È un paese spumeggiante la Repubblica Ceca, dove scorrono fiumi di birra. E non è un modo di dire: i cechi bevono birra da tempo immemore e, quanto a consumi, oggi detengono il primato mondiale con 160 litri pro capite.
Se la birra in Repubblica Ceca è considerata la bevanda nazionale, la fama delle bionde (e non solo) di produzione ceca è invece internazionale. Chi non ha mai sentito parlare o bevuto, apprezzandola, una Pilsner o una Budweiser?
Czech Beer
But there is much more. In the sense that the types of beer produced in the country are over 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 the Czechs is above all tradition, culture, and history. A really ancient history. Documents preserved in the country’s museums date 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 already brewed it at home for their own use and consumption – it was King Wenceslaus in the 10th century who granted the first rights to beer production and trade.
Thus, it went from domestic to artisanal, and microbreweries and small breweries began to proliferate everywhere, which still characterize the face of the country today and have also become a tourist pretext. Starting precisely from the Pilsner, born in 1842 from the experimentation of the Pilsen brewery – where since the 1200s a dark and cloudy beer was already produced – which invented the first lager-type beer, light and straw-colored, then “copied” by everyone inside and outside the Czech Republic. So much so that today Pilsner worldwide is synonymous with light beer.
Czech Republic Beer
The Czech Republic is synonymous with beer. Alongside the giants whose production is indeed renowned and appreciated abroad, a myriad of local producers are pushed by competition to invent ever new recipes. Here then 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, and during the Advent season, vanilla beers.
Traditional or innovative, light or dark, strong or light, Czech beer is considered above all good. This is 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 always revolve ancient gestures and modern experiments, delicious dishes, popular festivals, themed souvenirs (characteristic mugs, personalized coasters, etc.) but above all the lively world of typical pubs (hospoda), beer halls, and microbreweries. What unites them all is a thread, not even too thin, woven with strands of history, culture, taste, and folklore, leading 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 you want a smaller amount, you need to specify it. Be careful not to place the empty mug on the table: a full one will automatically arrive! No big deal, especially because in this country of gourmets, beer is a pleasure for the palate truly accessible to everyone, with very competitive prices.
Rarely do Czech establishments serve different beers: each brewery is a sort of temple where you can taste a specific type of beer or at least a range of labels from the same producer. To find your way around, just pay attention to the sign hanging at the entrance.
Usually, by simply ordering “a beer,” the regular one, 10°, will arrive at your table. However, to have a stronger one, just request it from the waiter.
In Czech breweries, orders are noted with a dash: so, no matter how small the slip of paper is, there will always be space for abundant consumption!
Each brewery designs its own coaster in shape, design, and colors almost as if it were a business card, which consumers often love to collect as a real souvenir.
In the summer season, beer festivals, organized by major brands as well as microbreweries, abound across the Czech territory with music, shows, competitions, and of course barrels of beer.
An ever-growing number of beer enthusiasts and curious visitors each year nourishes a thriving beer-themed tourism movement. So much so that a special brochure “Beer Travels” by the Czech National Tourist Board is dedicated to them, a handy guide full of itineraries and “bubbly” addresses throughout the entire country.
