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
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.
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).
On its own again since 2005, it now serves Pilsener Urquell, while the neighbouring Masné Krámy deals in Budweiser Budvar.
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.
The previous night’s revelry now the stuff of dreams, it’s time for some culture in the form of a brewery tour.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Keep your eyes open for Beeranek as well – closed in late December when we visited. Thanks to Tomáš Hasík for the tips.
Historical note: The train line connecting České Budějovice to Linz is the second-oldest train line in the world.
Gallery 2: Plzeń/Pilsen
Plzeń is the birthplace of that most famous of beer styles, the Pilsener, first brewed in 1842 by Bavarian brewer, Josef Groll.
Pilsener Urquell (now under the auspices of SABMiller) is ubiquitous, as are the taverns and hotels affiliated with the company.
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.
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.
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.
But that all changes with the labyrinthine lagering cellars dating to 1839 –– worth the price of admission alone.
The cellars are also home to small-batch open-fermented beer that subsequently spends time in pitched aging casks.
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.
Pilsen is also home to a nascent craft beer scene.
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.
Gallery 3: Český Krumlov
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Na zdraví!
Related Posts:
Let Us Now Praise Famous Lagers: Your Saturday Six-Pack (Vol.3)
All images by F.D. Hofer
© 2016 F.D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.
A wonderful set of photos!
Thanks, Max! I really enjoyed choosing and assembling all the photos. Makes me want to get on a train and go back soon.
Great pictures! I was in Prague back in ~1990. My fondest memory is paying the equivalent of 5 cents for a nice mug of beer. We went to Pilsen in 1996 and I wrote an article for the (now defunct) Brewing Techniques magazine (http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue5.3/urquell.html). We’ll have to try Budweis next time. I assume the beer has gone up in price!
Peter,
Thanks for sharing your excellent and comprehensive article on Pilsen! I love how you managed to work in the Defenestration of Prague.
I was in Prague in the summer of ’92, and though the prices had gone up a tad, they were still super cheap. Even now, the beer in Bohemia is still very reasonable in comparison to other parts of Europe — about $1.50/500mL, depending on the beer and the place. We didn’t make it to Prague this time around, but of the places we visited, Pilsen was the priciest.
As for Budweis, it’s quaint and a bit sleepy compared to Pilsen, but still worth a trip, especially if you can combine it with other places in the region. Maybe you can write a companion piece to your Pilsen article.
Still plenty for me to explore, and with Vienna’s Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof five minutes from where I live, I’ll be heading back soon enough.
Cheers!