Czech Treasures?
In October I return to Europe for what will be part two of a dream journey through the legendary breweries of Germany and the Czech Republic. After Czech, I head to Italy to survey what is by all accounts the most interesting new scene on the planet. (Cantillon's Jean Van Roy, apologizing, said he felt it exceeded the US.) So far I have the first leg coming together: landing in Dusseldorf and visiting Uerige; zipping south for Kolsch country; down to Kelheim to see Schneider; back north to Bamberg and Franconia; and finally to the cradle of Munich. Italy also looks to be coming together--or looks, anyway, like it will come together when I start matching breweries and dates.
In between is the Czech Republic, which remains a bit of a cipher to me and most Americans. We know Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, of course (those are on the list mos def). We know Prague. But here's a little test: name me five Czech breweries. I've spotted you two, but my bet is that you'll find it very hard to fill out the list. The truth is, one of the world's greatest brewing country remains mostly hidden from American eyes.
I will be very fortunate to have the estimable beer philosopher, (Pivní Filosof) Max Brahnson, do a little pub-and-brewery crawling with me when I'm in Prague. I've also studied his Pisshead's Guide to Prague to bone up on my vycepni pivos and my tmaves (since I'm working in Blogspot and am lazy, all diacritics have been left in the cupboard). Because, of course, there's a lot more to Czech beer than just "Bohemian pilsner." (There is, in fact, more to the Czech Republic than just Bohemia.) All of that will be enormously useful to me.
But since we do know so little, and since I'm still waiting for my copy of Evan Rail's now somewhat outdated Good Beer Guide to Prague, I'll throw this out to the hive mind. What small treasures, invisible to American eyes, await me if only I know where to look when I visit the Czech Republic? I'll be in a car, so it doesn't have to be in a big city.
Help me, hive mind!
I will be very fortunate to have the estimable beer philosopher, (Pivní Filosof) Max Brahnson, do a little pub-and-brewery crawling with me when I'm in Prague. I've also studied his Pisshead's Guide to Prague to bone up on my vycepni pivos and my tmaves (since I'm working in Blogspot and am lazy, all diacritics have been left in the cupboard). Because, of course, there's a lot more to Czech beer than just "Bohemian pilsner." (There is, in fact, more to the Czech Republic than just Bohemia.) All of that will be enormously useful to me.
But since we do know so little, and since I'm still waiting for my copy of Evan Rail's now somewhat outdated Good Beer Guide to Prague, I'll throw this out to the hive mind. What small treasures, invisible to American eyes, await me if only I know where to look when I visit the Czech Republic? I'll be in a car, so it doesn't have to be in a big city.
Help me, hive mind!