CZECH MATES: A BUDVAR x THORNBRIDGE COLLABORATION
CENTURIES OF CZECH LAGER KNOW-HOW.
THE BEST BRITISH INGREDIENTS.
We are proud to announce our first ever collaboration lager brewed in the UK: CZECH MATES, brewed with the incredible team at Thornbridge. It is available to purchase now from Thornbridge Brewery’s website, and discussions are underway with major UK retailers for a wider launch in autumn.
Bringing together centuries of Czech brewing expertise, the finest British ingredients, and cutting-edge technology, Czech Mates is a Czech-style lager that aims to fuel a growing appreciation for quality, traditionally brewed lager across the UK. An aromatic, crisp, and beautifully balanced 4.8% ABV beer, CZECH MATES is brewed to the same high standards as all Budweiser Budvar and Thornbridge beers, and brewed at Thornbridge Brewery, Bakewell.
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The traditional Czech brewing method of decoction and long, slow maturing complement the British-grown Maris Otter malt and East Kent Goldings hops, while Budvar’s decades-old yeast strain makes the journey from Budweis to Bakewell to bring it all to life. In addition, the famously soft water of the Peak District, just like that found in České Budějovice (Budweis), is ideal for brewing lager.
Thornbridge brewmaster, Rob Lovatt, said: “Budvar have a similar ethos to Thornbridge. They’re brewers of integrity. They don’t compromise, they use the very best ingredients.”
Czech Mates will be lagered for far longer than most other UK lagers. As Adam Brož, Budvar’s brewmaster, puts it: “Time is a very important feature of the lager. The long maturation brings the smoothness, crisp taste, and very high drinkability.”
The collaboration will be supported by a bold social media campaign based around the slogan ‘Mates Don’t Let Mates Drink Bad Lager’. The message, the brewers say, is: with a new collaboration bringing together the 800-plus years of lager-making experience of the Czechs and the creativity of a UK craft beer titan, there is no excuse for drinking substandard lager anymore.
