From time immemorial, the burgers of Rakovník brewed two kinds of beer: white-wheat and red-barley. The wheat brand was pale and was called a white beer too. It had a body and sweetish taste. Thin beer was often brewed after this: more mash was left in the malt grist left over to give it a long fermentation and make a kind of weak beer, mainly dispensed to servants and the poor. Its production was prohibited after some time so that unscrupulous brewers were not tempted to “lighten” all brews. Beside the wheat beer, Rakovník burgers also brewed beer from barley, gave it a lot of hops, let it lager for a long time and called it barley ale, “red” beer or old ale. It felt light and had a bitter flavour; it was less filling but it “cleaned blood.” Both Rakovník brands were strong, full-bodied and inebriating, which earned them their excellent reputation.
