What a great time I had in the Czech republic last week. We left Ireland just as it started to rain again and arrived a few hours later to some lovely warm weather. We met VelkyAl at the designated tram stop and walked to a nearby little bar called Zlý Časy down in a basement. At first it looks like a dive but when you get in and see all the beers on tap and in bottles you know you have found somewhere special.
I was introduced to my first Rauchbier. Also I had my first Czech food and I have to say I enjoyed it. I have been to Prague many times but never had real Czech food except for some fried cheese (will not even attempt to spell it in Czech. I also had another beer before this and it was lovely. If I remember correctly it was about 7% or so and had a nice but not overpowering sweetness. I do not remember the name as I had no notebook and since the name is Czech I can not remember it. We had three beers there over lunch and the VelkyAl had to go back to work. An blogger from Argentina (lives in Prague now) was there and we were talking to him for a bit, I may have had another beer then.
Later on after we got in to VelkyAls flat and were waiting for him and his wife to get back from work, I went for a walk to see what was in the area. The first thing I discovered was I recognised it and found myself walking in the direction of oldtown square. I passed a number of bars all advertising Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen until I cam across one with a name I can not remember of course but it had Koala the name (Tlustá Koala according to google). I had to stop as on their menu they listed a couple of beers I had not heard of. One was Kocour, Nice and simple as it looks to be an englsh word. It was anything but, I think I probounced it Ko Chur or something like that, It said cat brewery on the menu outside so I tried to explain this to the Czech barman wearing a Jameson T-shirt but in the end he gave me a menu and I pointed to it. It turned out to be an IPA one of my favourite styles of beer.
Going only from memory, this was a very pleasing IPA. Perhaps not as hoppy as many an IPA I have had in the US but a very refreshing beer from a country that is renowned for its Pilsner. I later found out that they also do the Rauchbier I had earlier. Two excelent beers from a new brewery with a funky cat logo. Could be the Czech version of brewdog.
The bar I was in had 4 Staropramens on tap, news to me as I had always thought there was only one but on thinking about it, that is rubblish as even Guinness has different versions and different beers they brew. I did not try any but pointed out the other beer I did not recognise which was a stout of all things. It was called simply Kelt. I love my stouts and this was respectable in its own way but not a patch on any Irish stout. I would find out later that the Czechs can make a good stout though. Actually I would recommend this bar to anyone visting Prague, it has a nice Irish or English pub feel to it and has a few interesting beers too. There is a restaurant too and while I did not try the food, something tells me it is pretty good.
I then kept walking around the corner (I was going for a circular route back to the flat) and found myself at the concert hall with a gothic tower and arch beside it so I was only 5 minutes walk from Oldtown square and I continued on past the old charming train station I had used to go to Dresden years ago and back to the flat.
Later that evening we went out to meet one of Als friends at Budvarka and I sampled a number of styles of Budvar including the wonderful dark. At this point I got a little tipsy so was not in full control of what I was saying. We had some homebrew when we got back to the flat (pretty sure it was that night) and then I went to sleep. I do remember I enjoyed Als EDM but the Limelight was a little watery (the second batch was much better).
So after my first night in Prague I have a respect for Czech beer that did not exist before (except Budvar). I look forward to more Kocour at some point in the future. I made sure not to drink so much without water and pacing myself as I could not get out of bed the next day till noon. I did not have a bad head so much as I was exhausted and had a delicate stomach.
I was introduced to my first Rauchbier. Also I had my first Czech food and I have to say I enjoyed it. I have been to Prague many times but never had real Czech food except for some fried cheese (will not even attempt to spell it in Czech. I also had another beer before this and it was lovely. If I remember correctly it was about 7% or so and had a nice but not overpowering sweetness. I do not remember the name as I had no notebook and since the name is Czech I can not remember it. We had three beers there over lunch and the VelkyAl had to go back to work. An blogger from Argentina (lives in Prague now) was there and we were talking to him for a bit, I may have had another beer then.
Later on after we got in to VelkyAls flat and were waiting for him and his wife to get back from work, I went for a walk to see what was in the area. The first thing I discovered was I recognised it and found myself walking in the direction of oldtown square. I passed a number of bars all advertising Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen until I cam across one with a name I can not remember of course but it had Koala the name (Tlustá Koala according to google). I had to stop as on their menu they listed a couple of beers I had not heard of. One was Kocour, Nice and simple as it looks to be an englsh word. It was anything but, I think I probounced it Ko Chur or something like that, It said cat brewery on the menu outside so I tried to explain this to the Czech barman wearing a Jameson T-shirt but in the end he gave me a menu and I pointed to it. It turned out to be an IPA one of my favourite styles of beer.
Going only from memory, this was a very pleasing IPA. Perhaps not as hoppy as many an IPA I have had in the US but a very refreshing beer from a country that is renowned for its Pilsner. I later found out that they also do the Rauchbier I had earlier. Two excelent beers from a new brewery with a funky cat logo. Could be the Czech version of brewdog.
The bar I was in had 4 Staropramens on tap, news to me as I had always thought there was only one but on thinking about it, that is rubblish as even Guinness has different versions and different beers they brew. I did not try any but pointed out the other beer I did not recognise which was a stout of all things. It was called simply Kelt. I love my stouts and this was respectable in its own way but not a patch on any Irish stout. I would find out later that the Czechs can make a good stout though. Actually I would recommend this bar to anyone visting Prague, it has a nice Irish or English pub feel to it and has a few interesting beers too. There is a restaurant too and while I did not try the food, something tells me it is pretty good.
I then kept walking around the corner (I was going for a circular route back to the flat) and found myself at the concert hall with a gothic tower and arch beside it so I was only 5 minutes walk from Oldtown square and I continued on past the old charming train station I had used to go to Dresden years ago and back to the flat.
Later that evening we went out to meet one of Als friends at Budvarka and I sampled a number of styles of Budvar including the wonderful dark. At this point I got a little tipsy so was not in full control of what I was saying. We had some homebrew when we got back to the flat (pretty sure it was that night) and then I went to sleep. I do remember I enjoyed Als EDM but the Limelight was a little watery (the second batch was much better).
So after my first night in Prague I have a respect for Czech beer that did not exist before (except Budvar). I look forward to more Kocour at some point in the future. I made sure not to drink so much without water and pacing myself as I could not get out of bed the next day till noon. I did not have a bad head so much as I was exhausted and had a delicate stomach.
It really is such a shame that the majority of Czech beer available beyond the Czech border is the mass-produced corporate swill. If only more people would import stuff from Primator, Svijany, Kocour or even Cerna Hora, there would be many more happy beer drinkers.
ReplyDeleteIn the Irish context, how about lobbying The Czech Inn for a wider range of proper Czech beers?
Actually I have never been in the Czech inn, did you go when you were over here? I might meet thebeernut this weekend so might pop in and take a look.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't go while we were there - would seem rather pointless to visit Dublin from Prague and go to a Czech theme pub - bit like going to an Irish bar in Prague.
ReplyDeleteThere were not good Irish pubs in Prague that I could see. Mrs Saruman always told me about one she liked called Molly Malone but she was never able to find it when we went looking for it years ago.
ReplyDeleteI will check out the Czech inn but I doubt it has anything more than staropramen etc. If I am lucky they will have some Budvar and maybe even different styles of it but I doubt that.
pronounced Ko-Sewer.
ReplyDeleteGood to know thanks.
ReplyDelete