i have heard that the czech are very proud of their beer. I am going there this summer, and I am not a big beer drinker. For those non-beer drinkers, is it actually any better in the czech republic (or austria where we will be too)? I already have invites from some czech friends to go to some pubs, and I definitely want to partake in trying this national beverage. Thanks.

Beer is a national drink in a lot of Central Europe, and I'd say it is better than the average mass-market stuff you get in the US. However, by better, I mean more flavor, and, with the Czech pilsner style, often somewhat more bitter. Try it (it's cheap anyway), but you may or may not like it. If you don't like it, whatever you do drink will most likely be available, anyway.

I'm not a big beer drinker, I prefer wine, but when in Rome... (and I do prefer beer with certain cuisines, like Mexican). Yes, they make good beer in the CR. Never heard that Austria was especially known for its beer, though. However, is it better than what? I generally drink imported beer when I do, in the US, however, and I don't think it's any better than what I usually drink (which is Mexican beer or British ale, usually). I'm sure it is a lot better than US beer, which I can't stand myself.

To my taste, the beer that you will get in the Czech Republic and neighboring countries is far better than the American mass brands. I rarely drink beer here. In Prague, I had beer with almost every lunch and dinner. They are proud of their brew and for good reason. In Austria I tended toward the local wines, especially the new wines at wine gardens.

Yeah, Austria is kind of the exception for that area, maybe it's because it's more southerly & easterly (I think it's too far south to grow hops, actually). But the whole Belgium-Netherlands-Germany-Czech-Slovak swath is pretty much beer country. It's different from Mexican beer & British ale, though I'd say on about the same plane of goodness (so are some US small breweries, for that matter).

Thanks for the replies.

If you don;t like beer at all - drink something else - you can get what ever you want and no one will be offended.

Czech beer is more like other european lagers (not like most mass american beers - which are sort of like tasteless dishwater). If you like the latter you will probably find many european lagers to be too heavy and have too much flavor.

I was in London a couple years ago and had a Chek beer called Star oPromon...something like that. Have you heard of it. It was the best beer I have ever had.
I used to be a Coors person but now only drink red wine. When we go to Prague this fall, I want to find this beer if it is still made...first have to find the exact name!

Austria has excellent beers, most are far better than what you get in Germany. Gosser (especially if you go to Gosser Bierlink in Vienna) is excellent; they make many differing styles. Fischerbrau is another good one. If you go to Vienna, go to Gasthaus Hansy near the Prater and try one of their brews. Edelweiss is another excellent beer as well. Your Czech friends will steer you in the right direction in their home country, many local brews are found there too. If you don't care too much about beer in Austria, try some of their top-grade wines...I recommend a little Gruner Veltliner or some Blaufrankisch. Enjoy!

We spent a couple of weeks in Czech and I returned a beer drinker. It's amazing beer. I don't remember having choices other than brown or light and I always had brown. It seemed like every bar or restaurant served two beers from one brewery. We loved all of them!

I'm not a beer drinker here in the U.S. but the beer in the Czech Rep. is exceptional.

The Czech beer beginning Star... is Staropramen. They have a brewery in Prague (near Andel metro stop) which you can tour, actually. I think they are the largest brewery in the CR.

This is their URL
www.staropramen.cz

although that site isn't working for me right now, this one is the same thing and easier to understand

iglo.lundegaard.cz/staropramen_new/centrum/eng/kontakty.html

Budweiser the real Czech version, not the crappy American kind.

DH likes Pilsner Urquell and says it's one of the best. If you want to try the Czech version of Budweiser ask for Budvar.

The Czech Budweiser is not a "Czech version" of the American brew. It is the other way around. The American Budweiser is a pale imitation of the original Budweiser brewed in the town of Budejovice, aka Budweis, going back to the 13th - 14th century and renowned as one of the finest beers anywhere. Anheuser Busch bought the rights to the trademark in the US around the time of WW II and has since been suing the original Budweiser (meaning "from Budweis)around the world to use the name. In most places, Anheuser Busch lost.

Well aware that A-B has been trying to 'steal' the name for some time. However, the packaging & name are very similar. Better if I'd have said the real/original version I guess.

Austria has excellent beer! To suggest that Austria doesn't have decent beer is odd, to say the least. Whenever I'm in Austria--and we'll be there again next week--I count myself lucky to be in a country that produces terrific wine AND beer.

Well said, it surely is at par with our Bavarian beers! But personally I dislike the Viennese Ottakringer beers.

Austria does have great beers, but in Austria I stick with the new wines when I can get them since I can't get them elsewhere.

Glad to see that others know about the excellent Austrian beers and wines. I agree that the basic Ottakringer is nothing special, however, they make a killer dark Helles. Wieselburger is very good too, as is Murauerbier.