Lazy Monk Brewing
beermakers blend a local mission with old tradition
Cheri Dostal, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Monk Brewing is looking to recapture the taste
of his Eastern European heritage.
This drawing quite accurately portrays Leos Frank, the Slav Brewmaster at Lazy Monk Brewery. Leos hails originally from The Czech Republic, and now resides in Eau Claire with his wife, Theresa (a native), and their two children. He has a rich appreciation for the history and casual, social drinking culture in eastern Europe, where outdoor beer gardens satisfy the locals in nearly every small town, creating a meeting place for thirsty friends.
When I met Leos at the brewery, complete with locally produced tanks and boilers, he patiently taught me the process of how raw materials (mostly malts chosen directly from Germany as well as select hops and yeast) are turned into his favorite brew through milling, mashing, boiling, fermenting, and more. Quality and meticulous brewing is far more his focus than sales and mass production. He hopes to spread his passion and respect for traditional Czech beers here in Eau Claire, crafting bohemian pilsners and dark lagers primarily, as well as select seasonal brews coming in the future.
Leos started out with home brewing and entertaining friends in his backyard since he couldn’t find beers reminiscent of his favorites back home. This made him quite popular in his neighborhood; people liked his unique beer. So he started considering opening a brewery. He and his wife started this decidedly small business as a way to bring people together with a locally produced quality product. The brewery operates on their schedule, and, being fully self-funded, they can offer a product when it’s ready, with the exact quality it deserves. Leos states simply, “This is not about me. This is about beer. Good beer and having fun.”
They intend to focus their efforts on self-distributing their beers to Eau Claire establishments, then eventually offer large glass containers called growlers for sale by deposit at grocery stores. Growlers save on environmental impact by reducing waste and packaging, as well as decreasing the cost over time to the consumer. Once you pay your bottle deposit, you come back for refills and pay only for the beer. It’s a good business decision on his part, and a green one at that. And Leos doesn’t mind the extra washing it takes to make that happen. What a gentleman.
“This is not about me. This is about beer. Good beer and having fun.” – Leos Frank, co-owner and brewmaster of Lazy Monk Brewing
I gladly accepted a sample of Leos’s finest craft – his golden, slightly bubbly bohemian pilsner and the traditional dark lager. I noticed in the pilsner it is very drinkable and yet has enough complexity to make you pause. He says this style has a nice balance between the sweetness of the malts, and bitterness or crisp quality of the hops. Moving on to the dark lager, I was equally pleased. Smooth and rich, but not heavy or fancy. It feels like a good standby when you want deeper flavors without a lot of fuss.
As I neared the end of both glasses, Leos recommended that I combine the two. About one part lager and three parts pilsner flowed together into one tasty concoction. The flavors play nicely together, giving a balance of lightness and clarity, with some of the depth from the lager without being so serious. Light and fun, this might be my favorite sample of the evening. Now I have to see if a local bartender that has both on tap can recreate it for me. Or maybe I’ll just get a growler of each for at home. Both ideas sound promising.
Lazy Monk Brewery’s Bohemian Pilsner just hit the streets at local spots like The Firehouse, Amber Inn, and Coffee Grounds in Eau Claire, and Das Bierhaus in Menomonie. We know how Chippewa Vallians love their microbrew, so go get it.
Lazy Monk Brewery is located near Banbury Place at 320 Putnam St, Eau Claire. Visit them online at LazyMonkBrewing.com.
