{"id":4068,"date":"2019-11-22T09:01:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T09:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/?post_type=story&p=4068"},"modified":"2020-03-05T12:46:03","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T12:46:03","slug":"the-budvar-bike-3","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/blog\/story\/the-budvar-bike-3\/","title":{"rendered":"THE BUDVAR BIKE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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THE STORY OF THE WORLD\u2019S FIRST BEER-INSPIRED CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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F<\/span>or a minute there is no mention of motorcycles. No talk about fuel lines or racing crouches, of Triumphs, Harleys, BSAs or what constitutes a classic design. There is only the summit, the silence and the scenery: mountains and hills stretching all the way to the horizon, cloaked with snow and pines. \u201cWelcome to South Bohemia,\u201d our guide whispers quietly. Then, as if things couldn\u2019t get any better, she gestures to the alpine-looking watchtower restaurant behind us with its red Budvar canopy. \u201cI thought maybe you\u2019d like to try a beer now?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Stunning beer and beautiful scenery\u2026talk about getting your bearings. And this is exactly what we\u2019re here for. I\u2019m standing on top of Kle\u0165 mountain in the Czech Republic with Andrew Almond, founder of BOLT Motorcycles, London\u2019s leading custom bike workshop, store, and counter-culture rallying point. We\u2019ve travelled to this spot to soak up something of the region and draw inspiration from the land, the locals and this area\u2019s epic lager because Budvar and BOLT are teaming up on an amazing adventure. To celebrate shared values of dedication, tradition and going the extra mile to create something incredible, beer-maker and bike-creator are coming together to build a bespoke motorcycle: \u2018The Budvar Bike\u2019.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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As we tuck into plates of hearty game stew and pints in the summit bar, Andrew explains that it\u2019s going to be the most challenging and exciting custom creation he\u2019s worked on. \u201cIt\u2019s got to be right.\u201d He says. \u201cWith Budvar an iconic Czech brand, we need to use a Czech bike. That means a JAWA CZ. These were classic bikes between the 1940s and 60s but became much more utilitarian over the years. The vintage models are many tens of thousands to buy\u2026so we need to start with more of an ugly duckling and turn it into something special. But that obviously brings challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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An hour earlier we\u2019d seen some of those vintage JAWAs firsthand in a motorcycle museum in \u010cesk\u00fd Krumlov \u2013 the picturesque Baroque village at the foot of the mountain. Dark scarlet with shapely curves and art deco stylings, they\u2019d looked breathtaking. In comparison, the bike Andrew has found back in London is a boxy and non-too-beautiful 1980s JAWA CZ with a 250cc engine. To transform it into something extraordinary is going to require vision and dedication, but \u2013 unlike the museum pieces \u2013 it also has to drive. This is because once the build is over, Andrew will be undertaking an epic 1,000-mile road trip from London through Europe, riding the Budvar Bike to the Budvar brewery, right here in South Bohemia.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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“THE FACT THESE GUYS CONDITION IT FOR 90 DAYS MIGHT MAKE NO SENSE TO A MORE COMMERCIAL-MINDED BREWERY, BUT THE RESULT IS AMAZING. I GET IT. IT\u2019S A BEER LIKE I\u2019VE NEVER TASTED BEFORE.”<\/span><\/h4>\n

ANDREW ALMOND, BOLT MOTORCYCLES.<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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With lunch done, it\u2019s time to take a chairlift down to explore where that brewing magic happens ourselves. Few people leave the city of Budweis \u2013 or \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice, as it\u2019s known in Czech \u2013 without a deeper appreciation for the devotion it takes to brew the world\u2019s greatest lager. Andrew is no different. After a short drive through countryside he\u2019s supping Budvar\u2019s unique water, drawn from an Ice-Age aquifer 300m beneath the brewery, breaking open whole-cone Saaz hops and taking a tour around the giant copper brew kettles. We visit the museum to get design cues from Budvar\u2019s vintage branding, then it\u2019s into the cellars where Budvar is matured \u2013 or \u2018lagered\u2019 \u2013 in the vast cream conditioning tanks for a minimum of 90 days.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Trying unfiltered and unpasteurised Budvar straight from the tanks is often described by beer writers in exclamations of near-religious language. Andrew is no different. \u201cThat\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s so good!\u201d He exclaims, wide-eyed at the taste. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to bring all of this into the bike, in the colour of the tank, designs, maybe we can incorporate a hop motif in the saddle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Later, in the hotel, he elaborates. \u201cAs well as the hand-fabricated custom frame, our bike\u2019s going to have hand-painted logos by one of the UK\u2019s leading sign-writers and hand-tooled leatherwork. Using great craftsmen and traditional skills is expensive and takes time, but it is so important to me. I really believe in authenticity when creating something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s the same as what we just saw at Budvar.\u201d He says. \u201cThey\u2019re completely independent and they do all those things purely to get them right, which comes across in the beer. The fact these guys condition it for 90 days might make no sense to a more commercial-minded brewery, but the result is amazing. I get it. It\u2019s a beer like I\u2019ve never tasted before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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