Day Three in Prague

Started off heading toward a new place to try for lunch but who got off the tram I realized I was just around the corner from Pražírna Kavárna so I thought I'd stop in,

They are a coffee shop with soups and sandwiches in addition to a selection of pastries -- and they have one or beers from small Czech breweries. Today it was only one, the 12º from Malešov. Even served on the traditional ceramic coaster.

Suitably fortified, I headed over to Zapomenutý Čas for lunch and to check out their beer list.

This is really a restaurant not a pub but a good variety of beers on tap.

I really like Kamenice so I went with the unfiltered 10º

One of the lunch specials was roast beef in a cream sauce and bread dumplings. Sounded good and it was.

I wasn't sure were I wanted to go next. I was recently told about a pub in the Dejvice train station and I like station pubs, so I headed over to Dejvická Nádražka.

There is a nice garden at the front and even a terrace alongside the tracks so if you are into train watching you can enjoy a beer while you watch. The inside was cavernous and except for the TV and the WiFi router precariously punched on top of the back bar, it might not have looked any different 30-40 years ago.

Not much for beer selection...

...but look at those prices. The Staropramen is the Smíchov 10º I'm told. I am not a big fan or Staropramen but I try and have one each trip as it is the local beer. In fact, the brewery is only a few miles away so this is probably the closed to brewery I've every drunk it.

You may notice the large Smíchov 10º is priced at Kč 27.50 -- the exists a half koruna coin (actually 50 haléřů) and even smaller, down to 10 haléřů but I've never seen one,  I was warned, though, not to ask for exact change. In fact, I didn't even ask for the WiFi password.

I had gambled with the weather and lost. I didn't bring my jacket and it was raining. I did have an umbrella but it is a compact travel size and doesn't provide complete protection. My next planned stop was about 800m away but luckily half way was Zasekávák, another coffee shop with a couple of taps. The last time I was there (2018) they had Kout na Šumavě 10º but as that brewery is sadly gone, I was curious as to what they did serve.

Turns out it was Kamenice 10º and 12º. Since I just had the 10º I ordered the 12º. Delicious,

Suitably fortified, I took advantage of a lull and finished my journey to Pivovar Bubeneč

I've been a big fan since my first visit in 2017, before they had even installed the brewery. And they have only gotten better, with expanded hours (daily from 11am) and a full menu. And the beer is very good.

They are a corner pub, so lots of light

Six beers one tap

I chose the 11º which I remember enjoying on my last visit, pre-pandemic. I was hoping they'd have their 8º on as some local friends had raved about it, but no luck.

It was a good as I expected. They still had some of their soup of the day -- carrot -- so I ordered a bowl.

I inquired about the Třiřmut ("Trident") and they explained as they normally do two temperature rests when mashing and for this beer they did three. Now I don't know he meant "decoctions" or just simple resets -- he was a bartender not a brewer. So I ordered it.

 

It was definitely a bit darker and maltier so a triple decoction wouldn't surprise me.

They brought be samples of the Brut Lager and the Zappa Lager. The Brut was extra, extra dry. So dry that I didn't think it was enjoyable, all I tasted was a harsh bitterness. The Zappa Lager was dry hopped I guess -- a nice lager that was really hop forward. I thought about staying for one but I was worried about the weather.  In what looks like another lull, I made it to the tram stop and thence back to my hotel without getting to wet.

After changing into some drier clothes -- and grabbing my jacket -- I headed over to Hostomická Nalévárna.

I had noticed (today being Friday) that there were larges groups of younger people wandering around Prague. As I turned into Soukenická I was overtaken by one of these groups. "Please don't let them be headed towards Hostomice" I pleaded to the sky above. A big sigh of relief when they turned into the Gulden Draak -- a Belgian pub just up the street.

When I got there, all the tables in the back room were marked "Reserved 18:00" -- it was about 5 past 6pm at that point so I figured I'd have a beer until they kicked me out. When I sat down the tapper asked if I wanted a 12º (he knows me :). ) and I said yet. I figured he wouldn't have done that if he had problem with me setting there. Anyway, the beer was lovely as ever...

When it got close to 7pm I figured I was safe. The tables on the right side slowly filled with more people -- some sort of birthday party.  I figured he had marked all the tables reserved to keep out and wandering groups looking for cheap beer.

Along the way I ordered some Utopenec, sausage marinated with peppers and onions. Similar to the marinated cheese I had the other day.

After an undisclosed number of Fabian 12º I headed back to the hotel and of course it had warmed up and the rain had stopped. 

Day Two in Prague: Vinohrady

 Today I decided to visit some places I missed on my last couple of trips.

First stop was Výčep, the Dalešice taproom in Prague.

Only three beers on tap today. They call this a tap room but it really is a restaurant with Dalešice beers.

I started with the Dalešické 11⁰. This was also my first outdoor beer. My biggest complaint here is they serve .4l mugs instead of the traditional .5l -- but you pay .5L prices. Good job, if you can get it.

Reading the coaster, I realized the Dallas 13º was an IPL with American hops. So I had one.

Even if you don't read Czech you can make out the hops: Cascade, Citra & Galaxy. A little taste of home.

Up the street a few blocks is Vinohradský Pivovar, the best brewpub in Prague (in my opinion)

Five beers on tap today, more that I remembered. Choice is always good.

The upper level was pretty full with the lunch crowd. There were tables with only one or two people I could have joined but in these pandemic days I'm not too comfortable doing that. So I went downstairs. On the way you can see the brewery.

I decided on their Jedenáctka (11⁰) Man, I love this beer. It's almost too pretty to drink.

Almost. Many think this is the best beer brewed in Prague. The argument is simplified because Unětice is just outside the city limits.

The soup of the day was cabbage and sausage -- seemed a good match.

Yesterday I provoked a Twitter discussion about the difference between a Polotmavý ("Half dark" usually translated as "Amber") and a Vienna lager (usually called Jantarová, which is also translated as "Amber"). The consensus from people far more knowledgable than I was that the Czech Vienna Lagers were almost always nearly 100% Vienna malt. I have had a couple in the past, one from Hostomice which was maybe the best beer I've ever had in Prague, and I think one from Unětice that was also great.

So when I realized Vinohradský had one on, I couldn't pass it up,

The Vinohradský Jantarová 13⁰ was definitely a Czech Maltshake...

The lunch crowd had cleared out. So I did too

Walking down to the next place, I came across a plaque. I think it says he drank on beer on this site, or something. Your daily, non-beer culture.

I was heading to Pivo a Párek but there was a conflict in their opening times on Facebook and their website. Turns out the later time was correct. So I had an hour or so to kill. A little further down the street was a tap room for Švihlý krám, a local brewery run by a Belgian born (and trained) brewer.  It turns out the tap room was closed and the site was a bottle shop. He did have some Švihlý krám beers and would loan me a glass but they were 750ml bottles and of Belgian strength, so I passed.

So I still had time to kill when I saw this sign.

Turns out it was a Venezuelan restaurant. With Unětice. Tell me more.

They had both the 10º and 12º and even side pull taps. Who'd a thunk it?  I asked if I could just have a beer and he said yes.

I ordered the 12º and decided to sit inside, listening to the music and enjoying the aromas. The picture is backlit and if I was a better technical photographer I could have fixed it. But I wanted to drink. The color was normal.

My this time it was past the later opening time at Pivo a Párek (Beer and Sausage) so I headed there.

They had 5 beers on tap. 

I thought about the Mariupol -- there was a sign saying profits went to support Ukrainian refuges -- I've seen that at a number of pubs -- but it was fairly strong so I went with the Flamendrák 11º

In retrospect I should have tried the France 13º -- I realized the note said it was brewed with French hops (I used to brew with French Strisselspalt hops back in the day I like them), The 11º was fairly bland. Nothing wrong, but not as good as the other beers I've had.

I asked the bar lady to bring me a sausage with the beer. Her English and my (non-existant) Czech were good enough to find out more than it was from a small Czech butcher.

Whatever it was called, it was delicious. When I cut into it, the interior was sort of a radioactive red and I was worried it was too spicy -- I like spicy but this early in the trip I try to avoid too much spice.

A short walk over to for aVery nice. By myself in the back room because the front room is packed with people watching hockey: CZK vs GER. They get quite excited...

Another shortish walk brought me to Černá Svině (Black Swine) that opened up just after my last visit.

Eight beers on tap today

I chose the Vycpaná Vydra 12⁰ from Pivovar Kostelec. I was relegated to the back room \ because the front room is packed with people watching hockey: CZK vs GER. They get quite excited...

The back room is quite large.

I thought about having another, but I still had places on my list. So I hopped a tram to Dno Pytle. The tram stops directly in front, which is nice but it does block the picture.

A number of taps were dry (I've noticed this a lot this trip)

I settled on the Zichovec Krahulik 10⁰. I glanced at the Support Ukraine beer but a barleywine was too much.

They used to be known for having Franconian beers on tap, but I understand they lost the connection to whomever was bringing them to Prague. The wifi password will make Franconian beer fans smile as well.

It is a cozy little pub (though there is a large back room). It had been too long since my last visit.

Another short tram ride and a walk took me to Decentní Dýně 

Six beers on tap

Unětice is the mainstay and its been a while since I had the 10.7º -- it was Stockholm I think, the last beer I had with my late friend Gunner Ericksson.

On my first look I said 'oh no!" -- that is not a clean glass. And it was not a clean beer. Even though it was 90 minutes or so since they opened, I think that was the first pour of the day and he hadn't drained the lines. Normally I would send it back but I was late to meet a friend of friend so I just left it. I will give them another chance but I would say they are on probation.

I headed back to the tram and so was at Beer Geek to meet a friend of a friend, They had just finished a tap takeover from the Polish brewery Pinta and it seemed a convenient  meeting place.

Sadly, for me, not a lot of Czech lagers on the list. The one from Sibeeria (which is owned by the same person who owns BeerGeek) I had yesterday. So I decided to try the Grodziskie. I had tasted one brewed by Jopen based on a historical recipe, and it was good. So I thought it worth a try.

It could have been my taste buds tired out, but I was underwhelmed. It was best described as bland -- no smoke character, little bitterness.

I had always like the wings at BeerGeek so I ordered the monthly special -- Thai Chili.

I needed another beer and couldn't pass up a Schlenkerla Märzen.

As is usual for me, I find the legged version a little sweeter than the gravity barrels in Bamberg -- but I just be remembering sitting the Schlenkerla tavern and missing that.

On my way home I had one more place to check out.  The former Pivní šenk U Kacíře had closed and reopened as Pražský Floutek.

 

Turns out they only have beers from Pivovarská Uhříněves and there are other places to drink that so passed and went back to my hotel.