Oh, holy Wenceslaus!
Svatováclavský Speciál is a Czech lager brewed with whole leaf Saaz hops, which we hauled ourselves straight from the fields of Czech “hop mekka” – Žatec. Along with Saaz, we also used Sládek hop pellets from the same region. These two hop varieties lend the beer subtle spicy, woody, and herbal notes. On the Plato gravity scale, used not only to measure the sugar content of the wort but also to label and classify beers in Czechia, Svatováclavský Speciál comes in at 13 degrees. In Czech brewing terms, the magical threshold of 13° transforms a standard lager (ležák) into what’s officially known as a pivní speciál, or “special beer.” That means that this pivní speciál is just a little bit stronger, darker, and more bitter than an ordinary lager. But make no mistake, it’s still very much a pilsner!
Traditionally brewed in autumn, Svatováclavský Speciál is named in honor of Saint Wenceslas — Svatý Václav to the Czechs — the patron saint of beer, brewers, and, funnily enough, the Czech nation itself. There’s no precise definition of what Svatováclavský Speciál must be. The only expectation is that it should be something a little out of the ordinary. Well, this is how we see it!
