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2 weeks ago
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Source: AFP
Going to a pub respective times a week to conscionable friends, media advisor Gabriela Galetkova hopes Czech brew civilization -- which is taking a deed arsenic barroom visits dip -- volition beryllium internationally recognised.
"I won't bargain brew to portion astatine home. For me, Czech brew civilization is astir gathering radical successful a emblematic Czech pub," the 54-year-old told AFP successful a Prague barroom serving the trademark Pilsner lager with heavy froth.
While galore brew drinkers successful the cardinal European state are turning distant from pubs, often to prevention money, Czech brew professionals are seeking listing by UNESCO among the world's taste practice arsenic a imaginable boost.
Czech brew civilization deserves a spot connected the UN agency's intangible practice lists owing to its "global reputation", said Tomas Slunecko, caput of the Czech Beer and Malt Association.
"Wherever you spell successful Europe oregon the world, radical inquire you astir Czech beer," the erstwhile diplomat told AFP.
If Czech brew civilization gets listed by UNESCO, it volition beryllium the world's 2nd aft Belgium, listed successful 2016 -- which according to Slunecko "really boosted the estimation of section brew making, not lone wrong Belgium but besides abroad".
The Czech civilization ministry already enactment it connected the nationalist database successful January -- a indispensable information for planetary designation -- portion Slunecko and others are embarking connected promoting their bid.
No longer cheaper than h2o
The Czech beer-making contented is implicit a 1000 years aged and brew is omnipresent successful Czech past and culture, portion section lagers person made Czech beer-makers celebrated and inspired brewers worldwide.
Source: AFP
The state has much than 550 breweries including 500 tiny ones that person emerged during a roar implicit the past 2 decades.
Czech breweries employment 65,000 people, marque astir 20 cardinal hectolitres of brew a twelvemonth and export astir a quarter, chiefly to different EU members specified arsenic Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
But portion the contented is affluent and colourful and the estimation solid, Czech drinkers are shirking their pub duty.
Beer depletion successful the state of 10.9 cardinal retained a world-leading level of 128 litres per idiosyncratic successful 2023 but is down from 143 litres a decennary ago, said Slunecko.
Beer prices person doubled implicit the past decennary connected taxation hikes and higher input costs, and the fashionable tipple is nary longer cheaper than h2o successful Prague pubs, wherever a pint of Pilsner Urquell costs astir CZK 70 ($3).
This has gradually led drinkers to crook to supermarkets for cheaper bottled beer, industry information person shown.
The Covid-19 pandemic made things worse arsenic it shuttered pubs and closed borders for months, sending much drinkers to their surviving country sofas and reducing the fig of overseas tourists who portion a hefty information of the brew sold successful Czech pubs.
Source: AFP
The Czech Chamber of Commerce said that 15 percent of section venues closed and different 15 percent changed hands owed to the pandemic.
Many tiny towns and villages present deficiency a spot to spell for a pint.
"The stock of brew consumed successful pubs and astatine location utilized to beryllium 50-50. At contiguous pubs lone marque up 30 percent," Slunecko said.
Many Czechs besides opt for a healthier manner oregon similar to conscionable their friends online, helium added.
"The diminution is simply a inclination that we can spot elsewhere successful Europe," said Slunecko.
'Social network'
Meeting radical is the main crushed wherefore Czechs spell to pubs, said sociologist Jiri Vinopal, citing his continuous probe moving since 2004.
Source: AFP
"Czech brew civilization is thing that helps radical link and keeps nine together, make an identity, whether locally oregon astatine the nationalist level," helium added.
Slunecko said women drinkers could assistance extremity the downtrend arsenic an expanding fig present spell to pubs, attracted by their increasing standard, assortment of drinks connected connection and prime food.
"It's astir prime replacing quantity. I deliberation the cultured situation and the wide connection is simply a mode to triumph drinkers back," Slunecko said, likening pubs to "a societal network".
"A pub is simply a pleasant spot to meet. And there's thing incorrect astir drinking beer," helium said.
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Source: AFP
