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Pete and his colleagues have a really great range of beers, wines , whisky and spirits. What makes them exceptional i...

Great local shop, very friendly staff and delicious drinks. Great selection of non-alcoholic beers as well

I had a great experience at this beer shop. My girlfriend and I came in looking for three beers as a gift for her fat...

Great selection and prices

Great bottle shop with just the nicest person at the shop! Very attentive and helpful. Definitely recommend checking ...

Best bottle shop in Edinburgh, great selection of beers and super helpful staff. My go to for sour beer.

A phenomenal selection of products that is perhaps only surpassed by how phenomenal their staff is - I went in lookin...

Great selection with friendly staff.

Absolutely superb selection and even better service. I was given great recommendations that suited my needs, and the ...

Dear owner my friend and his wife were there on holiday and found me a bottle of Blantons Gold I have been wanting a ...

Finest and greatest depth of beers for sale in Edinburgh. The owner is super knowledgeable and helpful. There was a c...

Can't believe I've failed to give a good review of this place before. I've been frequenting this place fo...

Una selección muy buena de cerveza. Nos atendió un chico muy amable detallandonos muy bien el producto a pesar de ser...

Popped in a few nights ago for some gifts. Great customer experience, they listened to what I was looking for and cam...

Spotted on my drive to my last customer, so glad I spotted it. By far one of the best bottle shops I've had the p...

The Beerhive is simply the best,very friendly knowledgeable staff,always have an extensive range of beers.🍻

Excellent selection, very kind and knowledgeable co-owner! Thank you, I walked out with 8 exceptional bottles of wine!

Great guys, amazing selection and super knowledgeable! The best.

Our local bottle shop!Absolutely top service everytime we go in! Team are always so friendly and knowledgeable.Always...

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Great little beer and wine place

Huge selection of quality beers and an execllent local delivery service. I ordered on Thursday night and had the beer...

Been buying beer from Peter and Richard for nearly 8 years now. Definitely the best beer shop in town.

Excellent selection across a broad range of price points and styles and thats just the wine. The Beerhive has been ah...

excellent wee shop with great staff and wonderful selection - lots of stuff that isn't beer too, picked up a few ...

Awesome bottle shop. Totally out of my way but I will return many times

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Great selection and service with a smile! I was really pleased with their delivery options and frequency. I am cancel...

An obviously great passion project bottle shop which I'm embarrassed it took me so long to visit. Great selection...

Great place for exciting craft beers with an excellent wine selection as well. The staff are knowledgeable and friend...

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Podkovan Dark Lager

Name: Podkovan Dark Lager
Brand: Podkovan
SKU: 5065027468016
Price: 3.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

£3.00

Sale Sold out

Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Producer Podkovan

Country Czech Republic

Region Central Bohemia

Explore Further

Czech Dark Beer Lager

This Pairs With:

Fish & Chips Szechuan Food Summer Drinking Pork Pizza

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Quantity

Don’t forget your bottle opener!

Edinburgh and UK Shipping

✓ Carefully packed by our team in Edinburgh

✓ Free local delivery in Edinburgh and
Falkirk for orders over £35

✓ Free UK delivery over £90

✓ Click & Collect available

✓ Shipping to Northern Ireland and Scottish Isles available on request: orders@thebeerhive.co.uk

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More About Podkovan Dark Lager

A proper Czech dark lager from Podkováň, brewed using the same traditional approach as their pale lager. Roasted malts give it a deep colour and plenty of character, while around 40 days of slow maturation and the brewery's natural spring water keep the beer smooth and balanced. At 4.8%, it's full-flavoured without being heavy.

Meet the Producer, Podkovan

Podkovan

Style: Brewery

Podkováň Brewery is a historic Czech brewery in the small village of Kováň, in Central Bohemia, with brewing traditions stretching back more than six centuries. The brewery traces its origins to 1434, when brewing was established by monks, and the site has remained associated with beer production through successive generations. The name Podkováň comes from its home village, while the brewery's long history places it firmly within the tradition of Bohemian lager brewing. Today, the brewery combines this remarkable heritage with a newly modernised production facility, allowing it to make traditional Czech lager on a much larger scale while retaining the methods that define its beers.

One of Podkováň's most distinctive features is its water source. The brewery draws water from a unique underground spring approximately 300 metres below the brewery, a naturally protected source that has been used as part of its brewing operation for generations. The water is exceptionally pure and is officially classified in the Czech Republic as "children's water". For a beer style as dependent on the quality and mineral character of its brewing water as Czech lager, this is an important part of Podkováň's identity. The brewery sits in a valley surrounded by the countryside of Central Bohemia, where naturally cool conditions have traditionally been well suited to slow lager fermentation and maturation.

Podkováň remains committed to traditional open fermentation, using open vessels rather than relying exclusively on modern closed fermentation tanks. This is an increasingly uncommon approach in an industry where efficiency and automation have become the norm, and the brewery believes that it contributes to the distinctive aroma, texture and character of its lagers. Fermentation is followed by an unusually long maturation period of around 40 days at low temperatures, allowing the beer to develop gradually rather than being rushed onto the market. The brewing process is overseen by head brewer Mr. Červený, who has more than 25 years of experience in the Czech brewing industry and combines traditional brewing knowledge with modern technical expertise.

The brewery's beers are rooted firmly in the classic Czech lager tradition. Its 4.8% Classic Lager is golden, clean and smooth, balancing fresh malt character with the gentle bitterness and floral, herbal qualities associated with Bohemian hops. The Dark Lager takes the same underlying approach in a richer direction, using roasted malts to bring notes of caramel, chocolate and coffee alongside a fuller body and smooth finish. The brewery also produces lighter and stronger versions of its beers for the domestic market, but the central philosophy remains consistent: straightforward ingredients, traditional fermentation, patient maturation and a focus on drinkability rather than unnecessary embellishment.

What makes Podkováň particularly interesting today is the way it is attempting to modernise without abandoning its heritage. Since 2023, the brewery has invested heavily in upgrading its facilities and production technology, giving it the capacity to produce at a much larger scale while continuing to use open fermentation and extended lagering. The historic brewery has therefore entered a new chapter, bringing a brewing tradition that began in the fifteenth century into a modern export market. For drinkers, the appeal is relatively simple: Podkováň offers a genuine taste of traditional Bohemian lager, built around exceptionally pure spring water, Czech brewing methods and a patient approach to maturation, but produced with the consistency and scale required to bring it well beyond its small Central Bohemian home.