World Class Beer at Cold War Prices

Pop quiz: What country invented Pilsner, ranks first in beer consumption per capita, and elected a president who once worked in a brewery? Answer: The Czech Republic, of course.

The best place to get an education in Czech beer is one of Prague's beer halls, where residents gather for conversation over fresh mugs of pivo. The lager is as good as any you'll find in Europe. And it's a lot cheaper than the beer back home: a half-liter will cost you less than a dollar.

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.