Chotěboř Brewery - Czech

We visited two breweries during the recent trip I made to the Czech Republic and whilst they both made good beer, they could not have been more different. I have already written about the visit to the Bernard Brewery at Humpolec, but two days later, and on our last full day in the country, we had pre-booked a lunchtime tour of the Chotěboř Brewery, in the town of the same name.

Chotěboř is a brand new brewery, which began beer production in 2009. Despite its modernity, it follows classical Czech brewing practices, with a decoction mash regime followed by a full, ninety minute, hop-boil. The beer is then fermented in open tanks, before undergoing maturation traditional, horizontal lagering tanks.  Only the finest ingredients are used to make the beer, with Moravian malt, quality aroma Saaz hops from the famous Žatec region, and spring water from the Czech Moravian Highlands of Vysočina.

We travelled by rail from Jihlava; changing onto a rather crowded local train at the important junction town of Havlíčkův Brod.  From there it was a short 25 minute journey to Chotěboř, followed by a 20 minute walk to the brewery, which is sited just out of the town, on the edge of a forest.

There were several members of the party who, expecting a micro-brewery along the lines of Goachers, came in for a bit of a shock as we approached the brewery, and the size of the operation became clear. This was no one man operation, but a place where some significant investment had taken place. A plaque on the brewery gate indicated that some of the money had come from the European Union. The imposing new brewery building, with its outer glass wall, allows visitors to observe the brewing process at close hand. Inside the brewery uses modern production technologies for controlling and monitoring temperature stages during both brewing and fermentation, and also for the filtering and filling procedures, (both bottles and kegs).

Financed partly by the EU

So far, so good, and we were all looking forward to a look round the plant, followed by a tasting of the products. However, as we passed through the electrically-operated gates and entered the site it soon became clear that all was not well, and we were not expected, after all. It turned out that the person with whom our group leader had booked the tour with, no longer worked for the company, and although our man presented a copy of the email, confirming the tour, the former employee had not passed this on before he left. As we waited outside in the pleasant May sunshine, it seemed as though an impasse had been reached and we would not be getting our tour.

Full marks to our organiser for persistence though, as after 15 minutes or so of what must have been quite terse negotiations, he emerged from the brewery office to announce that the tour would be going ahead after all. The arrival, by car, of a brewery worker who looked as though he had just been dragged out of bed confirmed this, and a short while later we were led inside for what turned out to be a very impromptu tour.

Fermentation & maturation

Our guide spoke some English, and was able to explain the process and answer some of our questions as he showed us round. We didn’t actually see the brew-house, but after viewing various pipe work, pumps and ancillary equipment beneath it, we were shown into the fermentation building, which takes up virtually one side of the brewery. It was here that we saw for ourselves, beer fermenting in open-top, rectangular fermenters, of the sort once common in many traditional British breweries; and still in use at companies such as Harvey’s of Lewes.

Traditional open fermenting vessels

Opposite the open fermenters, was row after row of horizontal lagering tanks, where the beer undergoes a slow and lengthy maturation process. Now came the best, but most bizarre part of the tour. Our guide disappeared for a short while, before re-emerging with a tray full of glasses. He then proceeded to unscrew a thin, coiled stainless steel pipe, attached to the front of one of the lagering tanks, and began the slow task of filling up our glasses. It was slow, because as the beer was still maturing it was extremely lively, but showing the patience of a saint, our host filled all the glasses and passed them to us eagerly awaiting visitors.

I have drunk beer straight out the lagering vessel on only one previous occasion. That was at the end of a tour of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, back in 2012. This time though, instead of a small, clear-plastic cup, I had a full half-litre, and after the beer had warmed up a bit, (it is kept at just 2˚ inside the tank), the taste began to come through. We were told this was the 12˚ Premium Light Lager (5.1% ABV), and very nice it was too, especially as it was unfiltered at this stage, and completely natural.

Pouring the beers!

Unfortunately, given the time it took to pour us all a drink that was the only beer we were given at Chotěboř. We moved on to the kegging and bottling areas, but there was nothing happening here. We managed to glean from our guide that the brewery only operates two or three days a week, depending on demand. This was hardly surprising, given the size of the place and the high degree of automation.

Following an online search, I discovered that the yearly production at Chotěboř is 10,000 hl, with possible supplementary expansion of up to 25,000 hl a year. Six beers are produced; one of these though is a non-alcoholic beer. For a more details of these beers, see the brewery website here, and for a high-definition video of the brewery, click on this Vimeo link.

Station refreshment room

After our trip round the Chotěboř Brewery, we returned to the station.  Before catching the train back to Havlíčkův Brod, we called in at the substantial, and popular, station restaurant for a lunchtime drink. Chotěboř 12˚ Premium Light Lager was one of three beers on tap there; the other two being  un-pasteurised Starobrno, and a beer from Rebel, but as we were due to visit the Rebel Brewery tap later on that day, and Starobrno is a beer now owned by Heineken, I stuck with the Chotěboř.

Three beers on tap

We all managed to squeeze around a large rectangular table, enjoying the plain, but pleasant surroundings of this provincial station bar. I think the lady behind the bar was pleased with the amount of beer our party of thirteen must have got through; so long as she had enough for her regular customers, later in the day! For my part is was good to enjoy the experience of drinking in this out of the way place, and sample a piece of the real Czech Republic, in a part of the country which few UK tourists visit.

As for Chotěboř Brewery; do give their beers a try should you come across them, but if contemplating a brewery tour, double check you are still on the list before turning up!

Fränkisches Bierfest 2015 - Nürnberg

Just 12 days after returning from my Czech trip, I found myself back at Stansted airport, embarking on another journey to foreign parts for a three night stay in Nuremberg, in order to sample the delights of the Franconian Beer Festival (Fränkisches Bierfest).

I’m not quite sure when I first became aware of this festival, but for the last two years my plans to visit it have been thwarted by clashes with other events. The year before last the festival began just a few days following my return from a business trip to Japan; whilst last year’s event was too close to the European Beer Bloggers’ Conference to enable me to do both.

This year was looking similar, but with a gap of almost two weeks in between Fränkisches Bierfest and my return from the Czech Republic, I figured I could squeeze in a short visit to Nuremberg, without attracting too many adverse comments from the family. Actually, my son Matthew had originally planned to come with me, but due to a clash of holiday commitments at his work place, had to cry off, almost at the 11th hour. Undeterred, I finalised the arrangements and set off alone.

In the shadow of the castle

This year’s festival was the 18th, and from what I understand the event has increased in size each year. However, unlike Munich’s world famous Oktoberfest, and the lesser known Cannstatter Volksfest which takes place in Stuttgart, Fränkisches Bierfest is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world; although it has to be said that us Brits are gradually becoming aware of Franconia’s authentic and tourist-free beer festivals. These are usually centred around the local church or a particular saint's day, and are known as a Kirchweih or Kerwa.

Annafest is probably the best known Franconian beer festival, and this outdoor event, held on a wooded hillside overlooking the town of Forchheim, has become increasingly popular with visitors from the UK. Two years ago my son and I had a great time there, and I know quite a few people from these shores who have done the same. Bamberg’s Sandkerwa, which takes place around the August Bank Holiday weekend, is another event which also attracts many native English speakers; although here the visitors are much more likely to come from across the Atlantic, than the British Isles.

The common theme which runs through all these German beer festivals is their emphasis on local beer. For example, the beers available at Oktoberfest are restricted to the products of Munich’s “Big Six” breweries, and then they confined largely to a single and rather strong “Festbier”, brewed specially for the occasion. Annafest offers “Festbier”, from Forchheim’s four breweries, plus a few from slightly further a field, whilst Sandkerwa is also largely restricted to the products of Bamberg’s breweries, although at least there are nine of them to choose from. 

The calm before the storm

What makes Fränkisches Bierfest virtually unique in Germany then is it offers a choice of beers, from around 40 different breweries, drawn from all over the Franconian region. In this respect it closely resembles a typical British CAMRA Beer Festival, rather than one found in other parts of Germany. It was this aspect which particularly appealed to me, coupled with the festival’s outdoor setting in the moat which runs below the impressive bulk of Nuremberg’s Kaiserburg, or Imperial Castle.

This year’s Fränkisches Bierfest ran from Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 7th June, and apart from some thunder, in the early hours of Sunday morning, was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine. In the end I only attended two sessions; the first being on Thursday evening, and the other on Friday afternoon, from just after opening at 2pm to some undetermined time in the early evening. Both sessions were packed, although the Friday afternoon one did start out nice and peaceful.

Some points to note: there were 38 breweries in total; all but one based in Franconia. Each brewery had its own stand, and virtually all offered between two and four different beers. There was plenty of seating (UK

Starting to fill up

festival organisers please take note!), with the polished wooden tables and benches which are typical of most German beer gardens. There were also plenty of pub-type umbrellas, providing some much needed shade - essential in 30˚ of heat. Most beers were priced at €3.20 - €3.50 per half litre. A refundable deposit of €2.50 was charged on glasses, and as most were badged glasses, unique to the owning brewery, it made sense to return them to where they originated, rather than keeping the same glass with you for the duration and then having to trek back to your starting point to get your refund. Food was the usual German fast food offerings of sausages (either Nürnberger or Thuringer) in bread rolls, grilled mackerel or pizza. I did see half an oxen being prepared for spit-roasting, early on Friday afternoon, but that wouldn’t have been ready until well into the evening.

I sampled beers from 11 of the 38 breweries exhibiting at the festival. These included various Hells, Vollbiers, Landbiers, Kellerbiers, plus the odd Dunkles and Pils. All were good; with some served direct from wooden casks, although most were served from pressurised kegs. There was a great party atmosphere, and whilst most festival goers were within the 20-30 year age bracket, there was still a good sprinkling of people from other age groups. What was particularly pleasing was the number of female visitors, and I would estimate that women made up roughly 35-40% of the attendees.

Festival in full swing

All in all it was a cracking festival; better than Annafest in terms of the number of different beers available AND for the fact that half litres rather than litre Maß Krugs were the order of the day. Its central location, and stunning setting, both added to the overall appeal of Fränkisches Bierfest, making it, for me at least, a festival I very much want to visit again. If you want a beer event which combines the best of both German and British festival traditions, then this one should definitely be on your agenda. If you need more persuading still more, then take note that, unlike most UK festivals, admission is free! See you there next year, then?

The Bernard Family Brewery in Humpolec - Czech Republic

On my recent trip to the Czech Republic, the group I was with was fortunate to visit one of the country’s most respected breweries, namely Bernard, who brew in the small town of Humpolec, which was a short bus ride away from our base in Jihlava. Bernard beers have an excellent reputation, both at home and abroad, and when you read on the company’s website the care taken over the selection of ingredients and the attention to detail in the brewing process, you can understand why.

For example, Bernard malts its own barley in a traditional floor maltings, at Rajhrada near Brno. They select only the highest quality Czech hops, ensuring the perfect balance between aroma and bitterness. They use their own spring water from the Czech-Moravian Highlands, which has the ideal attributes for brewing. They also have their own, unique yeast culture.

On the brewing side the lengthy maturation process is separated from the primary fermentation, with the former being carried out in traditional, horizontal lagering tanks. Post maturation Bernard beers are NOT pasteurised; instead they undergo micro filtration, in a process designed to maintain a fresher and more natural taste. This, the brewery claim, is what makes Bernard beers exceptional.

The brewery yard

Our visit to Bernard had been pre-arranged by our tour organiser, and took place on our first day in Jihlava. The brewery is situated close to the town centre, and was just a 15 minute walk away from the bus station. It was cold and damp on the day of our visit, with periods of quite heavy rain, but this failed to dampen our spirits. We presented ourselves at the brewery shop opposite the main plant, where we were met by our guide.

Before embarking on the tour we each had to don one of the obligatory hi-vis waistcoats which now seem to form such a feature of these types of visits. After that we were led across the road to the brewery itself. There was some work going on at the front of the main building, but we were led round the side and into the bottling hall. This proved to be a rather brief look, as the bottling lines had stopped due to a changeover of product/bottle, so instead we were led up into the impressive new brew-house.

The attractive modern brew-house

It was rather warm inside, which made a pleasant change after the cold damp conditions outside. What I found particularly impressive was the shiny, new brewing vessels were all constructed out of copper, which had been polished so you could almost see your face in them. We could see into one of the lauter tuns, which was just being cleared of spent malt grain; however, there is no getting in and shovelling out the wet grains here, as the process was fully automated. In the adjoining room were several brewing kettles, although in view of their construction they could rightly be described as coppers.

The next part of the plant was a complete contrast, as we were shown into the maturation room, where the beer cold conditions in traditional horizontal tanks for a period of between four and six weeks. The conditioning is carried out at temperatures close to freezing, so after the almost tropical heat of the brew house, the low temperatures in this particular section were really noticeable, and we were all glad when we stepped back outside again.

Traditional horizontal lagering vessels

The primary fermentation is conducted in large tall, conical fermenters, sited at the rear of the brewery. The beer undergoes seven days fermentation here before being transferred to the aforementioned maturation room.  The final area we were shown was the kegging plant, where kegs are washed and sterilised before being filled with fresh beer. There was a substantial amount of automation in this section, which included a built in check-weighing system which rejected any kegs which were below the required fill weight.

Then came the part of the tour we had all been looking forward to the most; namely the sampling of some of the products. For this we were shown into the staff canteen, several floors up and with a good view over the rear of the site. Humpolec was looking very wet and rain swept, but no matter; we were warm and dry and had several glasses of Bernard beer to enjoy. The beers we sampled were an unfiltered 12˚ light lager at 5.0% ABV, plus the 5.1% ABV dark lager. The latter in particular was very smooth tasting, but on balance, I preferred the light version. We were also given some bottles of Bernard Bohemian Ale to try. The latter is bottle conditioned, and weighs in at 8.2 % ABV.

A view of a damp and dreary Humpolec

 
Whilst drinking our beer, we were shown a short video which outlined the history of the brewery and which showed the contrast from 1991, when the current management team took over, to the present day. At the time of the collapse of the country’s communist regime, the brewery was known as the Humpolec Brewery and was part of the Southern Bohemia Group of breweries. The plant was on its last legs, following years of under-investment, and closure seemed inevitable, despite brewing having been carried out on the site since 1597. Local people understandably wished to see it continuing, and salvation came when three partners, Stanislav Bernard, Josef Vávra and Rudolf Šmejkal, bought the business at auction, when it was being privatised. The name “Bernard” was chosen for the new company, because it is recognised in many languages.

Dark

Light

In 2000, the partners sold a 50% share of the business to Duvel Moortgat of Belgium. The new stakeholders have invested heavily in the company and this has paid dividends. We were told, for example, that production had doubled over the past 10 years from 120,000 to 240,000 hectolitres per annum. Bernard beers can now be found in many Czech bars, and the company currently exports to around 30 different countries. We learned that 60% of Bernard’s output is in keg, whilst 40% is in bottles. This is against the trend for the Czech market, where bottled beers command a high sales volume. Mr Bernard and Mr Vávra are still actively involved with the brewery, with the former concentrating on marketing, and the latter acting as the company’s Brewmaster. 176 people are currently employed at the Humpolec site.

At the end of the tour, we were all given a stylish badged, Bernard beer mug, plus a pen.

Traditional Czech casks - remarkably similar to those in the UK

Footnote: included here is one of the photos we were shown of the brewery before renovation. The B&W photo clearly shows a stack of traditional Czech casks, which look remarkably similar to British ones. If you look in CAMRA’s first Czech Good Beer Guide, published in 1996, author, and CAMRA founder, Graham Lees explains that up until the early 1990’s, Czech beer had been packaged in casks which allowed the beer to “breath”. The beer was delivered to the customer’s glass by an air-pressure system similar to that still used in parts of Scotland today. The result was a beer with a smooth texture and a thick dense head.

In a virtual re-run of the "kegification" which occurred  in Britain during the 1960’s, virtually all Czech breweries have now converted to keg storage and CO₂ dispense.

Angelfest 4

This weekend saw our local football team, Tonbridge Angels FC, holding their 4^th beer and music festival. Billed as Angelfest 4, and featuring around 40 cask ales, local ciders, plus a scattering of Belgian beers, my son and I took a trip down to the club’s Longmead Stadium for a closer look.

It took the best part of an hour to walk from our house in south Tonbridge, to the Angel’s ground at the opposite end of the town. We found the place buzzing and, unlike in previous years, the marquee which holds the event had been moved to behind one of the stands, giving much more space.

After collecting our £10 “starter packs”, consisting of a glass, plus five tokens, we set about trying a few of the beers. There were only nine breweries represented, but each had between four and six beers on sale. Apart from North Yorkshire; a brewery whose beers we rarely, if ever, see in this part of the country, all the breweries were local. Beers were sold at one plastic token per half pint, regardless of strength, which probably explains why the stronger ones sold out first.

 

Local brewery, Tonbridge were well represented, as were one of my favourite breweries; Gadds of Ramsgate. New to me were Bexley Brewery, and I tried both their 4.0% Golden Acre and their 4.5% Howbury. Both beers were golden in colour and well hopped using a combination of American, Australian and English hops.

I also went for a couple of porters; one from North Yorkshire and the other an old favourite of mine, Powerhouse Porter from Sambrooks. My son, Matthew couldn’t be bothered to queue for the Belgian lager, so he enjoyed a few glasses of Alsace Gold from Tonbridge Brewery, plus Pumphouse Pale from Sambrooks.

There were several live acts, although the best one, in my book, was a girl singer whose set finished shortly after we arrived. There was Thai food on sale outside the marquee plus the usual selection of burgers and hotdogs. By around 9pm the marquee was pretty full and one or two of the beers had started to run out. Unfortunately the 6.0% Thoroughly Modern Mild, from Gadds, which I had been working my way up to, was amongst the empties. Being a local festival we bumped into quite a few people we know, so news of the event had obviously got round.

We left around 10pm; mindful of the long walk back. We were tempted to call in at Wetherspoons on the way, but decided against it, even though the place looked half empty and the two bouncers on the door were standing there twiddling their thumbs.

Angelfest isn’t the most challenging of festivals for the beer connoisseur, and definitely has little to offer the “tickers”. However, as a good, local festival which appeals to a wide cross-section of the local community, it ticks all the right boxes and appears to be going from strength to strength each year. As one acquaintance I bumped into there remarked, “This is a festival where you don’t have to drink numerous halves, in an attempt to try as many different beers as possible. At Angelfest, you find one or two you like, and you stick with them.”

Later this summer, from 10^th to 12^th of July in fact, Tonbridge plays host to another and much larger festival. I am referring, of course, to the SIBA South East Beer Festival, which is now in its 9^th year. The event takes places, as usual, at Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club, which is right in the centre of the town. There will be around 100 different cask ales to try, all brewed by SIBA members drawn from all over the south-east. I’ve already booked my place!

Vysočina Region - Czech Republic, May 2015

Town square - Jihlava on a rainy May morning

 The recent trip I made to the Czech Republic was as a member of a group of CAMRA members and friends from the Maidstone area. There were 13 of us in total; nearly all male but with a couple of wives who appreciated that this trip was not just about beer and pubs. I speak for all when I say we wanted to see beyond the tourist destination that is Prague and to experience a slice of local Czech life, scenery and culture.

What follows is a brief synopsis of the trip. I had planned to post this article on my other bog site; Paul’s Beer Travels, but as I post stuff rather infrequently on that site, and it consequently gets only a few viewings, I thought it would be better here, on the main blog site.

Ježek Brewery Restaurant, Jihlava

We based ourselves in the town of Jihlava; a city with a population of around 50,000 persons which is the capital of the Vysočina Region, on the Jihlava river, right on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. It is the oldest mining town in the Czech Republic. Up until the end of World War II Jihlava was the second largest German-speaking enclave in the republic of Czechoslovakia. The Germans had originally settled in the area during the Middle Ages; attracted by the opportunities afforded by the local silver mines, and they called the town Iglau, which is derived from the German word for hedgehog.

However, at the end of the war, and following the Beneš decrees, most German speakers were expelled due to their alleged support for the Nazi occupation of the country. The town was repopulated with Czech and Moravian settlers favoured by the new Communist regime. The influence of the former inhabitants’ lives on, as we discovered, for the second language of most of Jihlava’s citizens is German, rather than English but fortunately there were quite a few amongst our group, myself included, who could speak sufficient German to get by. The absence of our native tongue indicated that visitors to this area from the UK are comparatively rare, and I don’t recall hearing a single English, or for that matter American, voice whilst we were there.

Urban Brewery - Třebíč

The town is constructed on a hill, and the remains of the old town walls can clearly be seen in places. Lying beneath Jihlava is an extensive network of underground passages and tunnels, extending for a total of 25 km and occupying an area of some 50, 000 m². Although they are believed to have been excavated during the 14th and 15th Centuries by the silver miners, they are not located in silver-bearing rock. They are believed to have been constructed for a mixture of storage and defensive purposes.

With its good road and rail connections, Jihlava served as a good base for exploring this south-central region of the Czech Republic, and we travelled quite extensively during our three and a half day stay in the town. On our first evening in the town we made the hour and three-quarter long bus trip to Třebíč, which is the second largest town in the region. Here we visited the Podklášterní Pivovar, brew-pub, although from what I saw and have subsequently read, Třebíč itself appears to be a town which is well worth visiting.

Local train

The second day (Wednesday) saw us travelling, again by bus, to the nearby town of Humpolec; home to the Bernard Brewery, where we had a pre-booked tour arranged. That evening we were supposed to have visited the Jelínkova Vila & Malostránský brewery; a hotel, brewery and restaurant complex in the town of Velké Meziříčí. Unfortunately, with only 15 minutes to make the connection at Jihlava bus station, things were always going to be tight, and after our bus back from Humpolec became held up in rush hour traffic on the road into Jihlava, this trip just didn’t happen. This was the only hiccup on the entire trip, as all the other public transport arrangements worked well, and whilst an obvious disappointment it was probably just a case of "a brewery too far"!

Slavonice

On Thursday we switched to rail as our mode of transport, making the two hour journey to Slavonice; once an important staging post on the old coach road between Prague and Vienna, but today a town which time seems to have largely passed by. This was our “cultural day”, as after a brief look around this border town, followed by a slightly longer lunch, we re-boarded the train for a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Telč.

Main Square -  Telč

With one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, overlooked by multicoloured houses, a romantic chateau and surrounded by crystal clear fishponds, Telč was originally created as a moated fortress. It has been described as the "most perfect example of the Italian Renaissance north of the Alps". There was far more to do and see here, although our visit was marred slightly by the cold wind blowing through the town. We sought refuge from the unseasonable weather in a couple of pubs, before catching the bus back to Jihlava.

The journey back took us through some of the most pleasing countryside I have seen; with rolling hills, dark forests and stretches of verdant green pasture. Numerous fish ponds dotted the landscape, providing fresh fish for the villages we passed through on the way, as we travelled along winding country roads, lined by blossom-laden apple trees. It seemed a shame when the journey ended and we arrived back in Jihlava!

Typical rural station. Note the stationmaster with his red hat.

It was the train again for our final day in Jihlava, with a lunchtime tour booked of the Chotěboř Brewery, in the town of the same name. Our train from Jihlava dropped us at the important rail junction of Havlíčkův Brod; a town we would return to later in the day. From there we caught a rather crowded local train to the small town of Chotěboř.

We returned to the station, after our trip round the Chotěboř Brewery, for a lunchtime drink, or three, in the substantial, and popular, station restaurant, before catching the train back to Havlíčkův Brod. This town is home to the Rebel Brewery, and our itinerary included a visit to the brewery restaurant, situated in the centre of Havlíčkův Brod.

Havlíčkův Brod

After a substantial meal in the brewery restaurant, and several Rebel beers, we returned to the station for an interesting train ride back to Jihlava. Czech Railways are a bit like journeying back to the days of British Rail. Whilst investment in the rail system is starting to come through, many of the actual trains are either hangovers from a bygone era, or are other railway’s cast-offs. Our train, which was hauled by a massive locomotive, was running 20 minutes late on its journey from Prague. When it arrived we found it was made up of compartment type carriages, of the sort not seen in the UK for many years. They were, however, fondly remembered by members of our party, and we thoroughly enjoyed our journey back to Jihlava, packed tightly into two adjacent compartments.

The above is just a brief synopsis of our trip, and I intend to write in more detail, later on, about some of the places we visited, the pubs and restaurants we found and, of course, the beers we drank.

First Stop - Prague

The day and a half I spent in Prague, prior to joining the other members of our tour group, represented my fifth visit to the city. I can therefore say I know the city fairly well; certainly the main tourist attractions. Despite this I was determined to make the most of my short stopover in the city by revisiting many of Prague’s best and well-known sights. Consequently on the first evening I caught the No. 18 tram into the city centre at alighted at Národni třida, virtually right opposite my first intended port of call and the place I had planned on having my evening meal.

 

Beer hall - U Medvidků

U Medvidků, (at the Little Bears), is one of Prague’s best known beer halls, but it is also much more than this as the establishment is home to a micro-brewery, a beer bar, plus a boutique hotel. On my last visit, at the end of November 2013, the beer hall had been bursting at the seams, and my wife, son and I had been unable to get a table. This time though, the place looked half empty, and I had no problem in finding somewhere to sit. I chose a table at the end nearest the main entrance, as this gave me a full view of the rest of the hall. I don’t know if there is some deep-seated reason for this, but I always prefer to sit facing the proceedings, rather than facing the wall and with my back to what is going on. Anyway, on this occasion I was dining alone, so which way to face was not an issue.

U Medvidků is tied to Budvar, and serves their 12˚beer in unpasteurised form, straight from cellar tanks. I feel it doesn’t have quite the character of Pilsner Urquell, but it is still a fine beer, and was definitely tasted all the better for not being pasteurised. I drank my way through two half litres of the stuff as the accompaniment to me meal of pork steak, cooked in beer sauce.

The hall had started to fill up by the time I finished my meal, so I decided it was time to move on. Although I had a list of some of the brew-pubs which had sprung up in the city in recent years, I instead decided to pay a return visit to U Fleků Prague’s original brewpub; an establishment which also claims to be the oldest brew-pub in the world. I am well aware that many beer writers regard U Fleků as something of a tourist trap, and whilst there may well be more than a grain of truth in this, the pub still produces what can only be described as “one of the world’s finest dark lagers”, and a definite world classic.

U Fleků

I had visited U Fleků on each of my four previous visits to Prague, so was determined not to break this record. I have fond memories of my first visit to the pub, back in 1984, when I was a participant on an early CAMRA trip to what was then Czechoslovakia. The place has obviously changed quite a bit since then, and is an obvious port of call on most tourist itineraries, but it still pervades an atmosphere of old world Prague, and its wood-panelled halls, and stone-flagged corridors, convey the visitor back to a bygone age. Also, as I stated earlier, the beer is bloody good and seems to have become much more consistent.

 I wound my way to U Fleků, through the maze of back streets and, as the pub was predictably busy, I decided to sit out in the rear courtyard. There were several groups, who looked to be from tour parties, but they were well behaved and reasonably quiet, so decision to brave the chill of the night air, proved to be a good one. The waiters outside also seemed more relaxed and there was none of the trying to press shots of Becherovka on unsuspecting customers that the pub has become notorious for. The other grouse, which many beer aficionados have about U Fleků, is that the pub serves its beer in 40 cl glasses, rather than the usual 50 cl. 

I sat there enjoying the rich chocolate-like taste of this dark  and malty13˚  lager, reflecting on the fact that it was 30 years ago that I had first set foot in this courtyard, where our CAMRA party had arranged to meet for a meal, plus beers of course, as the highlight of our first evening in Prague. How things have changed, and those die-hard communist leaders in charge of the country at the time would have a blue fit if they could see the place now. Perhaps that should be a red fit?

Two beers at U Fleků on top of the two I’d enjoyed earlier at U Medvidků, were enough for the evening, so I found my way to the nearest tram stop, and then walked the short distance back to my hotel. The next day dawned bright and sunny, and after a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, I was ready to go out exploring again. As it turned out, that first full day in the country was by far the warmest and the sunniest of the entire Czech trip, with temperatures approaching the mid 20’s and wall-to-wall sunshine. I set off suitably attired in T-shirt, shorts and sunglasses, determined to do the whole Prague sight-seeing thing; even though I’d done most of it on previous visits. 

Prague Castle - Lower Entrance

I again boarded the No. 18 tram, but this time I stayed on until I reached the other side of the river, alighting at Malostranska. From there I walked short distance uphill until I came to the series of steps which lead up to the castle.  I hadn’t walked up that way before, or at least I don’t think so, as I do remember, back in 1984, walking up to Prague Castle via a series of steps, and my companions and I may well have taken that route. It was already hot in the sun and I was glad to reach the top. As with the steps which lead up to the front of the castle, I was rewarded with a spectacular view of the city, spreading out below me. The dozens of other tourists though the same, and at times it was difficult to get close enough to the parapet in order to enjoy the view.

Klášterni pivovar Strahov

I continued up into the castle, and there I decided to bite the bullet and buy an admission ticket. I particularly wanted to see the historic artisan houses which make up Golden Lane - so called because there were alchemists, supposedly capable of transmuting base metals into gold, living there. This part of the castle tour alone was well worth the price of the ticket, as there were steps leading up into passageways between the thick medieval walls of the castle. There were umpteen suits of armour plus various swords on display, and also some rather gruesome torture instruments.

It was whilst walking back from Golden Lane and up between the walls of the former Royal Palace, that I had a real feeling of déjà vu. On that first visit to Prague, some 30 years ago, we had called into a real local’s pub, close to both the castle and the cathedral. On subsequent visits to the city I have never been able to find this pub again, but the high walls and narrow lane running between them felt as though they might once have contained such a pub.

Klášterni pinovar Matŭska

After looking around St Vitus’s Cathedral, I headed off in the direction of the Strahov Monastery, in order to visit the Klášterni pinovar Strahov  brew-pub. En route, and close to the Černisky Palace I passed U Černého Vola, a really basic pub which I had been in on a previous visit to Prague. I decided I would call in again, but not until I’d had something to eat and drink at the monastery. I followed a flight of steps up through a passageway which forms a short-cut into the monastery grounds, but as I made my way towards Klášterni Strahov  I noticed another establishment which I hadn’t seen before, called Klášterni pinovar Matŭska. A large banner beckoned me in; that and the prospect of sitting outside under one of the shady umbrellas. 

Lunch - Klášterni pinovar Matŭska 

I sampled their unfiltered, pale house lager, plus their dark. I much preferred the former, but I had a shock when the bill came, as both were priced at Kr95 per half litre, which was astronomical, even for Prague. The Kr59 I paid the previous night at U Fleků seemed cheap by comparison. To put things in context though, Kr95 is around £3.00, so by UK standards Klášterni pinovar Matŭska was still good value. I also had some more solid sustenance in the form of goulash soup in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Over lunch I got chatting to an American, sitting at an adjacent table. Like my brother-in-law, he was an ex US Airman. He had been stationed in former West Germany back in the days of Cold War, when countries behind the Iron Curtain were strictly off limits to US service personnel. He was therefore making up for lost time, although he had tagged this short visit to Prague onto a much longer trip to Ireland. It was evident that he liked his beer, so I was able to recommend a few places for him to visit.

U Tři Růži

Having already had two half litres, I reluctantly decided to give U Černého Vola a miss. There was a lot more that I wanted to do on the tourist trail, so I headed back down towards the Charles Bridge and the old town area of Staré Mésto. As expected, this was serious tourist territory, but before heading to Old Town Square I had one further brew-pub to visit, in the form of U Tři Růži; one of Prague’s newest brew-pub and a welcome haven to escape the hustle and bustle of the Old Town.

I perched myself at one of the tall tables in the shadow of the in-house brewery and ordered a 25cl glass of Videnské cervén (Vienna Red 5.7%), plus the same quantity of the house Tmavé  Speciál (Dark Special 5.1%). Of the two, I preferred the Vienna Red, although both beers were very quaffable.

Brewing kit - U Tři Růži

After this all too brief interlude, it was back to the sight-seeing, followed by some shopping. I would be meeting up with my fellow travellers the following morning and leaving Prague for the town of Jihlava,  deep in the central highland province of Kraj Vysočina; right in the heart of the country. Before the day was up though I had time for one final pub visit, which was to a place called Zly Časy; Prague’s premier craft-beer pub which had the added bonus of being just five minutes walk from my hotel.

The “Evil Times” features nearly 40 draught beers, which are offered in three bars, spread over three separate floors. Rather confusingly each bar has a different selection making it difficult, especially for non-Czech speakers to know what is available where. I opted for the cellar bar, which was quite extensive and certainly much busier than the virtually deserted ground floor bar. I was feeling rather tired by this time, so only had two beers; Tambor 11˚ from the town of Dvůr Krájové, plus Uherský Brod Comenius Speciál Světlé 14°. Both were good, and both are brewed by well-respected Czech micro-brewers.

Zly Časy

With a tasty home-made beef burger and chips to help soak up the beer, it was a good end to a long and tiring day spent in the Czech capital. With the thoughts of being off to pastures new in the morning, I made my way back to my hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Back to Reality

I arrived back on Saturday evening from my Czech trip, and after spending a couple of days in Norfolk staying with my father, it was back to work with a vengeance this morning.

 There’s a lot to write about, and I intend to do this in the fullness of time, but in the meantime I just want to say how different, and refreshing it was to go to a place well off the normal tourist trails of Prague, and to see a bit of the real Czech Republic. 

We visited historic old towns, caught in a time warp, as well as work-a-day industrial towns which help power the national economy. In between was some of the most pleasing countryside I have been fortunate to gaze upon; with rolling hills, dense forests and stretches of verdant green pasture. There were numerous fish ponds dotting the landscape, providing a renewable source of fresh fish for the many picturesque villages which abound in this part of the country; settlements linked by winding country roads, lined by blossom-laden apple trees, all looking particularly splendid at this time of year.

There were also attractive old pubs serving hearty and tasty meals with plenty of excellent beer to wash the food down. Even better was the fact that both beer and food were available at prices last seen in the west many years ago. And all this enjoyed in the company of friends and like-minded people. The only thing lacking was some warm weather and sunshine; but then you can’t have everything.

I had a great time, and enjoyed sights and experiences I wouldn’t have missed for the world. Over the next few weeks, I plan to share some of them with you.