Budweiser Budvar B:Original
Brewed by Budějovický Budvar
Style: Czech Pilsner
České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Budweiser Budvar, the golden original, is the world famous beer produced by the renowned brewery Budweiser Budvar Brewery (Budějovický Budvarin) in the city of České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Known as Czechvar in North and South America so as not to be confused with AB-InBev’s popular Budweiser. The 700 years of brewing tradition guarantees the best quality of Budweis Beer as they brew in accordance with the 1516 Reinheitsgebot law, using water, barley and hops.
The history of brewing in České Budějovice started in 1265, when the town was founded by Ottokar II, the King of Bohemia, who granted the town with important privileges, the brewing right being one of them. The original Budweiser Bier was founded here in 1785.
With millions of people travelling from the old continent of Europe to America hoping to find a better life they also brought with them their beers and tastes for the good stuff. Budweiser Budvar began exporting to the United States in 1871, but in the U.S. itself, C.Conrad (Anheuser-Busch) started using a Budweiser trademark and registered his version of Budweiser with the American Patent Office in 1878. Obviously this set up all sorts of legal disputes and rows over the naming of both beers, that has gone on for centuries, but some sort of compromise was reached when it was decided that the American Anheuser-Busch could use the brand “Budweiser” only in North America, while elsewhere the Czech Budweiser Budvar could use their name as a trademark. Also, Czech Budweiser is sold in North America under the label Czechvar and American Budweiser is labelled as Bud in all European Union markets, except for Ireland and the United Kingdom. In 1994 The European Commission granted Budweiser Budvar N.C. with the right to use a Protected Geographical Indication status “Budějovické pivo” and “Českobudějovické pivo”. This decision became effective on the 1st of May, 2004, and further strengthened the rights of the original Budweiser brand in their their effort to stave off, what must be said, some aggressive American opportunism.
Budweiser Budvar is one of the biggest selling beers in the Czech Republic and exports into more than 60 countries worldwide, with Germany representing the largest market at this moment in time.
Review: 0.51CL Bottle of Budweiser Budvar B:Original Czech imported lager : ABV: 5%
The iconic beer, the original, totally different to that American namesake, coming in a large 0.51CL bottle.
On pour get a nice clear golden colour that produces a decent looking white head, that is big and frothy. Head maintains. Some nice carbonation, actively bubbling away.
It is a nice and clear looking beer that’s for sure, what a beer should look like. Promising.
Lovely beery smell of grains and malted barley. Nice aroma.
On taste a very beery taste, clean and crisp, strong in alcohol content, can definitely feel the alcohol and yeast in the beer and very smooth to drink.
Perhaps a little too malty for me though.
There is a lot of carbonation and I do wonder if the green bottles have something to do with the overall taste, as it tastes ok but a little skunky, and considering its reputation it is nothing amazing.
Very smooth, definitely a session beer as its very drinkable, despite not having an amazing array of tastes. Light in hops, no aftertaste to speak of.
As mentioned, a lot of Malt, it is really malty!
But overall, it is a good session beer, wouldn’t mind downing a few of these, and one I would like to try again for the future, preferably in downtown Prague…..(or Budějovice!) with a fresh version.
Saigon Export beer is the only authentic Vietnamese beer brewed in Vietnam and sold in the UK and in the US. Brewed by Vietnam’s Saigon Beer Company ( “Saigon Alcohol Beer and Beverages Corporation” or its abbreviation of “Sabeco”), based in the southern city of Ho Chi Minh City (or the old name “Saigon”). Sabeco is Vietnam’s leading beer producer, and is state owned under the authority of Vietnam’s Ministry of Trade and Industry. Its main brands are Saigon Beer and 333 Beer, and it has about 50% of the market share of the country. 
There is some rice in this with a dab of malt, or so they say….. 
A bit hoppy, with a light bitter aftertaste, but its slight.
Withnail and I is a 1987 British black comedy film and cult classic written and directed by Bruce Robinson and set in Camden Town, London in the late 1960’s. It is a simple story of two struggling young actors living as bums, Withnail (Richard E. Grant ) and “I” (Paul McGann), who yearn to take a break from their squalid run down flat and fed up with the hectic life of the city, decide to escape to the countryside on the cheap. Withnail manages to persuade his rich eccentric uncle, Monty (Richard Griffiths) to let them stay in his country cottage in Penrith in Cumbria, North West England, for a weekend RnR. This is to be a “holiday by mistake”, one in which anything that can go wrong, does go wrong!
Although the countryside is beautiful, the location is anything but idyllic. What looks like constant rain, the boys are cold (“Warm up? We may as well sit round this cigarette,” They end up burning some furniture) , the cottage has no running water or light, they are low on food and the locals seem a bit strange and not very hospitable, in particular a poacher called Jake, who takes an instant dislike to Withnail. Its a long long way from Camden Town and the two city boys are hopelessly out of their depth for country living. Trying to cook a chicken (“I’m starving, how can we make it die?”) in an oven balanced on a kettle, attempting to shoot fish with a shotgun, or using plastic bags as boots to trod around in the muck, are just some examples of their inadequacies.
Marwood learns they have received an eviction notice for unpaid rent, thus preempting the splitting of the two companions. Marwood leaving for the station, turns down Withnail’s request for one last drink. “There’s always time for a drink?” But Marwood, with his newly cut hair and looking smart, is a man changed. He has finally got an acting part and needs to move on. They part company, likely for the last time. All alone, and quoting Hamlet and with a bottle of wine in hand, naturally, Withnail cries out in the rain “What a piece of work is a man!” The end!
The script is one thing, but you need actors to bring it to life. The acting in the movie is superb. Definitely true to say that Richard E Grant hasn’t done anything as good, at least nothing I have ever seen. (‘I’m a trained actor reduced to the status of a bum!’). But Paul McGann, the foil to the craziness of Grant, is also excellent and as good as Grant. His part is more measured, but he plays the character so well that you actually feel sorry for poor old Marwood having to put up with Withnail all the time.
There was no actual filming in the real Penrith, and Sleddale Hall, just outside Shap in Cumbria, is the location used as Monty’s cottage. What strikes me from the county location is the never ending rain, and toughness of countryside life. As for the time period, the movie is set in the 60’s, even if it was made in the 80’s without any set design, which goes to show that parts of London looked pretty dire at this time. Grit I think is the word I’m looking for!
The rules for the Withnail and I drinking game are very simple… just match what Withnail drinks
Withnail
Kilkenny is an Irish cream ale from the makers of Guinness, which originated in Kilkenny, Ireland, hence the name! The brand is managed and produced by Diageo. It is available in draught and cans.
A lot of the reviews say 4.3%, but mine was 4.2% ABV, maybe different for the German market perhaps.
On taste I get a smooth creamy mouthful from the beer, some grains, a bit of caramel, it all tastes nice and very smooth.
Singha is a 5% abv pale lager produced by the Boon Rawd Brewery in Bangkok, Thailand. 
Like Chang, Singha is easy to get in Thai and Asian restaurants and supermarkets all across Europe. 
The bottle top has Singha’s dragon logo which looks pretty cool and there is a yellow lion on the front of the bottle. We are also told that this is “The original Thai beer since 1933.”
No lacing but a perfectly clear looking beer….