Where to go in Pilsen for specialty beers
Dry February is behind us, spring is finally in the air, and the first businesses have already opened their outdoor seating. And it’s during the first days of spring that the hot drinks can finally move aside for delicious chilled beers. We’ve already given you tips on where to get the best Pilsner 12°, but what other tasty specialty beers and new items can you look forward to this following season?
New beers
Which new beers can you order as of March in Pilsen pubs? The brewers’ choice will be Poutní beer, which is the result of a collaboration between the Pilsner Urquell Brewery and five Czech monastic breweries. It’s a special type of ale called Sahti and it follows a traditional Finnish recipe. Its flavour features juniper, leaven, and fruit, making it reminiscent of a wheat beer. The brewery Raven has also cooked up a spring specialty in the form of a dark beer. Come March, you can go to the pub directly next to the brewery at Bolevec or to Raven City Pub in the city centre for a glass of St. Patrick’s Finest Milk Stout.
Proud brewery changes to the Elektrárna
Beer from the Proud brewery can now be found under the name of beer from the Elektrárna (Power Station). The Proud brewery, however, isn’t going anywhere. Inside Pilsner Urquell’s original electrical power station, the brewery will continue to make experimental beer styles as well as staples such as the lager Ventill, Yuzu Pale Ale, and the popular Proovan non-alcoholic beers. As of May, the Proud brewery will reopen its doors for commentated tours with complimentary beer tastings.
Where to go for specialty beers
Pilsen is full of pubs and bars where you’ll find the most diverse types of beer. Pivstro is located right in the city centre and it offers beer pairings with fantastic food. Or you can try the bar KEGzistence, which keeps up to 10 beers on tap, or the beer café Francis found directly on the main square. Then there’s the Club of Small Breweries, where you’ll run into all sorts of foreign ales. A bit outside of the city centre in Pilsen’s Černice neighbourhood, you’ll find the Purkmistr brewery, where you can actually enjoy a soak in their beer spa. And finally, the breweries Zlatá Kráva and Raven have their own pubs.
A bottle or two for the road
If you’re hoping to find a beer souvenir while in Pilsen, or you’d simply like to take a bottle home with you, then stop by the perfectly outfitted beer bar at the Brewery Museum and its selection of up to 180 kinds of chilled beer. You can also order an incredible experience here: a commentated beer tasting. The museum is open every day from 10-18h.
