Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, was one among my favourite cities throughout our journey to Europe visiting 10 nations. And whereas in Prague, one of many locations that I loved probably the most was the Czech Beer Museum. I like beer and I like visiting museums. So what higher option to soak within the metropolis’s beer tradition than to go to a spot that explains Czech beer historical past and brewing traditions?
The Czechs delight themselves on being the primary drinkers on the earth. The nation is understood for producing beer manufacturers reminiscent of Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar (to not be confused with the American-brewed Budweiser), Staropramen, Starobrno, Krušovice and plenty of others.
The Czech Beer Museum is positioned in Prague’s historic quarter, close to different high points of interest just like the Jewish Quarter and Prague Astronomical Clock (the third-oldest astronomical clock on the earth and the oldest clock nonetheless in operation), so it’s simple to go to when you’re already sightseeing within the space.
Initially, I pinned one other “Prague Beer Museum” which turned out to be only a restaurant/pub with “museum” in its title, and we made a number of flawed turns round down the winding alleys to get there, however ultimately discovered the proper Beer Museum with the assistance of Google Maps.
The Czech Beer Museum, which opened in 2014, dubs itself the “largest and solely beer museum in Prague,” with three tales that delve into the historical past of beer and what makes Czech beer nice.
So when you’re a beer geek, you’ll benefit from the historical past facet. Nevertheless it’s not only a museum. There are interactive components, together with a tasting room in an atmospheric cellar, and you’ll take pleasure in 3 Czech beers for the ticket worth, so it’s such as you get to go to a bar and museum in a single.
After paying for entry tickets (walk-ins are allowed), the tour begins with an orientation and welcome beer poured by the brewmaster within the foyer.
There’s an al fresco space with beer posters the place you may sit and luxuriate in your first drink. Heading into the museum, the primary room shows an incredible show of beer bottles from all around the Czech Republic on one wall and infographics on how a lot beer is consumed per nation.
From right here, we headed upstairs to the primary shows to study concerning the historical past of native brewing from the Tenth-century to the golden age of beer. There was a variety of beer historical past to undergo from mannequin shows of historic artifacts, video shows, and extra.
A brewery mannequin illustrates how malt is made and what’s carried out with the hops. In some sections, you may expertise the actual scent of hops and barley. It was fascinating to examine completely different facets of brewing historical past.
As an illustration, do you know witchcraft and beer have shut ties and that the unique beer brewers have been girls? All through historical historical past and through Medieval instances in Europe, brewing beer was thought of girls’s work and an extension of their family duties. Everybody (together with youngsters) drank weak ale brewed at dwelling. Ladies with no households began promoting ales to townsfolk for enterprise and ultimately grew to become often known as Brewsters or Ale Wives.
Nevertheless, in the course of the non secular motion within the early sixteenth century which condemned witchcraft, male brewers noticed this as a possibility to scale back their competitors within the beer commerce and actively demonized girls who brewed beer. Male brewers accused feminine brewers of being witches and someway the picture of girls with cauldrons brewing up potions as a substitute of booze took maintain and have endured. To at the present time, beer brewing is a male-dominated trade and main beer firms usually painting beer as a drink for males regardless of its origins.
After the historical past lesson, we descended into the dimly lit beer cellar, for extra beer consuming. Whereas the museum itself appears to be like very fashionable, the bottom part is housed in a wonderful Thirteenth-century cellar, that appears like a dungeon straight out of medieval instances.
We acquired to pour beers from an automated machine within the adjoining Beer Chapel and loved one other two Czech beers right here. The primary was Demon Lobkowicz, a semi darkish lager beer (ABV: 5.20%) that’s ready in response to “previous monastic recipes of the Munich space courting again to 1420. This had a wealthy and balanced taste profile, and barely candy style with nice malty aroma. The second beer was Cerna Hora Boruvka, a semi darkish lager brewed with blueberries (ABV: 4.40%) and Saaz hops. This was refreshing and candy due to the berry style.
There have been just a few guests to the museum after we dropped by, so it was quiet and peaceable. I felt like I used to be teleported again in time to a tavern in Home of the Dragons or Sport of Thrones, minus all of the rowdy peasants and smallfolk.
From medieval instances, we jumped ahead a few centuries to a Twenties Communist-era themed pub in an adjoining corridor. Elements of the cellar have been transformed to resemble what pubs appeared like earlier than the Velvet Revolution, full with life-sized mannequins.
The pub is a time capsule of how Czechoslovakia appeared like earlier than it was break up into two nations (the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic).
There was an non-obligatory expertise to supply an authentic beer memento and design a custom-made beer label, which we skipped, content material with the entire museum expertise.
Should you‘re a fan of beer and occur to be in Prague, it’s best to positively try their Beer Museum. I loved taking the time to soak within the beer tradition right here.
I appreciated the museum’s circulate and format, all of the fascinating trivia and historical past on beer, and the vibe within the underground bars. The museum was not overwhelming or too crowded like another museums we visited in Europe, and supplied a quiet place for day consuming. We loved going round, so I say it’s properly value it!
Location
Beer Museum, Husova 21, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia. Open from Monday to Sunday 10:30 am– 8:30 pm. Final entry is at 7:15 pm.
- Ticket costs: 360 CZK or 15 euros for normal tickets inclusive of museum tour and three beers every (roughly Php 881). College students: 260 CZK
- Web site: http://beermuseum.cz/?lang=en
