Czech Beer

It's the land of the original Pilsner and the original Budweiser. We had heard a lot about the greatness of Czech beer and were excited to try it. Thus, we slotted our first lunch at the Strahov Monastery's brewery up near Prague's castle.

They serve a handful of varieties of beer, all unpasteurized and unfiltered. We got to try an IPA, an amber, and a dark beer called St. Norbert. 

This was, without question, the best beer we've ever tasted. If we go back to Prague, we'll probably make a point to come here every day.

Since we were eating and some customers were just grabbing a drink, and since Daisy is a proven conversation starter, we got to know quite a few neighbors at these tables. One couple came from Vienna, where the man was a professor of German literature. Another couple came from London. This man kept exclaiming "Well done! Well DONE!" when he heard about Chris' position at the MPI. Another couple that we met came from Illinois, and they suggested that it was easier traveling with a 2-year-old than with a teenager. I can see their point.

During the rest of the trip, we checked off the rest of the beers on our list...

...all of which were fantastic.

In my German guidebook that I borrowed from the library, I found a list describing the beers. It said that Branik brewery actually uses the river water of the Moldau in its beers. We couldn't find it on tap, so settled for a bottle. Unfortunately, it was so disappointing that I couldn't finish it. Now I know why it's not on tap anywhere!