The hop of the Žatec region and the KIRIN brewery
Katsunori Takahashi, the representative of the Director General of the Purchase Department, Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd.
It is a generally known fact that dr. Karel Osvald has done excellent work for Czech hop growing. We assume that the fact that you are going to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the birth of dr. Osvald is very important and that is why I should like to participate in the celebrations on behalf of the Kirin brewery.
Thanks to the success of dr. Osvald in the cultivation of various clones of Czech aromatic species, suitable for local geological and climatic conditions, the great success of the Czech hop industry has culminated. I should like to express my highest esteem to dr. Osvald as well as to other cultivators, growers and businessmen, who are constantly struggling for preservation of this species with the finest flavour.
Also for the Kirin brewery this aromatic hop is the decisive factor that is a presupposition of a good quality of its beer. We should never forget dr. Osvald who has produced this species and I should like to express, once again, our thanks for his results achieved.
As far as the history of Japanese brewing is concerned, the first brewery in Japan called "Spring Valley Brewery" was founded in 1870 by an American William Copeland, and our Kirin Brewery is its successor. Since then we have had a 92-year history. Throughout the whole existence of the company we have been continuously trying to keep our company at a level of good quality and in constant operation. That means that the slogans "quality is placed first" and "reliable management of the company" are our basic rules. We followed them throughout the whole time of our operation and, based on these principles, we produce beer of good quality and we try to keep the confidence of our Japanese customers. Especially our existing brand of Kirin Lager Beer has a 111-year history since the time when we started to produce it for the first time. To keep its traditional taste that, since its beginning, has a full, graceful bitterness, we put great attention to both the choice of good quality raw material and to each detail in the course of the process of beer production. Thanks to this fact this brand has been supported by Japanese consumers. Especially the hop is of a great importance, which is decisive for the final quality of beer and we believe that good beer can be brewed only from a good hop. It has to be said that the hop is the "soul of the beer".
Since the beginning we as the Kirin Brewery have known, that the hop from Žatec region belongs amongst very fine aromatic species and we have given it a priority before other species. Present analyses and laboratory evaluation say that the hop of Žatec region has remarkable quality characters. It has fresh and fine bitterness, aromatic character and these two factors have been mixed with a fine evenness. This valuable evenness has a big jump over other species and we are confirming again that we do appreciate this species highly and even for the future we shall not do without it. We know the present situation in the hop market, when the uneven offer and demand have forced the suppliers to decrease the amount of their production. However, the hop of Žatec region is an exceptional Czech product of the highest quality and we believe that its Czech producers will overcome their difficulties. The Kirin Brewery will go on in having long-term contracts in the future and to use the hop of the Žatec region. That is why we wish that you keep its supplies steady.
In the end we should like to honour once more the remarkable successes of dr .Osvald and to ask you to be as kind as to keep the good name of this traditional fine aromatic species of Žatec hop in the future.
