Czech Republic Makes Beer With Gold + Encourages Beer Bathing

Recently we were amazed — and a little appalled — by the news of Rogue's plan to brew “beard beer.” Today we're just flabbergasted. A brewery in the town of Ostrava in the Czech Republic has released a video disclosing a beer it brews with actual gold. Re, named after the sun god of Egypt, is a golden lager — shocking that they went with that style — with a 5.1% abv. The karat is not indicated.

According to the brewer, the gold has no effect on the taste of the brew, which just substantiates the gimmicky nature of this product. “Gold is an inert metallic element, so it doesn't taste of anything,” says brewer Marek Pieton, “it also may have a good effect on health later.” How it improves health is unclear, but every leprechaun in town likely will be inebriated by the bottle-pot mix up.

Bathing in beer; Credit: Courtesy Zamek Zabreh

Around 500 bottles of the lager have been made, each with 0.018 grams of gold. The beer took 18 months to develop and is available only when commissioned. It arrives in a clear Champagne bottle, allowing the flecks of gold leaf to bedazzle all who may gaze upon it.

Interested in the outrageous indulgence? The shimmering bottles are especially effective to eyes of middle-class Americans who wish, for just a second, that we could dig an ermine coronation robe out of storage. But it's only available to “special clients” who are insinuated to be of royal standing. Any interested royal parties should heed this warning: Be sure to check the fine print for contracts involving the exchange of your first-born child to aptly named imps.

Despite the news circulating through ABC and the Huffington Post, the name of the brewery was not reported. With a little digging around and the help of Google Translate, we found a hotel and brewery called Zámek Zábřeh in Ostrava that appears to be responsible for the gilded elixir. After hours of research, we confirmed the identity of the brewery by seeing the name clearly photographed at the beginning of the video. When we saw other amenities offered, we knew for sure.

The hotel offers spa treatments including a dip in a bath of house-made beer. The addition of beer yeast and malt extract to the wooden tub “makes the skin and soul perfectly smooth and relaxed,” according to the website. At under $100 per couple including a massage, we haven't been this excited about bath time since our Cabbage Patch Kid got a bathrobe.

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