{"id":4195,"date":"2019-11-22T17:53:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T17:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/?post_type=story&#038;p=4195"},"modified":"2019-12-02T15:36:39","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T15:36:39","slug":"tank-goodness-2","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/blog\/story\/tank-goodness-2\/","title":{"rendered":"TANK GOODNESS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd7cd696ec5e class=\"hero-block align\">\n  <hero\n    block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    block-styles-tablet=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    block-styles-mobile=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    height=\"\"\n    min-height=\"\"\n    text-center-width=\"{&quot;mobile&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;desktop&quot;:&quot;100&quot;}\"\n        scroll-down-show=\"\"\n    scroll-text=\"\"\n    scroll-text-default=\"Scroll\"\n    scroll-color-primary=\"#FFFFFF\"\n    scroll-color-secondary=\"#CA4A4F\"\n    mobile-overlay=\"\"\n    mobile-overlay-content=\"\"\n    mobile-overlay-button=\"null\"\n    mobile-overlay-color=\"\"\n    faded-background-image=\"\"\n  >\n    <template v-slot:text-center>\n                                    <div class=\"wysiwyg-container\">\n              <h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ca4a4f;\">Bringing the near-religious experience of fresh, unpasteurised Budvar to Britain.<\/span><\/h3>\n\n            <\/div>\n                          <\/template>\n\n\n      <\/hero>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd7cd986ec60 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p><span style=\"color: #3d3935;\">So wrote Pete Brown, world-renowned beer writer, after a trip to the Budweiser Budvar brewery in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice 15 years ago. As recommendations go it\u2019s pretty persuasive but back in 2002, if you\u2019d wanted to follow his lead, the only option would have been to board a plane to South Bohemia and visit the brewery yourself.<\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #3d3935;\">Well, not any more. Times, technologies and tastes have changed. Today, special tanks are regularly rolling across the borders into Britain, bringing Budvar\u2019s unpasteurised \u201cnectar\u201d to pubs and bars to meet the growing demand among drinkers here to experience that same revelation on home soil: the finest, freshest Czech lager, bursting with flavour and vivacity, just as the brewers intended.<\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #3d3935;\">But how does tank beer work? What is the process? And what is it about this fresh lager\u2019s taste that has even die-hard craft beer and ale connoisseurs hailing it as a near-religious experience?<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd7cdc46ec61 class=\"hero-block align\">\n  <hero\n    block-styles=\"{&quot;margin-top&quot;:&quot;0px&quot;,&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    block-styles-tablet=\"{&quot;margin-top&quot;:&quot;0px&quot;,&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    block-styles-mobile=\"{&quot;margin-top&quot;:&quot;0px&quot;,&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"\n    height=\"\"\n    min-height=\"\"\n    text-center-width=\"{&quot;mobile&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;desktop&quot;:&quot;35&quot;}\"\n        scroll-down-show=\"\"\n    scroll-text=\"\"\n    scroll-text-default=\"Scroll\"\n    scroll-color-primary=\"#FFFFFF\"\n    scroll-color-secondary=\"#CA4A4F\"\n    mobile-overlay=\"\"\n    mobile-overlay-content=\"\"\n    mobile-overlay-button=\"null\"\n    mobile-overlay-color=\"\"\n    faded-background-image=\"\"\n  >\n    <template v-slot:text-center>\n                                    <div class=\"wysiwyg-container\">\n              <h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">\u201cDrinking fresh, unpasteurised Budvar from tanks in the brewery cellar remains a standout beer drinking moment in my life. If you think you don\u2019t like lager, you only have to taste this nectar to become aware of your folly.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n            <\/div>\n                          <\/template>\n\n\n      <\/hero>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1219\" height=\"628\" src=\"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628.jpg 1219w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628-300x155.jpg 300w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628-768x396.jpg 768w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628-1024x528.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1219px) 100vw, 1219px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd82cfaa8b80 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>Let\u2019s start with some basics. Tankov\u00e9 Pivo \u2013 or \u2018tank beer\u2019 for those less versed in Czech \u2013 does exactly what it says on the tin\u2026or the tank. Fundamentally, this is beer piped directly from those vast, submarine-like conditioning tanks in the brewery cellars in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice into airtight, temperature-controlled mini-tanks, ready for transportation. It\u2019s then whisked across Europe to Britain as fast as humanly possible and decanted in a bar or pub into specially installed, hand-painted tanks that replicate those of the brewery cellar. Speed and temperature are essential because \u2013 unlike bottled, canned and other draught lagers served in the UK \u2013 tank beer is\u00a0<em>unpasteurised<\/em>. And that, more than anything, is key to its freshness and vibrant taste.<\/p>\n<p>As Adrian Tierney-Jones, author of numerous bestselling guides on beer, explains: \u201cBudvar in a bottle or draught is beautiful, but with Budvar tank beer it\u2019s all the more amplified because it\u2019s unpasteurised. It\u2019s vivid, it\u2019s colourful, it\u2019s primary colours; we\u2019re thinking Andy Warhol in a glass here. You get the delicate toasted graininess of that Moravian malt and the aromatic delicate spiciness of the hops. It links you with that hallowed brewery cellar and is as good as getting on a plane to South Bohemia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This may be true, but to get the full picture of Tankov\u00e9 Pivo\u2019s road to that pint in your hand, you have to start in the Czech Republic. And you\u2019ve got to start early.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8327ea8b81 class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-Budweiser-Budvar-brewery-and-sign-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4984-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5485-1219x813.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd832a4a8b85 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p><span style=\"color: #3d3935;\">It\u2019s barely 6am in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice as we pull into the Budvar brewery. The iconic sign above the brewhouse building is backlit by a bruise-coloured dawn. Here, two of Budvar\u2019s biggest names are already waiting for us. Ales Dvorak, beer sommelier and all-round brewing genius, is no stranger to tanks. Not only does he spend much of his work life down in the cellars, but he\u2019s also a tank-driving reservist in the Czech Territorial Army. Adam Bro\u017e may also be described as a man on a mission at the moment. He holds the hugely prestigious title of \u2018brewmaster\u2019 at Budweiser Budvar, meaning he\u2019s currently tasked not only with ensuring the continuing standards and quality of the beer but doubling the brewery\u2019s capacity.<\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #3d3935;\">All Budweiser Budvar \u2013 whether can, bottle, draught or tank \u2013 is made here using the same ingredients, raw materials and attention to detail, process and tradition. But while the beer\u2019s strict 102-day brewing cycle and long, 90-day maturation in those giant tanks is great for its unique and unrivalled taste, it makes increasing the output and finding space on-site something of a challenge. Time is tight today, but it\u2019s a mark of how proud the brewery is of the tank beer heading to Britain that Adam is here to meet us in person and wave it goodbye.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd832e0a8b8d class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">&#8220;Budvar in a bottle or draught is beautiful, but with Budvar tank beer it\u2019s all the more amplified because it\u2019s unpasteurised. It\u2019s vivid, it\u2019s colourful, it\u2019s primary colours&#8230;we\u2019re thinking Andy Warhol in a glass here.&#8221;<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd832bda8b86 class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4957-e1510520208919.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4957-e1510520208919.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-The-hallowed-cellars-and-conditioning-tanks-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5047-e1510519071749.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5092-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5065-1219x812.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8332ea8b8e class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>irst we head down the stairs and into the icy chill of the brewery cellars. It\u2019s hard not to be excited as the lights flick on and flood the tunnels with light. This truly is where the magic happens. The massive cream-white tanks are stacked on each other stretching up to the roof, each filled with maturing beer.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n\u201cI think that, to try the tank beer, it\u2019s a kind of brewing education, because it\u2019s how the lager should taste.\u201d Says Adam as we walk. \u201cFresh lager is not something that has been available in the UK until very recently, but to us Czechs, it is the taste we know and love. And it\u2019s great to be able to share that.\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nDown one corridor of tanks we pause while Ales taps off a couple of pints. The beer pours like honey into the glasses, forming a thick, creamy head above a draught of molten gold. One gulp and I understand what Adrian Tierney Jones and Pete Brown were talking about. Even at half six in the morning, it tastes unbelievable. It\u2019s fresh, full of life and every element involved in its making \u2013 the whole-cone Saaz hops, the Moravian malts, the Ice Age water drawn from a subterranean well underneath our feet \u2013 is present, correct and beautifully balanced.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI tell them that I could happily stay here all day. Their smiles suggest that\u2019s probably wishful drinking. After all, I\u2019m also here to witness the next important stage, the process by which this wonder-beer leaves the brewery.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TANK GOODNESS: The story of fresh, unpasteurised Budvar tank beer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c9LAOjbF9LY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd834bea8b8f class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>As I follow Adam and Ales from the cellars, I spot clues: pipes run directly from the tanks upstairs and outside to the brewery\u2019s ground floor. We walk outside and cut around to a loading bay now bright with morning sun. A line of squat, square tanks stand by a smart lorry decked out with Tankov\u00e9 Pivo artwork on its flanks.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nMen in overalls hurry about moving pipes and resetting dials. Adam explains that within each tank is placed a new vacuum-sealed bag and that it\u2019s vital to remove all traces of oxygen before the beer is piped in. It\u2019s a process that ensures the beer doesn\u2019t come into contact with any air until it bursts from a bar pump and hits the glass in your local. \u201cThey have to hurry because the difference with tank beer is, of course, that it is unpasteurised.\u201d Says Adam.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe watch as the pipes leading out of the brewery cellars are connected and the filling begins. It seems like a good time to bring up the subject of pasteurisation \u2013 the \u2018long life\u2019 process famously invented by French scientist, Louis Pasteur, in 1864 and now standard across all food and drink industries. Adam walks me through the process, explaining that it is a type of flash heating that removes bacteria and live yeast from the beer, ridding it of anything that could damage the flavour and increasing its longevity. It\u2019s something that has allowed Budvar to become world-renowned for quality and taste, and one that enables people in 76 countries across the globe to enjoy what\u2019s only made right here on this spot. The trade-off comes in losing certain subtleties in the taste and aroma. In turn, this tank beer retains everything that\u2019s present in the cellars, but its shelf-life is much shorter. \u201cSo to keep the quality and freshness of tank beer it is necessary to go directly to the customers as quickly as possible. And in our case, this is by road.\u201d Says Adam.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHis words are a cue. With the transport tanks filled, a forklift deftly whips them into the back of the refrigerated lorry where they will be kept in closely monitored temperatures all the way to Britain. It\u2019s clear that Budvar gives the same care and dedication to delivering the beer in perfect condition as they do to brewing it.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8355ca8b90 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">&#8220;It\u2019s clear Budvar gives the same care and dedication to delivering the beer in perfect condition as they do to brewing it.&#8221;<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd83572a8b91 class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4847-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4847-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A4881-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5257-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5193-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-Drone-3-1219x643.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8363aa8b98 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>Once loaded up, the lorry driver, Milan, comes over to introduce himself, but there\u2019s no time for small talk. With a wave, he\u2019s up in the driver\u2019s seat, releasing the air brakes and pulling out of the brewery. I check my watch. It\u2019s a little after 8am. Bidding goodbye to Adam and Ales, we climb in the car and scramble to catch up.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe journey to the Czech border is picture-book stuff. South Bohemia\u2019s rolling greenery lies like a crumpled duvet as we speed off northeastwards cutting through Pisek and Plze\u0148, trying to keep track of the lorry ahead. Up through the mountains and forests we pass over into Germany and the pace instantly picks up. The autobahn\u2019s open motorways and minimal speed limits mean we are soon alongside the lorry and whizzing past the outskirts of Nuremberg.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnother 400km further, through wooded hills and farming flatlands, punctuated with the odd beautiful castle rising perfectly on the horizon, we pass by Frankfurt\u2019s city limits and into a sunset of epic colours. The road west is washed with pure gold. Then we get the call that Milan will soon be reaching his daily driving hours and a nine-hour stop is imminent. Between Frankfurt and Cologne, he pulls in and calls it a day. Road-weary, we do the same.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8367da8b9a class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">&#8220;There\u2019s no lie-in when the freshness of beer is at stake, so we\u2019re up and away again as soon as Milan\u2019s bodyclock has reset.&#8221;<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd83667a8b99 class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-Drone-4-1219x643.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-Drone-4-1219x643.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-Drone-1-1219x643.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5587-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5713-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A5540-1219x813.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd836bba8b9b class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>There\u2019s no lie-in when the freshness of beer is at stake, so we\u2019re up and away again as soon as Milan\u2019s bodyclock has reset. It\u2019s not long before we\u2019re rolling through Belgium, whipping our way towards France and the cross-channel ferry waiting for us at Dunkirk. As whistle-stop tours of Europe go it\u2019s a hell of a route, but there\u2019s no chance for sightseeing \u2013 or local beer tasting \u2013 on this trip. Whenever Milan pulls in for a break, he\u2019s straight down and checking the digital temperature readouts for the refrigeration data, showing me how it remains constant while slurping a strong coffee. Everything is down to fine timings and windows. No surprise when we pull onto the ferry terminal exactly when he said we would. To the minute, in fact.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIt\u2019s a beautiful afternoon to be on the sea. As we cross the English Channel, the sun glints off the water and we grab a rail on the ferry\u2019s deck to watch those iconic white cliffs of Dover hove into view. Then we\u2019re off again and heading north. When the evening sun begins to sink over the horizon it is England\u2019s fields and woods that are painted that beautiful Budvar gold this time.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1219\" height=\"812\" src=\"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-IMG_6447-e1510522720754-1219x812-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-IMG_6447-e1510522720754-1219x812-1.jpg 1219w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-IMG_6447-e1510522720754-1219x812-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-IMG_6447-e1510522720754-1219x812-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-IMG_6447-e1510522720754-1219x812-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1219px) 100vw, 1219px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd83701a8b9c class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>The next stop for this precious cargo is the newest site for Budvar tank beer in Britain \u2013 The Botanist in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne \u2013 which is where we catch up with it a few days later. The bar has taken delivery after working round the clock to install the mini replicas of the brewery cellar tanks to store the beer. Empty, these tanks are beautiful things to behold with their hand painted Budvar logo and proud Tankov\u00e9 Pivo stenciled in black beneath. Freshly filled with tank lager, they become even an more exciting prospect. They catch the eye straight away as we climb the stairs and push through The Botanist\u2019s main doors. There\u2019s already a buzz inside and I\u2019m reminded of something Paul Daly, owner of Zigfrid Von Underbelly bar in London \u2013 first stockists of Budvar tank beer in the UK \u2013 told me: \u201cBudvar is a cult liquid really, and when you have it in an installation like this, it becomes a cult experience.\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThey certainly look at home in The Botanist\u2019s eye-catching surroundings. Part-theatre, part-bar design heaven, the main space has a central bar wrapped around a tree that rises up into a spectacular, cathedral-like dome. Everywhere the d\u00e9cor is floral prints and cool, tool-shed-chic, featuring metal spiral staircases, mezzanines, a rooftop bar and little wooden hideaways to hunker down with this place\u2019s range of great dishes and amazing drinks. But even in this grand setting there\u2019s no doubt about the star of the show tonight. It\u2019s launch time, and it\u2019s going to get busy.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd8371ca8b9d class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">\u201cIt\u2019s still a lager,\u201d he says. \u201cBut what you\u2019re getting is an entirely different experience. The beer is not pasteurized which gives it much more vibrant flavour. You get to taste the elements of the malt a lot more clearly, as well as the elements of the hops.\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd83736a8b9e class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-ashw-budvaruk-12-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-ashw-budvaruk-12-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-ashw-budvaruk-8-1-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-image3-1219x914.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6883-e1510519039961-1219x628.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6871-1-1219x813.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd837bfa8ba5 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>Sam, one of the bartenders at The Botanist, has watched the entire install from start to finish and he slaps the white, ceramic pumps on the bar proudly. \u201cIt\u2019s great.\u201d He says. \u201cWe have so many real ale and craft beer fans coming in here to try stuff out and Budvar tank is definitely going to have a huge impression. I can\u2019t wait to get it flowing.\u201d He tips me a grin. \u201cPeople are going to love it.\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAs he pulls me a pint, I bump into Kieran Hartley, beer guru and font of all brewing knowledge at The Botanist\u2019s parent organisation, The New World Trading Company. He\u2019s already holding up a half-drunk glass, studying the beer with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s still a lager,\u201d he says. \u201cBut what you\u2019re getting is an entirely different experience. The beer is not pasteurized which gives it much more vibrant flavour. You get to taste the elements of the malt a lot more clearly, as well as the elements of the hops.\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI take a big draught from my glass. He\u2019s absolutely right. I\u2019m transported back to that moment in the cellars with Ales and Adam less than a week ago. It\u2019s unlike any lager I\u2019ve tasted before in England; the life, the crispness, the depth, the subtlety \u2013 it\u2019s all there. Kieran watches on and then sums it up perfectly. \u201cIt\u2019s outstanding isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1219\" height=\"914\" src=\"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-image2-1219x914.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-image2-1219x914.jpg 1219w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-image2-1219x914-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-image2-1219x914-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/budweiserbud.wpenginepowered.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2019\/11\/stories-tank-goodness-image2-1219x914-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1219px) 100vw, 1219px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd838a5a8ba6 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <p>Soon the bar fills up. Every Budvar tank beer tap is working overtime and a throng of excited drinkers is deep in discussion about flavour and taste. I spot Kieran hastily arranging a taste test at the bar, and Sam happily sampling one of his pours. A man in a hat confides to me that he\u2019s a real ale man at heart but even he is knocked out by Tankov\u00e9 Pivo. His wife agrees. \u201cI don\u2019t even like lager,\u201d she says with a guilty look. \u201cBut this is absolutely amazing. I think it might be my favourite drink now!\u201d<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nTalk about a road to Damascus moment. Then again, that\u2019s always been the point: if you can get the true taste of brewery-fresh Budvar to the people, the lager will do the talking and change a few minds in the process.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAmid the buzz and bustle, I take a fresh pint and stand by the painted tanks. This is beer that takes true dedication, from its brewing in the Czech Republic to its bringing to Britain. But when you see the reaction you know it\u2019s definitely worth it.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd838c0a8ba7 class=\"text-block text-block align\" style=\"background-color: \">\n  <h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c39f56;\">&#8220;This is beer that takes true dedication, from its brewing in the Czech Republic to its bringing to Britain. But when you see the reaction you know it\u2019s definitely worth it.&#8221;<\/span><\/h4>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div data-block_5dd838dea8ba8 class=\"gallery-images align\">\n\n<gallery-images gallery-images=\"[&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6921-1-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6921-1-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6769-1-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6835-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A6854-1219x813.jpg&quot;,&quot;https:\\\/\\\/budweiserbudvar.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/11\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/stories-tank-goodness-23A8284-1219x813.jpg&quot;]\" block-styles=\"{&quot;background-size&quot;:&quot;cover&quot;,&quot;background-repeat&quot;:&quot;no-repeat&quot;}\"><\/gallery-images>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tank Beer is piped directly from those vast, submarine-like conditioning tanks in the brewery cellars in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice into airtight, temperature-controlled mini-tanks, ready for transportation. It\u2019s then whisked across Europe to Britain as fast as humanly possible and decanted in a bar or pub into specially installed, hand-painted tanks that replicate those of the brewery cellar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3680,"template":"","categories":[1],"class_list":["post-4195","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beer"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>TANK GOODNESS - Budvar | UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/blog\/story\/tank-goodness-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TANK GOODNESS - Budvar | UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tank Beer is piped directly from those vast, submarine-like conditioning tanks in the brewery cellars in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice into airtight, temperature-controlled mini-tanks, ready for transportation. 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