Nakladany Hermelin or Pickled cheese is popular pub snack that comes with beer. It’s prepared from Hermelín cheese (literally means “ermine”) a Czech version of Camembert cheese. As always there are many different recipes and ingredients. Let’s try a basic homemade pickled cheese.

Pork roast with dumplings and sauerkraut is absolute classic of Czech food and is considered Czech national meal. The title “Vepřo knedlo zelo” says everything about main items on plate. However there can be few alterations, because one can prepare bread dumplings as well as potato dumplings. Other dilemma can arise when it comes to sauerkraut, because someone might prefer from red cabbage. In this recipe you’ll find potato dumplings since recipe for bread dumplings is already posted.

We Czechs don’t like to drink beer that tastes like rot-gut. So it’s only for greater good to recommend our visitors, where to find best beer in Prague. Other important thing is atmosphere in restaurant, because in friendly and hospitable places are high standards of bar and kitchen.

Interesting fact is that in Prague people prefer a little colder beer than usual. Temperature is about 3°C, while typical is 6°C. Also there’s difference between Bohemia and Moravia in how to tap beer. Bohemians prefer beer tapped at once, while the other in three cycles, which makes thick head.

Best Pilsner in Prague

Malostranská beseda

Cosy restaurant right on Malostranské náměstí (Lesser Town Square) can be a nice refreshment checkpoint before hike to the Prague Castle through Nerudova Street. Local bartenders really understand Pislner beer. Their service is perfect and when you drink two quick beers it’s a taste of joy.

Konvikt

Pleasant modern restaurant and bar for youngsters. You can easily sit here till 3 am and meet various groups of people from teenagers to actors, musicians and beer experts. This place is hidden in mysterious streets not far from National Theatre and Bethlehem Square.

Lokál

Group of pubs with brilliant beer and food typical for serving with beer. But be aware on weekend it gets really like really crowded in here. Across Prague you can find four of these alehouses, but shortly there will be fifth. One can be found in Dlouhá Street, where are numerous pubs and clubs.

U Zlatého tygra

Right on the way from Old Town Square to Charles Bridge is another pub with good beer in Prague. The atmosphere in here breaths out old history of Old Town. Also it was meeting place of Czech elite and even US president Bill Clinton visited this place with Václav Havel. And the prices in here are very favourable.

Kolkovna

Kolkovna is also a group of restaurants with excellent beer. It’s very similar to Lokál and gets overcrowded as well. Local kitchen offers meals from cheese selection to roasted duck. Most popular with best beer is at Celnice on Náměstí republiky.

{google_map}https://mapsengine.google.com/map/embed?mid=zBvyIb_T485I.k6a13a7Hi2TU|width:550|height:350|border:1{/google_map}

Apple strudel is traditional Czech pastry that have its origin in Austrian cuisine. It’s very popular dessert in Czech cuisine and across Central Europe thanks to history of Austro-Hungarian Empire. Apple strudel is quite easy to prepare thanks to the option of buying prepared pastry dough. However old-fashioned people still make their own dough.

Czechs love heavy sauces with dumplings. Svíčková na smetaně (sirloin with cream sauce) is the most popular sauce of Czech cuisine. Tender meat with heavy sweet sauce is a challenge to every cook. To exaggerate, most Czech men judge their brides-to-be by their ability to make good sauce. But of course mother always does it the best way. And since the recipes pass from mother to daughter, there are as many different versions of this recipe as there are families. The cream sauce is not always served with beef, but also with pork and rabbit. Svíčková can be also considered as Christmas dish, since in some families it’s served on First Christmas Feast (Christmas Day abroad).

When you say Czech Republic in the world, some people recall Czech hockey and sportsmen, Václav Havel or endless politics affairs. What will pop surely in their heads is undoubtedly Czech beer. Czechs are rightfully nation of beer drinkers. From 2008 Czechs are on the first place in beer consumption. Every Czech drinks unbelievable 160 litres of beer per year, that’s 320 pints even counting small children.

History of beer

History of beer in Czech countries dates back to the end of 10th century to Břevnov monastery. Although archaeological research proved that beer was brewed in the times of Germanic tribes. The oldest record of hop cultivation is charter of Břetislav I. from 1034. Great milestone in beer brewing was foundation of Pilsner Brewery (Měšťanský pivovar v Plzni) in 1842. They used bottom fermentation and this method quickly stepped forward among rivals. It was so popular that this type of beer is called pilsner ever since. That was the start of golden age in Czech beer production. Large breweries started step forward and small breweries perished. In a few years Pilsner was available across whole Europe and a special train loaded with beer departed to Wien every morning.

Pilsner Brewery front gate

To be a genuine beer drinker, you should know at least basic facts what makes Czech beer so popular. České pivo is a protected geographical indication (PGI) by EU. It marks out thanks to the use of high-quality ingredients from specified regions, classic technology and procedure of production and of course the craft of Czech master brewers. Especially Žatec region provides the world’s best quality hop so essential for brewing. Another essential ingredient is barley for malt, although some brewery may use wheat or other grain.

Most popular Czech beers are lagers of pilsner style. Pilsner Urquell is considered the best among Czechs, but Gambrinus is perhaps the most consumed. Another great brewery is Staropramen, which sets in Prague. In Moravia, Radegast is very popular for its bitter taste. There are also quality beers from small breweries available in pubs and beer specials. Such specials can be found in several joints, for example U Medvídků, where you can taste a 33° beer. A famous restaurant with own brew is U Fleků, where you can taste traditional dark beer with quite similar taste to Guinness. And of course there’s Prague Beer Museum with 30 beers on tap from micro-breweries.
Last but not least beer is great source of vitamin B and since beer in Czech Republic is literally cheaper than water, why not to come and taste for yourself.