Czechs are one of the world's largest beer consumers, drinking over 160 liters per citizen.
Czech beers are known all over the world. Americans, Russians, and Europeans love the refined
taste of beer from the Czech Republic. Most Czech beer consists only of hops, yeast, water and Barley
malt. This way of brewing is called the "Pilsner style". Beer is part of Czech national heritage, and they have every reason to be proud of their beer! The land in the Czech Republic is ideal for the ingredients of beer. The verdant grounds, the fertile Earth, the Czechs have been in the beer business since 850 A.D. according to certain chronicles. Cerhenice was the location of the first official beer brewery in this central European nation. It took the efforts of King Wenceslas to convince the Pope to remove the ban on brewing beer. With the ban removed the Czech beer industry could do business in Europe. After the 16th century the Czech beer industry saw a decline. The main cause of this was the 30 Year War, and a big pay off (in beer) to the Swedish army to prevent the ransacking of a town. The last 10 years or so saw many smaller and medium-sized breweries taken over by large companies, creating several "giants". Whether this will cause an improvement in Czech beers remains to be seen. Bohemia in the Czech Republic is still the main producer of beer, with some beer also being created in Moravia.
Here are some Czech Beer brands:
Pilsner Urquell - The first Czech Beer and perhaps the most famous one. It's strong hopsy taste brings pleasure to many people each and every day. It is a bit darker than other lagers and is only available in 12-degree. This is quite a heavy beer.
Staropramen - This beer is brewed in Prague. Some people describe this beer as being a bit dull. It's aftertaste is a bit bitter.
Budvar - Known as Budweiser Budvar in many countries. Not to be confused with the American beer.
Budvar is lighter and sweeter than it's Czech brother, Urquell. If you like extreme hangovers, this is your beer for sure! The 12-degree version is recommended.
These 3 beers are only a small selection of the many brands that the Czech Republic has on offer. We suggest using a search engine to find more brands. And of course, enjoy your beer!