The Czech Republic is a sparkling country where rivers of beer flow. And this is not just a figure of speech: Czechs have been drinking beer since time immemorial and, in terms of consumption, today hold the world record with 160 liters per capita.
If beer in the Czech Republic is considered the national drink, the fame of Czech-made blondes (and more) is international. Who hasn’t heard of or tasted, appreciating it, a Pilsner or a Budweiser?
Czech Beer
But there is much more. In the sense that the types of beer produced in the country exceed 470 – light, dark, black, yeast, light, strong, flavored, etc. – but also in the sense that Czech beer is not simply a beverage. Beer in the Czech Republic does not just mean refreshment, conviviality, and gastronomy. Beer for Czechs is above all tradition, culture, and history. A truly ancient history. Documents preserved in the country’s museums trace hop cultivation back to 859 BC and its transformation into a beverage around the year 1000. It is no coincidence that beer is also called the “drink of kings,” because – although practically everyone produced it at home for personal use – it was King Wenceslas, in the 10th century, who granted the first rights for beer production and trade.
Thus, production moved from domestic to craft, and microbreweries and small breweries began to proliferate almost everywhere, which still characterize the country today and have also become a tourist attraction. Starting precisely from the Pilsner, born in 1842 from the experimentation of the Pilsen brewery – where since 1200 a dark and cloudy beer had already been produced – which invented the first lager beer, light and straw-colored, later “copied” by everyone inside and outside the Czech Republic. So much so that today Pilsner worldwide is synonymous with light beer.
Beer Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is synonymous with beer. Alongside the giants, whose production is renowned and appreciated abroad as well, a myriad of local producers, driven by competition to create always new recipes. Here is an incredibly rich menu of special beers (6% alcohol and above) and unique ones (with added herbs or fruit concentrates). There are even coffee, cherry beers and, during Advent, vanilla-flavored beers.
Traditional or innovative, light or dark, strong or light, Czech beer is considered above all good. This thanks to an ancient tradition, the skill of the brewers, and the quality of the raw materials, locally produced hops and barley.
Whichever you choose to order, around a mug of beer in the Czech Republic revolve always ancient rituals and modern experiments, delicious dishes, folk festivals, themed souvenirs (distinctive mugs, personalized coasters, etc.) but above all the lively world of typical pubs (hospoda), breweries, and microbreweries. Linking them all is a thread not even too thin, woven with strands of history, culture, taste, and folklore, which leads along the Beer Route.
How Beer is Served in Prague and the Czech Republic
Beer in the Czech Republic is served in half-liter glasses and if a smaller quantity is desired, it must be specified. Also, be careful about putting the empty mug on the table: a full one will automatically arrive! Not a big problem, especially because in this country of food lovers, beer is an accessible pleasure for everyone, with truly competitive prices.
Czech establishments rarely serve different beers: every brewery is a kind of temple where you taste a specific type of beer or at least a range of labels from the same producer. To find your way just look at the sign hanging at the entrance.
Usually, simply ordering “a beer” will bring the regular 10° beer to your table. To have a stronger one, just request it from the waiter.
In Czech breweries, orders are marked with a line: so, however small the slip of paper may be, there’s always room for plentiful consumption!
Each brewery designs its coaster in shape, design, and colors as if it were a business card that consumers often like to collect as a real souvenir.
During the summer season, beer festivals can be found throughout the Czech territory, organized by major brands but also by microbreweries with music, shows, competitions and, of course, barrels of beer.
An ever-growing number of beer enthusiasts and curious visitors annually feed a successful beer-themed tourist movement. So much so that the special brochure “Beer Travels” by the Czech National Tourism Board is dedicated to them, a handy guide full of itineraries and “bubbling” addresses across the entire national territory.
