How to Properly Order a Beer in Prague

Beer has a particularly long and unique history in the Czech Republic, with brewing beginning as early as the year 993. The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world. The beer is known for its light flavor, high foaminess, golden color and cheap price. While the country has a rich history and high consumption, it doesn’t offer the variety beer lovers find in other countries, but the quality makes up for the lack of quantity.

A trip to the capital city of Prague will undoubtedly include beer, as it is offered as readily, if not more readily, than water in restaurants, bars and even some coffee shops. The most common brands you’ll find include Pilsner Urquell, the world’s first pilsner; Budweiser Budvar (different from the U.S. brand); Velkopopovický Kozel; and Staropramen. Most of these are light beers, brewed naturally from hand-picked hops; however recent years have seen darker creamier ales as well, known as “tmavy.”

Most pubs and restaurants have a sign on the front door advertising the type of beer they serve. At traditional spots, you’ll be served a beer as soon as you sit down, whether you ordered one or not. When you order a beer in Prague, specify with “male pivo” or “pivo,” a small or regularly sized beer. Rather than distinguishing beer types by alcohol content, Czech beers are categorized by degree. A 10-degree beer is around 4.5 percent while a 12-degree is about 5 percent alcohol.

One of the most unique aspects of beer culture in the Czech Republic is the option to choose your amount of foam. In some restaurants, you’ll find four different ways to pour a beer. A Crème Urquell (hladinka) is the classic Czech pilsner with about one quarter foam. A Slice (košt or šynt) comes with a six-finger foam with two fingers of beer, three fingers of foam and one finger of empty glass. A Sweet (mlíko) style of beer is a glass almost entirely full of foam, while the Neat (čochtan) style fills the glass with no head of foam.

While you likely won’t find a dozen beers on tap at the bar on your next trip to Prague, you will be able to sample from some of the oldest styles of beer in the world and partake in a rich cultural tradition. We’ll cheers to that.