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 method 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 satisfaction themselves on being the primary drinkers on this planet. The nation is understood for producing beer manufacturers resembling Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar (to not be confused with the American-brewed Budweiser), Staropramen, Starobrno, Krušovice and lots of others.
The Czech Beer Museum is situated in Prague’s historic quarter, close to different prime sights just like the Jewish Quarter and Prague Astronomical Clock (the third-oldest astronomical clock on this planet and the oldest clock nonetheless in operation), so it’s straightforward to go to if you happen to’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 identify, and we made a number of fallacious turns round down the winding alleys to get there, however finally discovered the precise Beer Museum with the assistance of Google Maps.
The Czech Beer Museum, which opened in 2014, dubs itself the “greatest and solely beer museum in Prague,” with three tales that delve into the historical past of beer and what makes Czech beer nice.
So if you happen to’re a beer geek, you’ll benefit from the historical past facet. But it surely’s not only a museum. There are interactive components, together with a tasting room in an atmospheric cellar, and you may get pleasure from 3 Czech beers for the ticket value, 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 possibly can sit and revel in your first drink. Heading into the museum, the primary room shows an incredible show of beer bottles from everywhere in 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 principle shows to study in regards to 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 finished with the hops. In some sections, you possibly can expertise the true odor of hops and barley. It was fascinating to examine totally different points of brewing historical past.
For example, do you know witchcraft and beer have shut ties and that the unique beer brewers had been girls? All through historic 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 kids) drank weak ale brewed at house. Ladies with no households began promoting ales to townsfolk for enterprise and finally grew to become referred to as Brewsters or Ale Wives.
Nonetheless, in the course of the spiritual motion within the early sixteenth century which condemned witchcraft, male brewers noticed this as a chance to cut back their competitors within the beer commerce and actively demonized girls who brewed beer. Male brewers accused feminine brewers of being witches and by some means the picture of girls with cauldrons brewing up potions as an alternative of booze took maintain and have endured. To today, 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 seems very fashionable, the bottom part is housed in a gorgeous 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 based on “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 once 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 Recreation of Thrones, minus all of the rowdy peasants and smallfolk.
From medieval instances, we jumped ahead a few centuries to a Nineteen Twenties Communist-era themed pub in an adjoining corridor. Components of the cellar had been transformed to resemble what pubs seemed like earlier than the Velvet Revolution, full with life-sized mannequins.
The pub is a time capsule of how Czechoslovakia seemed like earlier than it was cut up into two nations (the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic).
There was an optionally available expertise to supply an authentic beer memento and design a custom-made beer label, which we skipped, content material with the entire museum expertise.
For those who‘re a fan of beer and occur to be in Prague, you need to undoubtedly try their Beer Museum. I loved taking the time to soak within the beer tradition right here.
I appreciated the museum’s movement and structure, 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 offered a quiet place for day consuming. We loved going round, so I say it’s nicely price 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 for normal tickets inclusive of museum tour and three beers every (roughly Php881). College students: 260 CZK
- Web site: http://beermuseum.cz/?lang=en
