Pictures at a Czech Beer Exhibition: Pilsen, Budweis, Český Krumlov

Wooded hillsides, a hundred lakes mirroring the fleeting afternoon sunlight, emerald green pastures with the occasional dusting of snow. Stately Renaissance facades watching over magnificent squares and Gothic spires reaching skyward. Dimly lit train stations redolent of times past. Castle towns that drew artists like Egon Schiele away from the bustle of Vienna. The Vlatava (Moldau) winding its way languidly through České Budějovice (Budweis) and Český Krumlov.

And, of course, cities that have given their names to beer styles and brands renowned the world over.

Pictures at a Czech beer exhibition.

 

Gallery 1: České Budějovice: home of the real Budweiser

 

IMG_5655

 

Twilight over the old town’s Black Tower signals the shift from exploring the narrow streets radiating off the main square to settling into taverns for hearty Bohemian food and beer.

 

IMG_5693
The Dominican Monastery gardens. I’m sure these folks drank plenty of beer in their time.

 

U Tří Sedláků (At the Three Yeoman) once catered to merchants and officers, and to the rafters driving wood along the river. During the Communist era it was annexed to a nearby restaurant called Masné Krámy (Meat Shops).

IMG_5677

On its own again since 2005, it now serves Pilsener Urquell, while the neighbouring Masné Krámy deals in Budweiser Budvar.

 

IMG_5704

By the time night falls, the Masné Krámy, with its Renaissance façade and basilica-style layout dating back to the sixteenth century, transforms itself into a classically raucous drinking establishment. Forget about trying to find a table.

 

IMG_5678
The city hall

The previous night’s revelry now the stuff of dreams, it’s time for some culture in the form of a brewery tour.

 

IMG_6042
The real deal.

 

The Pivovar Budějovický Budvar (Budweiser Budvar Brewery) was founded in 1895, and has been engaged in a protracted trademark dispute with a certain Annheuser-Busch.

 

IMG_5709

The dispute takes center stage in a tongue-and-cheek short film that forms part of the exhibit in the visitor center. Spend some time checking out the rest of the exhibits if you arrive early for your tour.

 

IMG_5712

Those midday tours really help you work up an appetite. If the samples on the tour weren’t enough, you can head next door to the Budvar Brewpub.

 

IMG_5740
Relatively light fare as far as Bohemian cuisine goes.

 

České Budějovice isn’t all Budweiser Budvar and Pilsener Urquell. You’ll find the occasional gem tucked away here and there. Krajinská is one such spot. Great food, too. (Of note: The micro/craft breweries we visited depart from the stock repertoire of delicious but hefty Bohemian cuisine, offering lighter fare with an “artisanal” touch.)

 

IMG_5750
Minipivovar Krajinská

 

Keep your eyes open for Beeranek as well – closed in late December when we visited. Thanks to Tomáš Hasík for the tips.

 

IMG_5688
Off to Pilsen two hours away.

 

Historical note: The train line connecting České Budějovice to Linz is the second-oldest train line in the world.

 

Gallery 2: Plzeń/Pilsen

 

IMG_5892
The Great Synagogue, built in 1893, is the second-largest synagogue in Europe.

 

Plzeń is the birthplace of that most famous of beer styles, the Pilsener, first brewed in 1842 by Bavarian brewer, Josef Groll.

 

IMG_5954
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, located on Republic Square.

 

Pilsener Urquell (now under the auspices of SABMiller) is ubiquitous, as are the taverns and hotels affiliated with the company.

 

IMG_5827
Not a microbrewery.

 

English tours depart on a regular basis throughout the day. We showed up about 10 minutes after one had started. No worries. You can get a combo ticket for the tour and for the Brewery Museum.

 

IMG_5796
Malting bed plus crucifix and uncanny wax figure.

 

The informative museum of brewing history –– complete with an intricate model of a brewery that took eighteen years to build –– is also affiliated with the Pils Urquell folks.

 

IMG_5806
Apparently this contraption can even brew a small volume of beer.

 

Back to Pilsener Urquell we go. The tour of the biggest brewing operation in town is a fairly straightforward affair augmented by high-tech multi-media displays and a trip to the bottling and canning line.

 

IMG_5846
Can’t get enough of them copper kettle photos.

 

But that all changes with the labyrinthine lagering cellars dating to 1839 –– worth the price of admission alone.

 

IMG_5874

The cellars are also home to small-batch open-fermented beer that subsequently spends time in pitched aging casks.

 

IMG_5865
Note the date: 28.12. Brewed the day before we arrived.

 

If only Pils Urquell and similarly large breweries would distribute this kind of tradition beyond their cellars. Vastly better than any bottled or draught Pils Urquell.

 

IMG_5940
U Pašáka

 

Pilsen is also home to a nascent craft beer scene.

 

IMG_5951

One particularly vibrant craft beer bar, Na Čepu (no good pix, unfortunately –– blame it on the good beer) has set up shop in the shadow of the Brewery Museum. Co-owner Jaroslav Jakeš is a wealth of information on the local and Czech-wide beer scene.

And so we head out the next morning, skies blazing blue, memories of Czech-style stouts and white IPAs sustaining us, in the direction of Český Krumlov.

 

IMG_5962

 

Gallery 3: Český Krumlov

 

IMG_5986

If the Eggenberg beer hasn’t grabbed your attention yet, the tower rising up from the castle precincts will. Try scaling those rocks after a few beer.

 

IMG_6017
View of St. Vitus, straight up.

 

Český Krumlov suffered neglect during the communist era, but its splendid Renaissance and Baroque buildings were restored in the early 1990s, earning the town a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

 

IMG_6037
Cue up Smetana.

 

After all that Pilsener Urquell and Budweiser Budvar, Eggenberg Brewery (not to be confused with the Schloss Eggenberg brewery, brewers of the famous Samichlaus, in Austria’s Salzkammergut) provided us with a refreshing change of pace.

 

IMG_5981
A classic beer hall.

 

Their Nakouřený Švihák, a Rauchbier with very subtle maple-syrup-accented wood smoke, was one of the highlights of the trip. A much different Rauchbier than, say, Bamberg’s Aecht Schlenkerla.

 

IMG_6040
Duck with purple cabbage and two kinds of traditional Bohemian dumplings.

 

I don’t know about you, but these photographic reminiscences have made me hungry and maybe a little bit thirsty. Time for dinner and a beer.

 

IMG_5982
Filtered/unfiltered.

 

Na zdraví!

 

Related Posts:

Prelude to a Drink: Vienna

Let Us Now Praise Famous Lagers: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.3)

Say No to Style Loyalty

 

All images by F.D. Hofer

© 2016 F.D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.



5 thoughts on “Pictures at a Czech Beer Exhibition: Pilsen, Budweis, Český Krumlov”

Share your thoughts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.