Budweiser Budvar: Exploring Czech pub culture in the world’s thirstiest country

Brought to you by Budweiser Budvar

Czech pubs are the GOAT

While there's nothing quite like a trip to the pub after a long week at work, there are places across the globe where grabbing a frothy cold one is an entire way of life. Take the Czech Republic, a country where beer rules and its citizens drink more of it than anywhere else in the world. Pubs in the Czech Republic are ingrained into everyday life. Their barkeep equivalents - aptly titled beertenders - are like rock stars in the eyes of beer-loving punters, and after years of mastering how to pour lager perfectly, they are treated like royalty by the local lager enthusiasts. While UK pubs might house a colourful array of characters, each with a familiar sound and dialect - Czech pubs have their own intricate communication system, complete with a beer-fuelled language and specific set of fizzy rituals. Here, punters never go to the bar; instead simply placing a beer mat down on their table is enough to flag down another pint - and when you're done, all you need to do to signal that you're ready for home is to pop said matt on the top of your glass. In fact, the Czech Republic's pub scene is so historic and revered, it's the subject of its very own documentary by Budweiser Budvar - the national brewery of the Czech Republic - which has been brewing its iconic lager in the same way, using the same ingredients, in the same city, for nearly 130 years. Presented by Mark Dredge, a beer expert featured on ITV's Love Your Weekend, this short film really digs into why beer reigns supreme in this lager-loving land. Hit play on Dredge's film and we quickly discover that while the pubs in the Czech Republic are much simpler, their lack of bells and whistles somewhat enriches the experience. Quality is king in these hallowed beer halls and the beertender - or výčepní - trains for years before stepping into the role. The actual technique they use is somewhat simple but the social element of the role requires the beertender to learn the intricate atmosphere of the pub. "He has to live in the pub, and he has to pour for his guests," Czech pub owner Lubos told Dredge. "It's something you can't learn in one or two days. You learn it in years." After years of dedication to their craft and cultivating relationships with their customers, these patrons of libations become local heroes, with their regulars following them from town to town. Said regulars - also known as 'štamgast', meaning 'honoured guest' - gain notoriety over time and often have tables permanently reserved for them. "For me, being a štamgast is about staying loyal to the same place," one regular told the documentary crew. "I've been coming here with my friends for 55 years." The beer lover continued to explain how they receive the utmost standard of care and very often the "highest quality of beer." It's a fairly common sight to see punters in the UK demolish numerous packets of pork scratchings, some nuts and perhaps a packet of crisps or five - but Czech pubs centre their food around the taste of their signature pints. Put simply, a pub owner told Dredge that beer cheese - known locally as Pivní Sýr - got its name because "we use beer to make it, and we eat it with beer." The dish is often served with onion but the ingredients are fairly adaptable to most pallets. Once the Pivní Sýr arrives, punters take some foam from their beer and mix it together to form a paste that they can mop up with bread - essentially making an entire meal with nothing but beer and some delicious accompaniments. So if all this talk of beer and cheese has got you checking flights to the Czech Republic and hankering for a frosty Budweiser Budvar, then you might want to change your summer holiday plans and get working on that permanently reserved table. You can do it! Visit drinkaware.co.uk for the facts about alcohol. Related links:

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