Czech Republic

spirits

For spirits, try Becherovka herb liqueur, similar to Jagermeister, tastes of a mixtures of cloves and cinnamon, and drunk as a digestive, slivovice plum brandy, very popular as a pick-me-up, hruškovice pear brandy, less fiery than Slivovice, and so on. Spirits are made out of almost every kind of fruit Plums, Peaches, Cherries, Sloes, etc.. Czech unique tuzemský rum made from sugar beet, not from sugar cane as the Cuban rum, sold under brands like Tuzemák to conform with EU market rules. Be careful as all are about 40% alcohol.

beer

The Czech Republic is the country where modern beer pivo in Czech was invented in Plzeň. Czechs are the heaviest beer drinkers in the world, drinking about 160 litres of it per capita per year. Going to a cosy Czech pub for dinner and a few beers is a must!

The best-known export brands are Pilsner Urquell Plzeňský Prazdroj, Budweiser Budvar Budějovický Budvar and Staropramen freely translateable as "Oldspring". Other major brands which are popular domestically include Gambrinus, Kozel goat, Bernard a small traditional brewery, with very high quality beer, Radegast, and Starobrno made in Brno, the capital of Moravia. Other fantastic beers worth tasting are Svijany and Dobřanská Hvězda. Although many Czechs tend to be very selective about beer brands, tourists usually don't find a significant difference. And remember, real Czech beer is only served on tap – bottled beer is a completely different experience. High-quality beer can almost certainly be found in a hospoda or hostinec, very basic pubs which serve only beer and light snacks. Take a seat and order your drinks when the waiter comes to you - going to the bar to order your drinks is a British custom! But beware, the handling of the beer is even more important than its brand. A bad bartender can completely ruin even excellent beer. Best bet is to ask local beer connoiseurs about a good pub or just join them.

Beers are sometimes listed by their original sugar content, which is measured in degrees Plato P/°. The difference is generally apparent in the final alcohol content. Normal beer is about 10° such as Gambrinus and Staropramen, which results in 4% ABV, lager 12° such as Pilsner Urquell, which results in about 4.75% ABV. The latter is stronger and more expensive, so you should specify which one you want when you order.

Czech lager is nothing like the fizzy lagers found in many other countries. Instead, it has a very strong, hoppy, almost bitter flavour, and goes very well with heavy dishes like duck or pork and dumplings or strong cheeses. It always has a thick head on the top when it is served, but do not be afraid to drink "through" it, it is fun and it slowly disappears anyway, nevertheless do not drink the beer too slowly as the fresh cold taste especially in hot summers quickly fades – the "true" Czech connoisseurs do not even finish this "tepid goat," as they call it.

non-alcoholic

For non-alcoholic drinks, mineral waters are popular, but tend to have a strong mineral taste. Try Mattoni, or Magnesia, both of which taste like normal water and still claim to be good for your health. If you want bubbles, ask for perlivá. If you want it non-carbonated, ask for neperlivá. Sometimes you can see jemně perlivá – it is "lightly bubbled" water. Kofola, a coke-like drink is also very popular, and some Czechs say it is the best thing the communists gave them. Many restaurants don't make any difference between "sparkling water" and "sparkling mineral water".

others

Restaurants and pubs do not offer water for free. Not surprisingly, as beer is the national drink, it is usually the cheapest drink you can buy, with prices ranging from 15–60 Kč 0,50–2 EUR per half litre, depending on the attractiveness of the pub to tourists. Drinks are brought to your table, and often each drink is marked on a small slip of paper which is kept on the table in front of you, so you can keep count of what you have had. When you are ready to leave, ask the waiter for the bill – he or she will calculate the bill according to the number of marks on the paper. It is common to share tables in busy pubs and Czech people will ask Je tu volno? Is this seat free?, before they sit down.

Try also svařák, hot mulled wine served in all pubs, and outdoors at Christmas markets, grog, hot rum and water served with a slice of lemon - add sugar to taste, and medovina, mead, again usually served hot, and particularly good for warming up at a cold winter market. Finally, if you are heading into Moravia, try burčák, a speciality found only around the end of the summer, or early autumn. It is extremely young wine, usually white, and is the cloudy, still fermenting stage in wine production when the wine is very sweet, and very smooth to drink. It continues to ferment in the stomach, so the alcohol content at the time of drinking it is unknown, but it is usually high, creeps up on you, and it is very moreish. Czechs say that it should only be drunk fresh from the vineyard, and many small private wine makers are passionate about it, waiting up into the night for the moment when the wine reaches the "burčák" stage. You can see it at wine festivals around the country, and sometimes in markets or wine bars too.

wine

Wine víno in Czech is another popular drink, particularly wine from Moravia in the south-eastern part of the country where the climate is more suited to vineyards. White wines tend to be the best as the growing conditions are more favourable for them. For white wines, try Veltlínské zelené Green Veltliner, MuÅ¡kát moravský Moravian Muscatel, Ryzlink rýnský Rhine Riesling or Tramín Traminer, or red wines such as Frankovka Blaufrankisch, Modrý Portugal Blue Portugal, named after the grape, not the country, or Svatovavřinecké Saint Lawrence. Also try ice wine ledové víno made when the grapes are harvested after they have frozen on the vines, or straw wine slámové víno made by leaving the grapes to ripen on straw) – these wines are more expensive and are similar to dessert wines. Bohemia Sekt is also popular with Czechs, and is an inexpensive sweet, fizzy wine, similar to Lambrusco, and drunk at celebrations. The best places for wine are either a wine bar vinárna, or a wine shop vinotéka which sometimes has a small bar area too.