The Czech Republic and beer will be forever intertwined, and any ranking of the world’s finest brews would be incomplete without a Czech representation.
Writing for UK tabloid The Sun, Matthew Hampton checks off that box on his list of the world’s top beers with what might seem like an unusual selection: Pivovar Matuška’s speciální světlé (special light) pilsner.
“Matuška, halfway between Prague and Plzeň, is a small producer of IPAs, weissbeers, American-style ales and more,” writes Hampton.
“Speciální světlé is their take on the classic Czech pilsner – a mild, malty lager best served cold. Try it in Matuska’s home town of Broumy or one of its two UK outlets.”
The speciální světlé has an 8.0 rating from the beer enthusiasts at popular Czech site Pivníci.cz, which is solid but a far cry from their top-ranked brews. A number of Matuška’s other beers, including their Raptor, Bad Flash, and Apollo Galaxy, all score higher.
The brewery’s beers are frequently available at pubs and restaurants throughout Prague, especially those that specialize in microbrews like Beer Geek and Maso a Kobliha. A full list can be found on Matuška’s website.
What are the world’s other top beers?
Hampton includes a pair of UK pints (Meantime India Pale Ale and Dark Star Espresso), two brews from the states (New Belgium Fat Tire Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) and beers from Germany (Crew Republic Session IPA), Belgium (Chimay Red), France (Galibier L’Alpine Blonde), Japan (Hitachino Nest Classic Ale) and Australia (Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale) in his unranked compilation.