Favorite Czech Beer.....
 

First stop...Czech Republic.

I know most of the beers are good.

Any favorites out there?

STAROPRAMEN
It's very good and is served all over Europe.

http://www.staropramen.com/

this could take a while.
There are no bad beers in the Czech republic just some that are better than others and some that will live with you forever,try as many as you can
I am not going to knock Staroprammen as I very much like it but I do find it a bit sweet compared to other Czech beers.
several years ago I had a session in the Staroprammen Brewery bar where we went through the whole range,a most pleasnat way to spend an afternoon.
If you are in Prague you will find Pilsber Urquell to be the most widely available beer,but there are some other great ones around.
Most beers have several versions but the Golden beers are the most popular and dark beers still widely avaiable.
some of the one you will see will be
Pilsner Urquell,Gambrinus,Budvar (the real Budweiser)Kozel,Herold,Krosovice,Bernard and Staroprammen.
there will be lots of others but they will be available away from the main tourist places.
I was at the Prague Beer festival in May this year trying lots of local craft beers that have a very limited distribution but were wonderful.Yes I am going back next year.
http://www.ceskypivnifestival.cz/en/...al-tents.shtml
this is my trip report.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-285749-2.cfm
There is a chap that does a wonderful beer blog and it is well worth reading it for some great info.
http://www.pivni-filosof.com/
There are also many wonderful beer halls in Prague as well as several micro breweries that do some tasty beer,my favourite is the St Norberts Amber beer from the Klasterni Pivovar.
http://www.klasterni-pivovar.cz/en/
the Oldgott (X-beer) from U Medvidku is also very nice and you can sit only feet away from where the stuff is brewed.
http://www.umedvidku.cz/
This list will give you some great beerhalls ,pubs and micro breweries to try in Prague.
http://www.classiccitybrew.com/prague.html
Now if you are visiting Plzen or have a free day make a trip to the brewery there,this is where Golden beer or lager as we know it was invented ,well worth the trip.There is also a lovely Brewing museum in the town.
http://www.prazdroj.cz/en/come-and-v...y/brewery-tour
Hope this isn't information overload,but as you can see I have a slight passion about Czech beer,BTW I am not much of a beer drinker but much more of a Malt Whisky enthusiast.

Urquell - is that how you spell it?

Urquell is the correct spelling,I think I put a b in my ealier version (Typo),but it is truelly wonderful stuff.

It's all good but I really like the darker beers more than the lagers. The brewery by the Strahov Monastery has a good example and is worth a visit - Klasterni mentioned by unclegus above.

BTW the Klasterini Pivovar does great food too,not the cheapest place in the city but not expensive either.
I was always a Golden beer participant when in the czech republic with the occasional diversion to othere,but after sampling some great darker beers at the Beer festival I am enjoying thiose just as much and will be looking out for them much more.

Staropraman

Unclegus do you know the name of the Kozel dark beer? I've seen Wetherspoons are serving bottles of their lager but the dark beer was what really stood out when in Prague, like a sweeter much lighter Guiness.

Still love Budvar. I remember when it was first imported here back in the mid 90's wondering where it had been all my life and so much easier to say than Staroprammen after a few.

It is called Kozel cerney
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/448/16273
as oppoaed to Kozel Svetly which is the light version.
i was in the brewery a couple of years ago and a great tour it was too,still have my t-shrt from there But bought a very nice Kozel polo shirt from the shop in U Medvidku on my last trip.
The Budvar in U Medvidku is superb,it is one of the few pubs that are able to serve the unpasturised beer as they have to be able to sell at least 1000ltr per day.
U Medvidku is usually my first stop when in the city.

this thread has had a terrible effect on me.
It is just after 3.00pm here and I have opened and am enjoying a bottle of Budvar.
I made add that I am on holiday from work and spending a few days doing chores about the house,so I think I have earned my beer today.

I drink wine but friends love Karlovachco

sorry I guess that is actually from Croatia

Budvar and Urquell - preferably drinking it in Prague.

>The Budvar in U Medvidku is superb,it is one of the few pubs that are able to serve the unpasturised beer as they have to be able to sell at least 1000ltr per day.<

I've had the pleasure of drinking it there it's damn good. Didn't really get a decent pint of Gambrinus anywhere but to be fair usually went for the Budvar or Urquell. Had the Kozel in a wee local pub beside Cyril and Methodius cathedral. I think they charged 19kr at the time. Prague is definitely calling.

I stayed not far from St Cyril and Methodius on my last trip. The Svejk bar
http://www.svejk-restaurant.cz/en/
i went into several times served a great glass of Gambrinus they also did Kozel dark and even Gambrinus and Kozel dark mixed together,not an unpleasant experience.

Sounds lovely. We had apartments just across the road from the Fred and Ginger building. Great views from the balcony over the river. Wonderful place.

The best Czech beer I had was at the pub in the Eggenberg Brewery in Cesky Krumlov. It was a cold rainy afternoon and the regulars had settled in to watch a Czech team play football. It was a very local European experience made all the better by the tasty beer and the cheap price. Cesky Krumlov is a town worth visiting for its unspoiled medieval center- right out of a fairy tale.

They are all good, but Urquell is my favourite: hoppy and lots of fruit for body and taste.

If you are in Prague, walk up the hill from Mala Strana area to the Bellavista restaurant that has a patio with a magnificent view of Prague. If it is warm outside, sit at an outdoor table, enjoy the spectacular view and purchase a Dark Urquell Draft. It may not be heaven, but it's damned close!

((H))

Well I've made it to Prague (just got in last night). So far I have had Pilsner Urquell and a darker beer named Krusovice.

The Pilsner Urquell botle tasted very similar to the Pilsner Urquell we buy in the states. The Pilner Urquell on tap was fabulous!!

It's too early to call a winner yet. I have much more tasting to do!! :)

Thanks mait! I will check it out today!

"It's too early to call a winner yet. I have much more tasting to do!! "

I know it's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Stay thirsty!

((H))

Yes mait!! The things I do for my fellow man!

You must be so happy to finally be in Prague!!! I am JEALOUS!!! I still look at our photos and pretend we are still there.

Hope you have great sightseeing weather.

I wish I knew about the Bellavista when we were there.

Can't wait to read your trip report!
Karen

Thanks, Kwoo! I see what you mean about meat, potato dumplings, more dumplings, etc.

Mait...made it up to the monastery for a Pilner Urquell dark and great view! Thanks for that tip.

I also continued on to Klasterni Pivovar for some St Norberts Amber!! Great, great stuff!!

I think I have a winner!!!!

Kozel Black Beer is incredible!!!!!!

Just an absolutely great beer. Black like Guinness Stout but a mild, smoothe flavor without the coffee flavor of Guinness.

After this evening, I have drank more Kozel Black than Pilsner Urquell!! I wouldn't have bet on that one!

Masterphil, you're killing me. Email me some pivo!!!!!!!!

((H))

hahaha or is that Pra ha ha ha

KOZEL! We drank it with every meal. YUMMM

sounds like you are having a great time,I think we should be giving you a target of at least 10 different beers to try.
how long have you got left there?
If you get a chance try getting to the starippramen brewery bar it is just a short walk from Andel metro station,and the 6,12,&14 tram stops right outside it,might be able to try several in one session there.

Sorry unclegus...it's now time to play, what's your favorite Viennese beer!

well it has been quite a few years since I was in Vienna and i did not drink much beer then as i was married to a wife who though 2 beers a day on holiday was more than enough (we are no longered married).
i was in Austria on a walking holiday a couple of years ago and the beers i remeber trying were Stiegl and Kaiser beer, both of which were ok,I have a great photo of myself having a Stiegl on the viewing platform of the Grossglockner glacier.
we also went to a micro brewery in Innsbruck Theresien Brue and drank Wiesburger,the only reason i can remember this is that again i had a photo taken of me drinking the beer and in the background is a blackboard with all the details on it.
So in answer to you question,I an in no position to judge Vienesse beer but Weiseburger from the Theresin Brue was my favourite of my limited tasting of Austrian beer.
One little story of my Autriam trip.
we were staying in Kitzbhul and the pub we frequented had several of us doing this crazy drinks race.( I was with a party of 20 hikers from the UK)
shot of jurgermieseter,shot of schnapps and a 330 ml glass of beer (don't remember which type) all to be drunk sequentially and as fast as possible,I got to round 3 before deciding sobriety was the better part of valour and the fact that i had to be uo at 6.00am to get out to the start of a walk.

My favorite? Whatever was on tap at the Mom & Pop restaurant we happened to be eating in that night. If they had two different beers, I was forced to sample them both. Try them all!

The coasters make cute souvenirs by the way.

Cheers, the turnip

Hands down, Krusovice.

Hmmmm. Prague Beer Festival. Too bad I didn't hear about that when I was 20. But then, the Russkies might not have understood my interest.

Tomboy,the beer festival only started out 2 years ago,I went to the second one.From what i heard the first one was a near disaster but saved by some expat giving advice and help.
This year's one was the second ever and it was great fun,huge tents( seating upto 1500 people) with up to 12 different beers in each one,great food and some fun entertainment.
Already booked for next year.