Beer in Prague: A List to Get You Started
Prague. Beer. Two words that go well together.
Welcome to my series on Prague. In contrast to other series I’ve compiled or other city/regional spotlights I’ve written, I’m going to start at the end, as it were, with a rough-and-ready list of beers that you can find in Prague. The next post will feature a list of highlights, including what to see, where to find the beers mentioned below, and where to find the best tavern experiences. For those readers unaccustomed to seeing Tempest posts that amount to lists and bullet points, fear not. I’ve got a nice, long narrative “guide” to Prague ready to go.
This starter kit is not an exhaustive list of every beer I drank. More than a few were duds. Beyond that, I often ended up drinking Pilsner Urquell and/or Kozel dark lager. This combo became a kind of default when visiting places that don’t offer much selection. As you’ll read in the in-depth version of this guide to Prague’s beer scene, these taverns and eateries are usually as much about the ambience and local beer culture as they are about the beer itself. I’m not complaining — Pils Urquell and Kozel are fine beers. Pro tip: Get them fresh and unpasteurized from the tank in taverns and restaurants that offer them. You won’t be disappointed.
Without further ado, fifteen beers to get you started when you visit Prague.
- U Trí Růží Vídeňské červené (Vienna Red). A medium-full-bodied classic Viennese lager with rich aromas of maple sap, caramelized brown sugar, a light hazelnut accent, and toasted caramel mingling with fresh meadows and just a hint of peppery hops. Dark amber in colour with a pecan-beige head, this malty beer satisfies the palate with a hint of residual sweetness, Leibniz biscuits, and a beguiling touch of orange zest mingling with the hops. Two Tankards
- U Trí Růží Tmavý speciál. This ruby-hued dark copper beer is brewed to a slightly higher gravity than the Vienna lager, making it akin to a Bock. Unleashing a cascade of rich cocoa, freshly ground chocolate-accented coffee, toasted almonds, and dark cherry, this quaffable medium-light-bodied beer finishes crisp and dry with subtle but clear roast notes. A hint of lager fermentation character (slate-mineral-sulfur) adds complexity, while a slightly more “prickly-effervescent” carbonation in comparison with the Vienna Lager gives this beer levity and drinkability. Smooth, with deftly balanced malt and elegant hop spice flavours. A highlight. Three Tankards
- U Trí Růží American Hop Lager. A prime example of what skilled European brewers can do with American hops. Brewed with Simcoe and Chinook, this hazy burnished golden beer is a paragon of restraint and balance. Offering up pepper, green melon, herbal notes of dill, a whiff of vanilla, and even a touch of cucumber (!), this creamy and sparkly clean lager is like an intriguing, fruity smoothie on the palate. It’s got subtle malt character in spades, with freshly crushed grain and a hint of artisanal butter (not diacetyl) rounding out the palate. Firmly bittered, but unobtrusively so, with citrus (tangerine) emerging near the dry and crisp finish. One Tankard
- U Fleků Flekovský Ležák 13º. In a class of its own, this old-timer is usually the first thing that comes to mind when beer-loving visitors to the Czech Republic think of Czech Dark Lager. Mahogany-hued and chestnut-coloured, this beer delivers plenty of mocha aromas, pecan nuttiness, and richly textured but subtle cocoa/dark chocolate notes on the palate. Creamy carbonation, subtle hop spice, and just enough background roastiness keep it from being like a mocha milkshake. Two Tankards
- Pivovar U Bulovky (Richter Brewery), Světlý ležák 12. Among the best lagers/Czech Pils that we had on this trip. Ever so slightly hazy, exquisite balance between fresh grain/bread malt and subtle, spicy-floral hops with that slight note of refreshing citrus you get with some lagers. Two Tankards
- Pivovar U Bulovky (Richter Brewery) APA 13ºP. An on-point American Pale Ale. The judiciously added hops still give off plenty of aroma to match the hefty malt character.
- Lod‘ Pivovar Remorkér 12º. A lager dry-hopped with Kazbek hops reminiscent of dried candied orange peel. The hops integrate nicely with the subtle bready, light brown sugar malt notes.
- Lod‘ Pivovar Republika 12º. A classically soft Czech Pils. Moravian malts and Zatec (Saaz) hops. Round and smooth yet crisp. Harmonious with just enough subtle hop accents for emphasis. One Tankard
- Lod‘ Pivovar Monarchie 13º tmavý speciál. A stand-out. Rich and silky, and as hefty as a chocolate-accented porter or a milk stout. Beethoven to the Republika’s Mozart. Two Tankards
- Klášterní Pivovar Strahov (St. Norbert) Pivo Norbert Tmavé. A richly malty dark lager with cocoa-chocolate and cream-caramel notes. Dry and quaffable, the beer features a pleasantly spicy background hop presence. Two Tankards
- Klášterní Pivovar Strahov (St. Norbert) Weizenbier. Honeyed malt and banana custard round out this clove-spicy blond Hefeweizen. A light touch and a hint of cinnamon-herbal candy make this stellar beer unique yet familiar. One Tankard
- Staropramen Nefiltrovaný (unfiltered). Clean, crisp, refreshing. Aromas of freshly mown Alpine meadows. Floral, perfumed. Like an Austrian Zwickl. Compelling yeast “snap” (champagne, bread dough). Forget what the beer-rating sites say. This is one fine beer. One Tankard
- Staropramen Černý (dark). Clean, light-bodied and refreshing, a dusting of hop spice and cocoa, dry finish.
- Pivovar Klášter Světlý Ležák (lager) and Pivovar Klášter Tmavy (dark lager). Solid and refreshing lagers that do the trick on a warm day on a terrace overlooking the city.
Related Tempest articles:
Pictures at a Czech Beer Exhibition: Pilsen, Budweis, Český Krumlov
All images by F.D. Hofer.
© 2018 F.D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.
Timely article as a friend and I will be in Prague at the end of September. It appeared in your list above that highest rating that you gave any of the above beers was “Two Tankards.” Not being overly familiar with your rating system, what is the maximum number of Tankards possible? For example, giving a beer a rating of “Two Tankards” would not be very reassuring if the score was really Two out of Five Tankards. So, I would be grateful for a clarification of the rating system. Thank you.
I’m sure that you and your friend will really love Prague. If I remember correctly, you’ll also be visiting Munich for Oktoberfest. I’ve got another article on Munich’s beer gardens that I hope to have finished before the middle of September.
As for my rating system, I rate beers on a “three tankard” scale. There’s a little button at the top of my homepage, but it’s probably the last place someone would look. I also include a hyperlink whenever I give a beer tankards, but, as I’m realizing now, that probably doesn’t give you any indication of what the max number of tankards are. At any rate, here’s the link: https://tempestinatankard.com/tempests-tankards/
Also, in the interests of keeping things “brief” (apparently, brevity’s not my strong suit), I leave out most of the so/so beers or duds I’ve had. I went back and forth on including Pivovar Dům on this particular list (it’ll be in the longer piece), but in case I don’t get around to posting that before you get to Prague, here’s the bit I cut: “Pivovarský Dům. Despite the Yelp and Lonely Planet hype, this brewpub appears to have rested on its laurels. Avoid, especially since Prague has so much more to offer.” All of their specialty beers used some sort of artificial flavouring, which was not at all pleasant. I usually don’t like to rip on breweries in print (I do enough of that in private), but in this case, I’m offering this as a PSA for you, your friend, and anyone else who reads this comment. Cheers!
Finally getting to your take on Prague beer, indeed two words that go well together. Need to return to the Three Roses as my impression for my blog were a bit dated. Never got back in there as was on the hunt for Bernard, which is happily easier to get than it was.
Three Roses was definitely among the highlights of our visit in terms of the beer selection and the well-executed food. I’ve seen Bernard in Vienna, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it Stateside. Have you? Cheers.