European Beer News (Issue 20)

by Max Bahnson

 Micro Movement Gains Momentum

The number of microbreweries keeps on growing relentlessly, and it's now well over 300, making the Czech Republic one of the countries with the most breweries per capita in the world. The word minipivovar (microbrewery) has become as mainstream as craft in other countries.

This hasn't escaped the attention of the bigger players, who have improved the quality of some of their products and also have put out single hop lagers with new Czech cultivars. But nobody has taken the movement toward craft as seriously as the country's best-selling brand, Gambrinus, owned by SAB-Miller.

In May, a new micro-brand from a tiny West Bohemian village, "Patron", started showing up at specialist bars and at a couple of festivals. Its beers, two pale lagers, were well received and got positive reviews at dedicated websites. The brewery, however, was fictitious and the beers were in fact relabelled Gambrinus. It was all part of a marketing stunt by the brand to prove that its beers, much unloved by local enthusiasts, are actually as good as anything from a microbrewery and that the criticism the beers receive is mostly based on prejudice.

The campaign was quite successful and was followed up by posters and other materials at Gambrinus-tied pubs that reassure the drinkers that they are making the right choice, regardless of what the haters say.

Meanwhile, the official industry figures, released by the Czech Brewers and Maltsters association, didn't show any surprises. As expected, the numbers followed last year's trend, a negligible growth with falling domestic consumption and growing exports.