B.B. Burgerbrau, a famous beer of Budweis, is new to the U.S. market.

Classic Beverages LLC of Darien, CT is now importing B.B. Burgerbrau, a beer from Ceske, Budejovice in the Czech Republic. The beer is of some interest to U.S. consumers, since it is often considered one of the original "Budweisers."

Ceske, Budejovice is well-known as a brewing city, and is also the hometown of the celebrated Budvar.

Throughout the 19th Century and up until 1918, this half-German, half-Czech city was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was officially known by its German name "Budweis." When the Czechs declared their independence in 1918, they officially changed the name to Ceske, Budejovice--"Ceske," meaning "Czech." (At the same time, the city of "Saaz" became " atec," "Pilsen" became "Plzen," and more famously, the capitol "Prague" was changed to "Praha").

B.B. Burgerbrau was first brewed in 1802 when it was called "Budweiser Burgerbrau." The Burgerbrau name literally means "Beer of the City's Residents." It was exported to the United States and throughout Europe in the 19th Century, and drew such acclaim that numerous breweries adopted "Budweiser" to describe a style of beer and tried to emulate the taste, quality and brewing process of Burgerbrau. As a further testament to its quality and reputation, B.B. Burgerbrau was named as the official court supplier to the Wurttenburg's King Wilhelm II in 1895.

After the liberation of Czechoslovakia from Nazi rule in 1945, the unpopularity of things Germanic led to a suspension of the Burgerbrau trademark. The brewery instead made brands like "Samson" and "Crystal" which are still brewed today.

In 1989, the new Czech democratic government reinstated the brewery's domestic right to use the "Budweiser Bier" and "B.B. Burgerbrau" trademarks.

B.B. Burgerbrau was re-introduced in the late 1990s and is brewed today in the same brewhouse with the same recipe, ingredients and brewing methods from the 1800s.

"The beer from the City of Budweis is considered to be the finest brewed beer in the world," reports Rob Neuner of Classic Beverages, "and B.B. Burgerbrau is the original standard bearer."

"The city of Budejovice evokes in the minds of beer drinkers throughout the world images of the finest beers in the world--much the same way as the Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy regions of France evoke images of the finest wines in the world," added Neuner. "B.B. Burgerbrau is a full bodied, world-class European lager that is brewed in small batches with greatly extended lagering periods. It is distinct from all American macrobrews."

Similar to wine apellations, the European Union recently bestowed its rare Protected Geographic Indication to the Brewery for the term "Budejovicke Pivo" ("Beer from Budweis City") affirming that the superior quality of its beer is inextricably tied to the region where it is produced.

B.B. Burgerbrau will be initially available in New York, Illinois and seven other states in 12-oz Six Packs, 16.9-oz bottles.

Mr. Neuner reports that 15.5 gallon kegs will also be available on a limited basis in select bars and restaurants.