Beware of airport prices

When visiting the Czech Republic you will find out that beer prices vary from the higher prices paid at cafes and restaurants in the tourist areas in the city centre of Prague compared to for instance hospodas in the Žižkov area. A good rule these days is that pubs selling pints of beer at 40 CZK or lower are worth visiting. Are the prices higher, the restaurant is probably either a rip-off or a place catering for the gastronimical elite.

If you get to Prague airport, you normally pay nearly 150 CZK for a half litre of beer at the restaurants and pubs. Compared to the Scandinavian countries, these are affordable prices. But it feels strange that the restaurants at Prague airport charge so much more for beers compared to ordinary pubs and taprooms in the city.

As I was waiting for my flight home, I decided to have some beer. At an earlier visit to the airport, the Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant was out of Master as a draught beer. This time the beer was available from tap. I decided to check it out.

Master Černý was a nearly black beer with a large head and nearly no carbonation. It had aromas of dark chocolate and a bit of sweetness. In the mouth I felt dark chocolate and some coffee before a partly sweet finish. I liked it, and felt that it might be a good Winter beer.

Leaving Berlin

The easiest way to get to Berlin's Schönefeld airport from the city centre is of course by taxi. It is a long and expensive ride, so I preferred using public transportation. And it is also very affordable. A day ticket costs less than 7 EUR, and you can use it on buses, trams, trains and the metro system in the German capital.

The main railwaystation in Berlin, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, is an impressive sight. This modern piece of architecture is more than worth a visit. For myself, the railway station was the first step towards the flight back home. First you must take a train to Berlin Südkreuz station, where you catch a direct train to the Schönefeld airport. There is a brewpub on the Hauptbahnhof, but I did not know where to find it. Sure, I could have asked someone, but as I saw a train with the Czech ČD logo going to Berlin Südkreuz, I decided to board the train and sat down in the restaurant car.

A Czech restaurant car meant that it might be possible to find Czech draught beer. And so it was. I ordered a glass and was served Pilsner Urquell from tap. The golden lager had that beautiful aroma of grass and Saaz hops, and the excellent combination of malt, hints of fruits and tasty, bitter Saaz hops was once again a treat. Pilsner Urquell is a wonderful beer.

It was barely time to finish my Urquell before the train arrived at Berlin Südkreuz. I left the Czech restaurant car and had a walk through the station. I had some time before the train to the airport left, so I visited the little supermarket downstairs to get a water bottle and some snacks. Then it was back to the platform to get on the next train.

It was dark when I arrived at Berlin Schönefeld airport. It is probably the last time I am there, as the airport is to close later this year. Then some of the area will become part of the new Berlin Brandenburg airport. Check-in was fast and easy, and suddenly I was through security.

The departures area of the airport was very crowded. Many Brits were waiting for their Easyjet flight home, and they had turned that part of the building into a party zone. All benches and chairs were taken, so most people were sitting on the floor. The crowdiest part of departures was the little Irish pub. After a long wait, the friendly bartender gave me a Berliner Kindl Jubiläums Pilsener. It is a nice pale lager, but it pales compared to Pilsner Urquell.

There were also some kiosks in the departures area. I bought some beer to take home, and as I was given information that my flight home would be late I opened one of them. Flensburger Pilsener is an old acquaintance. I have been drinking it several times during visits to Germany. It is sold in nostalgic swing top bottles, and I am very fond of the label with the cog.

I drank the beer straight from the bottle. The nose was malty, and a combination of malts, hops and grass had a dance in the mouth before a partly bitter finish. Another fine pale lager that I felt was better than Berliner Kindl, but still average compared to Pilsner Urquell.

My visit to Berlin had come to an end, and I entered the airplane. I will be back in Berlin some day. I liked the city, and I would like to see more of Berlin's taprooms as well. In the meantime I can recommend Ronald Pattinson's Berlin Pub Guide. Fellow Norwegian beer blogger Knut Albert also has some interesting posts about the German capital. Here you can find his posts that are tagged with Berlin. Cheers!

Glimpses of Prague

There are so many bars and pubs to visit in Prague, and some of them are worth taking a look at. In this post I will share a couple of places I recommend.

Not far from the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station you can find Hrom do Police. This cellar restaurant is special as it sells beer from the Policka brewery. Right now the dark Eliška beer is available. This is a wonderful seasonal beer that it is worth checking out.

I usually spend some time at U Sadu while in Prague. This excellent hospoda offers several good draught beers. Tanková Pilsner Urquell is a treat that usually can be found here. This is an unpasteurized version of the excellent golden lager from Plzen. At my last visit U Sadu offered the unfiltered version that is even better. That beer was only available as a Pilsner Urquell marketing campaign for a short period of time.

Also in Žižkov, at Tachovské náměstí, you will find U Slovanské Lípy. This great hospoda sells the magnificent beers from the Kout na Šumavě brewery.

These beers are not available in bottles, so my tip is to bring along a water bottle so they can fill it up for you with draught beer. The 10° and 12° lagers are worth drinking in your hotel room as well. Or any Kout na Šumavě beer, for that matter!

My friend Pivní Filosof released his great book on pub crawls in Prague earlier this year. If you go to Prague, it is a must! One of the pubs not mentioned in the book is called U Vodoucha. It opened after the book was published. The pub in Jagellonská street is in walking distance from U Slovanské Lípy. The beer philosopher brought me to the pub, and it was a treat. Here there was great beers and fine Czech food. I was lucky to find beers from the Berounský Medvěd brewery, and I fell in love with the fabulous 11° Zlatý Kůn beer. This golden lager had a fantastic taste of fresh hops, and I really blame myself for not visiting this pub again during my stay in Prague. I should have bought some PET bottles to take home from the pub.

A few minutes from U Vodoucha you will find Vinohradská street. There you can jump on tram number 11 going towards Spořilov. In Čestmírova street near the Náměstí Bratří Synků tram stop the fantastic Zlý Časy pub can be found. With 24 draught beers available, there is always an interesting beer to find.

Take the trip to Zlý Časy and enjoy some of the beers available. You will not regret it.

By the way: Since my visit to Prague this Spring, the herna bar at the Dejvická metro has been closed down. That is a pity, as I liked having a half litre of Rychtář golden lager on my way to or from Prague airport. The pub was a dive, but the beers were good.

Unfiltered Urquell time

Pilsner Urquell is the original pilsner beer. This bottom fermented beer has been brewed since 1842 in Plzeň. In addition to the ordinary golden lager, Pilsner Urquell also produces an unfiltered version of the beer. It is usually only available at the Šenk Na Parkánu restaurant in Plzeň. I was therefore happy to see during my recent Prague visit that Pilsner Urquell had a campaign offering Pilsner Urquell nefiltrované at selected pubs all over the Czech Republic.

I had several opportunities trying the unfiltered Pilsner Urquell, and every time I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ordinary Pilsner Urquell is one of my favourite lager beers, and it was even better in the unfiltered version. At my visit to the U Bansethů pub I was given a somewhat cloudy beer with a large head and nearly no carbonation. In the nose I felt a solid dose of Saaz hops. The hoppy taste is also there in the mouth with a flowery touch and some strawberry in the finish. This is no less than a stellar lager beer, and together with the 12° Kout na Šumavě golden lager it is the best lager beer I have ever tried. If you can find it, drink it!

On my next visit to the Czech Republic I will have a day trip to Plzeň. Of course Šenk Na Parkánu needs to be visited to have more of Pilsner Urquell nefiltrované, but there are also other places to enjoy excellent beers in the Bohemian city.

PS: Pivní Filosof has an interesting post today about the legends around the birth of Pilsner Urquell. It is a recommended read!

Pilsner Urquell light

Among the international beer brands available in Sweden, you can find Pilsner Urquell. If you go to Systembolaget it is possible to buy the original pilsner beer in bottles or cans. But Pilsner Urquell is also available in another version in Sweden. It is brewed by the Pilsner Urquell brewery itself on the original site in Plzeň, Czech Republic unlike the licenced beers brewed in Poland and Russia. This Pilsner Urquell version is sold in Swedish supermarkets and shops and has 3.5% alcohol. The original Pilsner Urquell has 4.4% alcohol. The Russian and Polish licence products probably have the same alcohol content.

The beer is a golden lager with some carbonation and a small head. In the nose there is grass and hops. The taste is very alike the ordinary Pilsner Urquell, but it is not that fruity nor bitter. I feel it is a watered down version of the original, but it is still a very good and refreshing beer. In fact it is the best 3.5% lager beer I have found in Swedish supermarkets.

I am very fond of the real Pilsner Urquell. I also like this 3.5% version, but I do not like that the brewery misuses its name. Pilsner Urquell is German and means original source of Plzeň. This is not the beer Josef Groll made in Plzeň in 1842 that later become the prototype of all beers in the pilsner style. It has the same hops and the same malting, but it is not the same beer. I feel that is a shame. The brand name gives a promise, but this beer is not delivering what the name offers. The same goes for the licence production of Pilsner Urquell outside the Czech Republic. Those beers are made from other water sources and not the original wells of Plzeň and should therefore be called something else than Pilsner Urquell.

Prague airport beer

I like travelling to the Czech Republic, and I have had many visits to Prague. Every time I have arrived at Prague's airport, Prague Ruzyně International Airport. There are some bars and restaurants in Terminal 2, which is used for flights inside the Schengen area. I have been to some of them while leaving the Czech Republic, and it is nice enjoying a half litre of Pilsner Urquell before heading back home.

Prices at Ruzyně airport are high compared to the city centre and suburbs of Prague. That includes beer, which cost nearly 150 CZK (5 GBP) for a half litre at the bars and restaurants. That is nearly five times more than buying a half litre of Pilsner Urquell at beer halls in Prague outside the tourist areas. Perhaps it is wiser having a beer at the airport before going into Prague than having it before leaving the country? You can also buy cans of Pilsner Urquell, Budvar, Gambrinus and Radegast for nearly 50 CZK at the newsagents on the airport.

On my last visit to Prague airport I ended up at Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant to have a beer. I saw that there was a Master tap, and I ordered a glass of the Urquell brewery's dark beer. They only sold it in bottles, so I changed my mind and ordered a glass of Pilsner Urquell instead. I paid with a 500 CZK note, but the bartender gave me change as if he had been given a 200 CZK note. I told him he made a mistake, so finally I received the correct change. I hope it was an honest mistake and that he did not try to trick me.

Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant is a nice place enjoying a beer. The bar is charming, and I like the brown wooden chairs and tables. It is also nice having a view to the airplanes.

The beer is of course of high quality. Pilsner Urquell is one of my favourite beers, and it tastes better in the Czech Republic. I have been told that the Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant at Ruzyně airport sells tankova beer, which is the best version of the beer. It tastes really good, and this time I chose not to do any tasting notes. Instead I enjoyed my time at the restaurant thinking about going into Prague one more time. Which beers to taste and where to taste them were some of my questions.

Back to Baran and Cacti

After my first visit to Baran Cafe earlier this year, the cafe has become one of my favourite beer temples in Bergen. Friendly bartenders, a nice atmosphere and an excellent selection in draught beers with 16 taps. That some of them are dedicated to craft breweries like Haandbryggeriet, Nøgne Ø and Ægir make Baran a must for visitors to Bergen. In addition to this Naboen and Henrik are nearby, so the Engen area of Bergen has become a mecca for beer lovers.

On my recent visit to Baran Cafe I wanted something simple and ordered a lager. Not just any lager, actually, as I decided to have a Pilsner Urquell. Sure, it is better on tap in the Czech Republic, but it is probably the best lager beer you can get on tap in Norway.

From the visitor statistics I see that many visitors these days look at my post about Cacti Art Cafe in Bergen. A new visit was therefore neccessary to see if the cafe had changed during the last months. Cacti Art Cafe has a reputation of having many beers available, but this month I only found three draught beers. Just like in August these were Bitburger, Mack Arctic Beer and Erdinger wheat beer.

Of course the bottled beer menu is large at Cacti Art Cafe, but I am interested in draught beer. I can drink bottled beers at home. Therefore I ended up with Mack Arctic Beer from tap. This is a nice Norwegian pale lager with a distinct nose and body with a grainy character. It was as expected at Cacti Art Cafe, but I should have chosen the Bitburger. It is a better beer.

Cacti Art Cafe has a better draught beer selection than most pubs in Bergen that normally only sell Hansa or Ringnes pale lagers. But to have exciting draught beer, I prefer other places than Cacti Art Cafe. Baran Cafe is one of them, but it is on the other side of Bergen's city centre. But if you want bottled beers in that neighbourhood, why not try Bar Barista at Stølegaten street? It has an exciting and cozy atmosphere that Cacti Art Cafe lacks.

Best beer selection in Bergen?

Back in Bergen I had a walk through the Nygårdsgaten street. On a corner I found a bar I had not noticed earlier. A sign said that Cafe Baran was established in 2002, and through the windows I could see several beer taps.

Inside, I was really impressed. Baran could offer no less than 16 taps. One was for Magner's cider, while the rest had draught beers. The selection was rather interesting being a Norwegian bar except for the local Hansa pale lager.

At Baran you can drink draught beers from breweries like Pilsner Urquell, Erdinger, Old Speckeled Hen, Marston, Newcastle Brown Ale, Murphy's, Bitburger, Haandbryggeriet and Ægir. In all this is the best selection of draught beers in Bergen, and I can see myself visiting this bar now and then to check out the beer line-up on the taps.

There was time for a beer, so I ordered a Marston's Oyster Stout. The beer was black with a solid head. There was a hint of dark chocolate in the nose, and the beer had a lovely, creamy texture. In the mouth I felt some coffee, a hint of roasted nuts, a touch of dark chocolate and a finish with more coffee and some pines. I liked it, and I am happy to know there is an alternative to Guinness and Murphy's stout in Bergen.

Baran was a small bar room with old furniture an a cozy atmosphere. The Swedish speaking bartender was helpful and did a good job. I am sure to be back trying some of the other beers very soon.

Back to U Sadu

U Sadu was my local during a vacation some years ago. I immediately started to like this Prague pub, and I have spent many hours of my time in the Czech capital at this hospoda.

Earlier this month I was back at U Sadu. Last year it had an 80 year anniversary, and the traditional pub is doing well into its 82nd year.

Pilsner Urquell from tank has been the main attraction in beers from many years. Tankova Pilsner is the best way of drinking the beer from Plzeň. It is fresh, and the tastes of hops, spices and fruityness are much more pinpointed than in ordinary draughted Pilsner Urquell.

These days there are seven different draught beers available at U Sadu in addition to Pilsner Urquell. This means that it is possible to do an entire pub crawl at the pub. Earlier Primator has been the supplier of wheat beer at U Sadu. This has changed. Nowadays the weizen is called Velen, and it is supplied by the Moravian brewery Černá Hora. I looked for Velen last year in several Prague pubs, so I needed to try it at this visit to U Sadu.

In the glass Velen is an unclear beer. There is not that much aroma from the beer, but in the mouth I feel bananas and cloves. Velen was a very good wheat beer, but I believe Primator's weizen is a better beer.

U Sadu is a nice pub, and once again I enjoyed being there. With free wifi there as well, it is a place for both some work, entertainment and a few brews. The opening times are also fantastic. The pub opens at 8AM and closes at 2AM at weekdays. But the opening times for the coming weekend are even better! Just take a look here:

Back in Prague

Prague is a fantastic place in December. The snow makes the city even more attractive, and the Christmas markets are fun to watch. In addition to this you can treat yourself to some mulled wine, hot food or a beer or two.

I had some time to spare, so I jumped on tram number 11 to Sporilov. At the terminus you can find the Prvni Pivni Tramway pub.

It is nearly two years since my last visit to Prvni Pivni Tramway. Pilsner Urquell is still available together with Primator's wheat beer. In addition to this, there is a rotating tap system, where several smaller Czech breweries are represented.

The pub has a tram theme. Inside it you can find old tram seats, and there is even a tram bell at the bar. The men's room is special, and the artwork on the walls is one of a kind.

The day I visited I chose Kocour's rauchbier. The other offers from draught were Chotebor's Premium and Svijany's Maz, which were beers I ended up drinking later during this visit to the Czech Republic.

The rauchbier was the first I tasted from the Kocour brewery. It was a nice beer with scents of mackerel and a interesting taste where smoked ham took the lead with some malts and a hint of hops. I liked this beer, and it is the first smoked beer that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Prvni Pivni Tramway had few guests the afternoon I was there. Last time around it was packed, and the pub had a great atmosphere. It was a pity that I had to move on, as I felt like drinking more rauchbier. But there is always next time, isn't it?