‘It was just an idea, just a dream’: Golem’s taproom brings beer culture to the island

When Michal Stourac joined the Cyprus homebrewers’ association in 2016 and participated in one of their first brewing competitions, he was a casual brewer who occasionally supplied his family with fresh beer. But he went and won all three categories in the competition.

“That was a sign for us that his beer was not only good for us, but perhaps other people would appreciate it too,” Ivona Rocarkova, who runs Golem Brewhouse with Michal, her husband, tells Cyprus Mail. “We had the idea of setting up a brewery in our minds for some time, but it was just an idea, just a dream.”

In 2021, however, a space opened up off a narrow street in Nicosia’s old town for Stourac and Rocarkova to set up a brewery, which eventually became Golem Brewhouse. In June this year, the couple opened Golem’s taproom, which features eight taps pouring its flagship Pilsner-style lager, award-winning stout, and India pale ale alongside a rotation of seasonal beers.

At the heart of Golem Brewhouse is its distinctly Czech identity, which permeates everything from the taproom’s beers and snacks to its architectural style. “We’ve always wanted to create a space that will bring the amazing Czech beer culture closer to Cyprus,” Stourac says.

For one thing, Golem’s beer is served in the “proper Czech way”: one-third foam and two-thirds beer in a clean chilled glass. Stourac explained that the foam seals the freshness of the beer by protecting it from oxygen. “Our beer – because it’s unpasteurised – has to be stored in cool temperatures at all times,” he said.

Beer culture is pervasive in the Czech Republic, which boasts the highest beer consumption per capita in the world. “It’s the way we treat beer, the way we store it, and the way we pour it,” Rocarkova said, explaining how the country has shaped Golem’s style and the “Czech element that we’re trying to bring here.”

Alongside a selection of beers, customers are able to order pub favourites like marinated brie and pickled sausage, which are found “in any pub in the Czech Republic,” Rocarkova added. “They match perfectly with beer because they’re greasy, and they are also a perfect basis for a few wines,” she added.

Even the taproom’s interior was designed by a Czech architect, with the dining space featuring a combination of minimalist lines and natural materials. “We hope our taproom will become a social hub where people gather to enjoy the best local products, socialise, and engage in conversation,” Rocarkova said.

Natural ingredients and a 100 per cent craft brewing process are also core to Golem’s mission of delivering high-quality Czech-style beer.

“Customers get the best product – a very healthy product because our beer is not pasteurised, and it’s not filtered, so it has all the nutritious ingredients,” he said.

Stourac added that Golem’s craft beers are richer in flavours and aromas than mass-produced commercial beers. “The main difference between supermarket beers and my beer is that it’s made in small quantities, which means I can experiment with the combination of grain, hops and other materials,” Stourac said. 

In a weeks-long brewing process, Stourac explained that sugar is first derived from grain that is mashed with hot water where starches are converted into sugars that yeast will later consume. The wort is then moved through the boiler through the grain bed. As the boiling stage commences, unwanted chemicals disappear, and the fermentation that follows takes approximately two weeks. With certain beers in Golem, extra beer hops are added later in the process, giving the beer even more aroma.

“The beer is always fresh,” Stourac said. “What allows us to have it fresh all the time is because we have small batches; we have to do it very often,” he said.

When I met the couple on the fourth anniversary of the brewery’s founding, they said the name “Golem” was inspired by the Jewish legend of the golem – the mythical figure formed from clay and brought to life to serve and protect a community. The name also happens to be Stourac’s long-time nickname, first given to him because it was the title of an album by a heavy metal band he used to listen to.

“But the name of the album is based on the same story,” Stourac said. “‘Golem’ has something to do with me, with Prague, and the Czech Republic as well, so it’s a nice connection,” he said.

Golem is a fitting metaphor for what the brewhouse is trying to achieve: something hand-formed, deeply rooted in culture and tradition, and given new life in a place far from where it began.

Follow Golem Brewhouse on Facebook and Instagram @golembrewhouse for updates and more information.