Special Czech 7 pack - Pivní Galerie

This 7 pack brings the diversity of Czech beer, it is a weird number for a pack... I must say I am more used to packs with even numbers (6, 10, 20...).

The beers in the picture are, from left to right, Démon (5,2%), Rychtár (6,5%), Protivínský Granát (4,6%), Jihlanský Grand (8,0%), Janácek Comenius (6,0%), Zeloský Zacharíás (6,0%) and Práchenská Perla (6,0%).

This seven-pack was acquired in Prague, in a very unusual bar. Even though we got to the bar following the guide book's directions, the place is not very touristy, mainly because it doesn't have a fixed opening time.

One should always check the website beforehand to be sure of finding the doors opened, which usually does not happen on weekends. The bar has a huge variety of Czech beer (and also imported beer) and very nice wall art. The owner is a very helpull and nice person. He sat by the table and had a few beers with us, exchanging beer culture and stories untill the doors closed. Right before leaving, he still allowed me almost half an hour to look around the shop outside the bar for some beer I didn't have. That's when I got the seven-pack.

The name of the bar is Galerie Pivní, located at U Pruhonu 9, Prague. In this post, instead of the producer's link, I'll promote the bar's website, which might prove a lot more usefull if you ever go to Prague!

Link to the bar: www.pivnigalerie.cz

Bernard - Easter Special

This 500ml bottle contains the 2011 Easter special beer (5,0% alcoholic) of a Czech brewery called 'Bernard'.

Known in Czech Republic for the creative advertisement, this brewery brings in its label the picture of this man (Bernard?), always striking the same pose (same picture?) but with different hats/costumes/colors. The link for the brewery shows a bit of those advertisements and lables.

http://www.bernard.cz/en/index.shtml

I visited Prague during Easter this year, and bought this one in a supermarket nearby the city center. At first, the impression I had was that Bernard, in this very peculiar Easter Bunny costume, was biting a carrot, which kinda makes sense... but if you take a closer look, you'll realise that what he actually bites, is a whip! The very same pussy willow twigs decorated and arranged in the shape of a whip that Czech people carry in the streets on Easter Sunday!

A whip??? Why the hell a whip? A brief search at the tourist guide explains that traditionally, Czech boys whip the girls with those twigs on the back of her legs (AKA butt) to bring them youth and health.... but not only that! As a way to thank the guy, the girl is supposed to gift him easter eggs o.O

Google doesn't allow me to lie:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVV5phMEW1E&feature=related
- http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech_culture/czech_holidays/easter/

If you ask me, I just say that Czech traditions are simply as awesome as their beer

Gambrinus - Premium and Svetlý

Gambrinus is not only one of the most popular Czech beers, but also the name of a legendary king o Flandres, unofficial patron saint of beer and the art of beer brewing (picture above, on the right).

There is a law in Brazil that free churches from taxes... I know now which saint my church will praise when I create it as a mean of tax evasion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambrinus

The bottle on the center was aquired when travelling to Dresden and stopping at Czech Republic for refuelling (the car :P), the other two were yet another contribution from Anderl. All the bottles are 500ml volume, and though two are mostly the same, the label is slightly different. In other occasion, I wouldn't aquire the second bottle, but as I got it as a gift, it gets a picture here, a place in my shelf and in the catalogue.

The Gambrinus Premium is a Lager beer with 5,0% alcohol, while the Svetlý is a Pilsner (produced in the city of Pilsen, Czech Republic) with 4,1% alcohol. Both are produced by Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery and were posted all together here to save my fingers from typing and your eyes from reading too many posts.


Link to the producer: http://www.prazdroj.cz/en/about-the-company/products/gambrinus

Breznák - Pils

For a small change from the Germans, this is an original Bohemian Pilsner beer, produced since 1753 in nowadays Czech Republic. Lately, the brewery was bought by Heineken, this is a 500ml bottle and the beer graduation is of 5,1%

Link to the producer: http://www.breznak.cz/?katalog