Malty Czech beer is made for long, leisurely evenings. It packs less of a wallop than the average Continental Pilsner. In fact, only the British outdo the Czechs at brewing full-flavored, low-alcohol beers.

Three evenings weren't enough to drink in Prague's beer culture. The biggest problem was choosing from among hundreds of beer halls and taverns. I was helped along by the Prague Pub Guide, compiled by an Englishman who'd done a lot of European pub-crawling. Even though the site hasn't been updated in a while, it's still a good starting point. Others worth a look are the Prague Web Site and Time Out.

In an earlier Beer Traveller article, I took you to U Fleku, the 500-year-old landmark that serves its unique dark beer to thousands of visitors each year. It turns out that Prague has a second brewpub, Novomestsky Pivovar (Vodickova 20), which couldn't be any more different from U Fleku. It opened just a few years ago, houses a restaurant that caters to a sophisticated local clientele, and--a rarity in this city--bars smoking. Additionally, the house beer doesn't have the strong floral aroma typical of Czech beers, which make heavy use of local Saaz hops.

The inside of U Pinkasu (Jungmannovo Namesti) reminded me of dining halls from my college days: dark wood paneling; long, heavy tables; off-white walls and ceilings. Surrounded by locals, I enjoyed a Domazlice Purkmistr--a dark beer, which is becoming more popular in Prague.

Next stop was U dvou kocek (Uhelny trh 10), a dimly-lit place whose walls were painted with frolicking figures of jolly men and bosomy women--decor often found in Prague beer halls. Pilsener Urquell was the house beer.

Budweiser Budvar was on tap at the centuries-old U medviku (Na Perstyne 7). The "other Bud"--which some fans swear is the world's best--is unavailable in America, thanks to a long-running trademark dispute with Anheuser-Busch. Wonderful in bottles, it's liquid heaven when drunk out of a cold, foamy mug.

I finished my tour at Branicky Sklipek Pivnice (Vodickova 26). It's a workingman's pub, a vanishing institution in town. The clientele was overwhelmingly male, nearly everybody chain-smoked, and some of the patrons looked like characters straight out of a Hogarth etching. Definitely a no-frills place, with prices to match: about 35 cents a half-liter. A few pointers about Prague beer halls:

• Czech beer names are followed by numbers (typically, 10 to 12 percent). They indicate how much malt is in the beer, and roughly correspond to alcohol content.
• Many establishments serve meals--typically, Central European comfort foods. At U Bubenicku (Myslikova 8), I had a dinner of smoked ham, sauerkraut, and red cabbage wrapped in a potato pancake, and a half-liter of Gambrinus. It cost less than a hamburger and a pint back home.
• Watch out for the "bread scam." You didn't order it, but your server will put out a plate of bread. It'll cost you more than a mug of beer. Ask the server to take it back...and try to ignore the dirty look that follows.
• Bar staff operate on the assumption that you want a refill unless you make it clear you don't. Laying a coaster on top of your glass sends the message.
• When it's time to pay, look for the man with the big black wallet, and settle up with him. Add up the bill before paying, too; some employees are notorious for their creative math.

This article originally appeared on Suite101.com in January 2001.