Prague again

I have spent some time in Prague this year, and there are of course still great beers to be had in the Czech capital. Among others, I have several times been to Potrefená Husa at the main railway station, Hlavní Nádraží. This is a restaurant chain owned by the Staropramen brewery, and the place at the railway station is a nice place to sit down for a while. There is free wifi at the restaurant, and there is a screen showing departure times for trains.

Most of the Staropramen line-up is available, but at my visits to Potrefena Husa I preferred drinking the Staropramen Nefiltrovaný. This was a cloudy beer with a large head and barely carbonation. In the nose I felt yeast and sweetness, while the beer tasted of hops, apples and strawberries. This was an enjoyable beer, and it is one of the best from this Prague based brewery.

Back at Arlanda

Having another stopover at Stockholm's airport Arlanda, I this time visited Terminal 5. This is a newer and better looking building than Terminal 2, that I visited last year.

For some beer, I sat down at Andersson Food & Aquavit. From draught, Andersson could offer Staropramen Dark Lager and three pale lagers: Carlsberg Hof, Staropramen and Pripps Blå Expert. I have had my share of boring Swedish lagers, so the local Pripps was a no-go. Instead I went for the the dark beer from the Czech Republic.

The beer was as black as a Coca Cola. There was no carbonation, and there was barely a head- In the nose I felt coffee and and sweet malts. The beer was mainly sweet with some caramel, malts and a bit of coffee before a sweet finish. I felt the beer was average, and I know I have been drinking much better dark lagers than this one.

My flight was late, but I did not see it until I was nearly at the gate. I decided it was time for another beer, and I had it at the place called Bar in Terminal 5. The draught beers on offer were Carlsberg Hof, Kronenbourg 1664 and Brooklyn Lager. It was not difficult to choose. I had the American lager, and as usual it was a satisfying experience with aromas of grapefruit and a fine taste combining grapefruit and caramel. It was really enjoyable.

It was time to leave, and next time I am at Terminal 5 I will go straightly to Bar. The best draught beer I have found at Arlanda, is still Brooklyn lager.

Time for Staropramen Kvasničák

I have not been that fond of Staropramen's beers. The Prague based brewery's pale lagers are quite average, but Granát is a fine, Märzen styled beer. I also liked Staropramen's dark lager, but there are other Czech breweries making better examples of that beer style.

Staropramen brewery. Please note that this picture is from 2008.

Walking past the Staropramen brewery near the Anděl metro station, I decided it was time to do some on-site beer drinking at the Na Verandách restaurant. I ordered Staropramen's take on a yeast beer, Staropramen Kvasničák.

Staropramen Kvasničák was an unclear, brownish beer with nearly no carbonation but with a medium sized head. The nose had some yeast, but otherwise there were no aromas. In the mouth there was some fruit, some bread and a fruity finish with some strawberry taking the lead.

This beer was a pleasant experience, and I feel that the Kvasničák is Staropramen's best beer. But the Pilsner Urquell Nefiltrované is miles ahead!

A Swedish local

Taking the number 4 bus from the city centre of Malmö, brings you to the neighbourhood of Slottsstaden. The Kronprinsen building stands like a beacon in Slottsstaden. It is the fifth tallest buildings in Sweden, and the high rise was the largest building in Malmö until the building of the Turning Torso skyscraper, which was completed in 2006.

The view from the top of Kronprinsen is great. You can see a lot of Scania, and it is easy to see Denmark and Copenhagen across the Öresund strait. I had been recommended the restaurant Översten at Kronprinsen, which is placed on the 26th floor. Översten is supposed to have good lunches, but I never got to try them. On my visit to the restaurant, the waiter asked me with a smile if I had ordered a table in advance. I had not, so I was asked to leave the restaurant. That was a shame, as there were many free tables.

On the street level, I asked a man if there were other restaurants in the area. I was not ready for Spanish, French, Japanese or Chinese food that day, so I ended up at Kvarterskrogen. Kvarterskrogen, which is also called Buffen, is like a local pub with a kitchen. They sell typical Swedish courses, and I liked the plankstek I ordered.

Kvarterskrogen can offer five beers on tap. The Swedish Pripps Blå is offered in two versions - both as a starköl and a lättöl. Then there is Carlsberg pale lager, Guinness stout and the Czech Staropramen pale lager. I chose the latter.

I have had some Staropramen lagers on my visits to Prague. It looks like Staropramen is a in-beer in Sweden these days, and many pubs and restaurants offer it on tap. It has never been one of my favourite beers, and I did not change my mind. The beer had some carbonation and a medium sized head. The nose was malty with a hint of hops. The hops took the lead in the mouth with a nasty bitterness combined with more hops, a hint of sugar and a touch of grains. This was not my cup of tea. But I liked Kvarterskrogen and stayed there for some time trying out some of the bottled beers.

Czeched out at home

After several visits to Prague and the Czech Republic, I feel that Czech lager beers are among the best in the world. Sitting at home and thinking of delicious Kout na Sumave lagers or fresh Budvar or unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell brings back great memories. Some of those memories can be revived at home, as a few of the Czech beers are also available here in Norway.

Various beers at a Coop Mega supermarket in Norway. Among the international brands, you can see Czech lager beers like Starobrno and Pilsner Urquell.

The first time I tasted a Czech beer, was in England in 1990. A pub in Scarborough sold Pilsner Urquell from bottles. I liked the lager beer and had several bottles that evening. Later I found Pilsner Urquell now and then at the stately Norwegian Vinmonopolet outlet. Later Urquell also was available outside Vinmonopolet in ordinary shops, and at times I also found Budweiser Budvar here and there.

Pilsner Urquell is sold in both half litre cans and 0.33 litre bottles in Norway.

These days it is easy to get hold of some Czech lagers here in Norway. Pilsner Urquell is sold in many supermarket chains, and in my opinions this is one of the best lager beers. I really enjoy that hoppy taste. Urquell is a tasty lager beer and fortunately it lacks the sugary distinctions that I did not like with the Spanish lagers I had in Tenerife. Poured in a glass, Pilsner Urquell has a golden colour, a large head and little carbonation.

Gambrinus is only sold in half litre bottles in Norway.

Urquell's beer colleague from Plzen, Gambrinus, is sold in the Rema 1000 shops together with Bernard lager. Gambrinus lacks the bitterness and hoppyness of Pilsner Urquell, but it has nearly the same golden colour. Just like Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus has little carbonation and a large head.

Bernard lager in green bottles - but without the trademark swing tops
as found in the Czech Republic.

Bernard is the odd one out. This is a lager beer that I thought I would never find in Norway's largest supermarket chain. But it is there! This is a malty lager with as good as no visible carbonation. In the glass it is presented with a large head and a brownish character in the colour. The beer is unpasteurized, which is quite uncommon among beers sold in Norwegian supermarkets. I like Bernard, and together with Pilsner Urquell, these are the lager beers I usually buy these days.

Starobrno is called "Czech traditional lager" on the bottle label.

Here and there I can also find Starobrno in 0.33 liter bottles. In a glass the colour is somewhat pale. The Starobrno lager is sweeter than the other Czech lager beers sold in Norway, but some hops and bitterness makes it a nice alternative. My wife likes this beer better than Bernard and Pilsner Urquell, but she prefers Gambrinus to Starobrno.

Dark lager from Staropramen.

Staropramen is the big brewery from Prague. Here in Norway Staropramen's pale lager beer is not available, but I can find their dark lager in some shops. Staropramen cerny is nearly black and it tastes fresh with some caramel notes. In my opinion this is much better than Staropramen's pale lagers, but I have tasted Czech dark lagers that are better than this. Kout na Sumave comes immediately to mind.

Budweiser Budvar is returning to Norwegian shops later this year!

Unfortunately Budweiser Budvar is not available in Norwegian shops these days, but that will change. According to a friend who has contacted the importers, the Norwegian ICA supermarkets will start selling Budvar in May. Hopefully more Czech lagers will follow. I would love to be able to buy Kout na Sumave's lagers now and then, and I would also appreciate some of the Svijany beers as well. And why not some offerings from for instance Primator?

Let us have Svijany in Norway, please!

Czech beers are very nice. If you have not tasted them, my recommendation is that you do it. And remember: Czech beers taste even better in the Czech Republic!