The Kingdom of Bohemia may exist only in history books, but its spirit lives on whenever old and new world traditions are combined to produce exciting styles and flavors. Five centuries ago, as the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance, the Kingdom straddled both eras, and since that time, its fashion, music, architecture, art, politics and philosophy have always blended the past and future to show the magical potential of the present. Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) gave us Art Nouveau, Mozart, Kafka, gypsies, and the Velvet Revolution.
Oh, and BEER. For centuries, the Kingdom was not just the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor. It was also Europe’s master brewer. In many Bohemian towns, brewing contributed more than 80% of municipal revenue, and Czechs today consume more beer per capita than any other nation. It is the birthplace of Pilsner, and it continues to produce many of the world’s best lagers.
On the US West Coast, beer drinkers have not suffered in recent years from lack of beer variety, with new breweries cropping up frequently. But while the craft beer movement has yielded a ‘renaissance’ for connoisseurs of aggressive ales (such as IPAs, stouts, quads), is is seemingly stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to the crisp pilsner styles that were the local favorites we encountered in Central Europe. So we set out on a mission, to establish a new sort of ‘Bohemia’. Santa Cruz already has the ideal bohemian lifestyle and culture. Now it will have a beer that is fit for a kingdom, perched at the dawn of a new age.
