my last trip. They served us their pale lagers with comically high caps of thick, creamy foam – a sign of good Czech lager, to be sure, but I couldn’t help but feel they were showing off a bit.
The real highlight, though, was the 18° dark lager they poured for us – a smooth, rich, and complex brew with notes of cocoa, ginger spice, and a coffee-like finish. Hlavsa explained that this special beer had been conditioning for a full eight months in the freezing cold cellars, and it still had another month to go before it would be ready. I was completely captivated by this magical elixir, and I translated the group’s effusive praise to the brewmaster.
The Rise and Wane of Kout na Šumavě’s Influence
As much as I loved those beers from Kout na Šumavě, I’ve noticed their influence seems to have faded a bit in recent years. While the brewery is still around, distribution in Prague has dried up, and newer craft breweries like Břevnovský Klášterní Pivovar and Únětický Pivovar have started making incredibly well-made, Saaz-forward and bitter pale lagers that are effectively stealing Kout’s limelight.
Even some of Kout’s fellow Czech brewers seem to act like they’re not really part of the gang. They don’t appear at most of the cool beer festivals, and they don’t hang out and take selfies with the other brewers. It’s as if they’re these weird loners out in the Šumava forest, and there are clearly some politics involved that I don’t fully understand.
And you know, the few times I’ve tasted Kout’s beers over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed they maybe weren’t quite as good as they were back in the day. I’ve heard similar stories from bar owners like Libor Kult at Prague’s Kulový Blesk pub, who says the beers were just amazing when they first came out, but then for a while, they weren’t as good as they used to be.
A Magical Rediscovery
But maybe, just maybe, Kout’s beers are making a comeback. A couple of months ago, I met up with some old friends at one of the only pubs in Prague that still regularly serves Kout – U Kacíře in Vinohrady. It was a warm, rainy summer night, and we settled in to drink their 10° pale lager on the covered terrace, talking until we’d solved just about all of the world’s problems.
There were eight other regional Czech beers on tap that night, but after that first sip of Kout, we didn’t bother trying any of the others. It wasn’t just like how Kout used to taste – bright, hoppy, slightly sugary, and refreshingly peppery on the finish. No, this was more than a return to form. It was magical.
Uncovering Kout’s Real History
As for that elusive brewing log that started this whole quest, I may have found a new lead. This year, I discovered a collection of documents from Pivovar Kout na Šumavě – pretty much all of the old papers that exist – inside the extensive brewing archives at Pilsner Urquell. Maybe somewhere in there, I’ll finally uncover the real secrets of Kout na Šumavě.
In the meantime, the folks at this remote Czech brewery can continue to confound everyone with their magical, enigmatic beers. And as for me, I’ll keep searching, because the pursuit of uncovering the secrets of craft beer is just too enticing to give up.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for a pint at The Up and Under Pub. Who knows what other mysteries they might be hiding in their taps?
