Beer of the month – Budvar Yeast

Budvar is a beer that us Brits have grown a tad blasé about in the face of the dreaded "world lager" phenomenon.

We forget that this ancient brewery was purchased by the Czech government to preserve its unique brewing heritage after Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen fell into foreign hands and is thus impervious to market pressure to dumb down.

We forget that Budvar is lagered (cold-conditioned) for 90 days - and this in an age when many so-called premium lagers get less than three weeks.

I was reminded of all this when the firm launched its new unpasteurised, unfiltered Budvar Yeast at Draft House Tower Bridge. Despite the awful modish name this is an ancient class act - effectively a traditional cask lager version of the famed Budvar Original but with a shelf life of just 28 days.

This Holy Grail of lagers has long been sold in just a tiny number of specially certified bars in the Czech Republic. And now just five pubs in London have been given the nod from southern Bohemia - including three Draft Houses, I'm pleased to report. Seek it out - but beware: we are told that supply is extremely limited.

Charlie McVeigh
Founder, the Draft House
www.drafthouse.co.uk