Quota filled in Czech Republic

I recently spent a few days in the beautiful sceneries of Czech Republic and I must admit that this is the farthest I've gone east inside of Europe. First we need some beer facts because that's all we really care about right? Czech Republic is number one in the per capita consumption of beer, a smashing 132 litres crushing second place Germany at 107 litres throwing Canada in fifth and the U.S. in twelfth.

Most of you will think about Pilsner Urquell and Kozel and perhaps Czechvar (the original Budweiser) which has an interesting trademark dispute with Anheuser-Busch.

Finding some literature on Czech beers was proven difficult, there are a few blogs worth reading and I managed to find a tiny book on the most popular breweries in Czech Republic which was more of an advertising brochure. "Come visit our brewery. Our beer is good. Free sample. Address/Phone number." For 79 Czech korunas (or crowns), I didn't make a fuss.

If you're curious about the exchange rate...it's awesome. We were told that in Czech Republic you can buy a fresh half litre of beer for no more than 1 euro, well the closest we got was 1,10 which in my opinion is why their per capita is so high, it's as cheap to buy a beer in a restaurant as to buy one in a superstore. The other reason why their per capita is so high would be attributed to their beer's alcohol by volume (ABV) which is usually below 5%.

A few things to note when ordering a Czech beer, you'll often have the choice between a 10 º and a   12 º beer, this has to do with the pre-fermentation process and something called the "Original Gravity", chemists read more here. I was recommended the 12º Lobkowicz and was not disappointed.

U Dvou Kocek in the heart of Prague prides itself in brewing it's own beer, you can watch the process near the entrance while you gulp down a cold one.

You'll notice that not all Czech beers are not all pilsners and pale lagers, you'll also be surprised by the refreshing taste of their "Cerne" dark beer. Guinness lovers will notice that it's not as rich and creamy but some of them have strong chocolate and a certain sweetness on the nose which is very nice when you need something different.

Eggenberg's Nakoureny Svihak (Cesky Krumlov, CZ)

Until I return, I still have a lot to learn about Czech beers, I welcome your comments or any contribution you would like to make to this article. I will be working on a beer spa article as well!

If you're curious about Czech beers or beer travels to Czech Republic I encourage you to visit these links:

Czech beerfest
Czech beer guide (a bit outdated but a few words of encouragement might bring them up to par)
BBC's surprising facts about Czech beer