Tuesday 26 June 2007

Ještĕ jedno, prosim Vas

And the second is this review of Czech beer experiences, some of which I’m ashamed to say I have not partaken in. I do recognise some pubs, however, including U Medvidku off Narodni třida, which I used sup on a Budvar at the end of a hideous day’s work at Wood&Co listening that terrible slepice who filed her nails and talked to her boyfriend all day on the phone. In fact, by the end of my time there I think I was spending three-hour lunchbreaks in that pub just to get away from her. Remember that Rotten? Another is Malostranska pivnice around the corner from the Irish embassy in Mala strana, although I always found it a bit too touristy for my taste and totally lacking atmosphere. According to this article they serve unpasteurised Plzensky prazdroj there, but that must be new coz I never recall drinking any at that particular establishment.

North Bohemia gets a mention in the guise of the sklarna pub in Harrachov. I don’t know it, since it wasn’t established until my departure in 2002, but it looks well worth a visit. Do Rotten or Bedrich or Our Man In Liberec know that one at all? Things must have moved a lot in the past five years, as I thought I knew just about all the pubs in Prague worth knowing. Hence one of my first port of calls upon my return next year will be to the Prvni Pivni Tramway. I thought my favourite pub would at least score a mention though – U Hrochu beside the snĕmovna. I remember a particularly raucous time there with Bedrich waiting to get his passport renewed since the pub is just down the street from the British embassy.

Finally, the little pivovar in Štramberk serving Troobacz looks idyllic. You been there at all tvc, since you’re the closest?

We’ve been downing a bit of slivovice here in recent days thanks to some ex-pat mates in Turangi. I’m pretty sure it’s not that hard to make and I’ll give a bash myself this summer.

3 comments:

tvc said...

Careful with that moonshine, Kivak.
To answer your question:
1. Yes, been to Stramberk twice, lovely little town, Minerva has an office just over the hill in Koprivnice. Didn't drink that beer though or visit that pub.
2. Been to the 1 pivni tramvaj, if it's the same one in Praha 4, went there with work colleagues once

tvc said...

Read the article, made me wish I spent more time here, a few more comments:
1. Stramberk is undergoing something of a tourism renaissance with new hotels and restaurants opening up all the time. Still cheap as hell as it's off the main Praha-Kutna Hora-Cesky Krumlov bus tour route that 98% of tourists do. That Troobacz beer must be a new one (The Stramberska Trubka is the famous tower overlooking the town)
2. Pivni tramvaj in Sporilov has been around for a while at least since 1999 when I visited it with the Minerva Praha after work drinking gang. Probably underwent a renovation to make it more of a destination
3. I read something equally flattering in HN about the sklarna pub, must visit it sometime
4. Budvar is apparently coming out with a new, less malty, more hoppy beer called Pardal (this is how Bush would pronounce prdel). This from my Budejovice connections
5. There is actually a nifty little brewery down here near Trebic called Dalesice - seeing it more and more in restaurants here - finally something to drink besides Starobrno in the summer
6. Most of the extra strong Czech beers are fairly poor, Starobrno makes something called Baron Trenck (Baron Drunk), tastes like a combination of Starobrno and King Cobra malt liquor
7. Though I don't have many good things to say about Brno, the beer gardens here in summer are lovely and more relaxing than touristy, stag party infested Prague.
So if anyone besides Andrew reads this (not likely), come visit

Kivak said...

Hey, looking forward to imbibing some of that prdel; just hope they have some of it in that pivni zahradka you're taking me to as soon as I get back, tvc.

Don't worry - Rotten and PAM have been secretly viewing the blog over the last couple of days...