Budvar Reserve: Stateside

I brought up the cans. I reached out to United States beverage but no response so far. I’ll be staying in Connecticut in may and online a store called BevMax stocks the can’s hopefully they have a decent date on them.

 

I bought a 4-pack of cans today at a local -- of all places -- grocer. Best by Sept. (IIRC) and $7 -- can't beat that with a stick.

 

Oh, yeah - was gonna ask you about that the other day when you wrote:

Damn. I just don't understand the thinking of some importers/distributors/retailers (who's to blame?) these days. My local source of Pilsner Urquell in cans has dried up right after the UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT banners went up. (Again, seems like the place was sold only a few years back, too).

The Czechvar importer United States Beverage Co.'s website is still down - for me, at least, all I get is:

"Learn more..."? Like, what - I'm supposed to fix it?

Hmm... haven't headed down that way but with spring coming and a new vehicle, time to get out on the road more. Have been toying with a trip to Columbus, so Marlton's only 20 miles away... Wonder who the NJ distributor(s)* are. I see lots of Super Bock at Portuguese restaurants up in South River, also a USB brand. And USB's Moosehead is everywhere.

* Looks like it's Kramer in So. Jersey - "Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, and Salem counties".
https://www.kramerbev.com/beer-beverages/#catalog=brands/detail/1033353
I beer shop in Mercer county regularly.

And east of me, it's a Shore Point brand. https://www.shorepoint.com/products/czechvar/ WTF.

Both Molson Coors houses, so they service every retailer.

 

Found a back label for the old branding of this beer (when it was called Bud Strong) from 2015 which lists the degree ("stupňovitost") plato as 16%, so Bock strenght as per German legislation. It also lists sugar as an ingredient which might be interesting to some. Sugar is used in some Czech brands, such as Holba and Litovel (both brands belonging to the same brewing group), I imagine some others as well. Not a huge shock that such a strong Czech beer would be using some sugar as an adjunct (I see no reason to think that they've stopped using it in this beer).

 

Same here in stock a lot in bottles ,have not seen the can . Usually with good freshness dates.

 

Oh and drinking one right now outside patio.

 

Budvar Reserve would be classified as a Světlé Speciál (Pale Special in English).

The only Světlé Speciál I had during my two week visit to the Czech Republic a few years ago was a draft beer from Bernard but it was more modest at 6% ABV. A very tasty beer!

Na Zdravi

 

United States Beverage Company...looks like it is permanently closed doing a Google search.

 

Yeah, I meant to check that - seems I recall some of their brands winding up with Sheehan Family/L Knife's import division St. Killian?

 

I don't know, tho'. Their Linkedin account posted an announcement 4 days ago (for Malibu Splash - FMB I guess?) and their Facebook account had one a month ago re: becoming the master distributor for Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Maybe the website's been hacked?

Gee, I forgot about this: Jan 10, 2022 - US Beverage, LLC, (USB) one of America's leading beverage companies, announced today that it has formed a joint venture to acquire Utah's largest independent craft brewer, Uinta Brewing.

 

Automatic pickup for me when I see it. And, I only find it in Pentwater and Traverse City, MI on my haunts. Not available near me, not even at Total Wine in Grand Rapids.

 

I would rather have a Budweiser Budvar Reserve.

 

DIY project (cheaper than airfare).

 

I figured. I have a few old Budweiser Budvar bottles from the 60s. It was a fine beer. It's a sad story.