Say what, American beer prices?

Appalling! When you get used to excellent beer for less than a dollar, it's a downer to see American level prices.

After spending time today in the czech Home Depot, hey what can we say, it feels so normal, Matt drove to a watering hole that sells beer to go. Stocking up before the playoffs this weekend was a necessity.

He sent me in alone, since I'd never been there before, and the kids were already happy in their car seats. I must admit, it was a fun store/brewpub. I picked out a handful of liter bottles, along with two 1-liter growlers to go. I didn't look at prices at all, because it's typically such a bargain! Well, each of my 1-liter growlers was 125CZK, or about $6.00. That's about $3.25/pint! Better than American bar prices I guess, but not by much. What's going on, Czech Republic? Is the local industry tuning into demand for specialized beer?

Takeaway: Visitors, get here fast, while the beer still cheap!

One other note, this is the same place that Anthony Bourdain visits on his 'No Reservations' show for the Czech Republic. For anyone who has seen that episode, it's where he eats a roasted pork knee, a local favorite.

Now back to the beer...

I'm sipping on the first of the two growlers. It's an IPA, "Jubiler", from a brewery in Moravia, in the southeastern part of the country. [Pivovar Vyskov] Once poured, it had only a slight head, less than acentimeter, although this might have been a consequence of sitting in the growler. (?) It's clear and dark golden, with a nice, but not overpowering hop aroma. The internet says the following - 'this beer is hopped 4x - including hopping in cold lager tank. 15.3 ° Hops used: Kazbek, Premiant, Cascade.' For all of that hopping, I would have expected a stronger hop presence. It's lacking the strong florals and pines that I want, but is still satisfying. The bitterness is there in a comfortable dose. I'd like a bit more carbonation, but I tend to like higher carbonation. On the whole, I'd definitely drink it again....but would I buy it? At such a premium to other good beers, even czech IPAs, I'm not sure that I would. I'd seek out the Czech 'Samari' IPA, for a few less crowns, any day.

Undo edits