The wonders of alcohol

I'm no expert but here's some drinks I like from Czech...

1) Top of the list is my new found favourite drink. Medovina. I checked this out on the interweb today and found that although most of the sites associated with it are Czech it's also brewed in Colorado. Not sure what that's like but the Czech stuff is blooming gorgeous. It's a honey mead and comes in different types (sweetnesses) and has different flavours depending on where it's from. This has a dry, almost bitter aftertaste - it's fab when it's hot -steaming booze fumes are just what you need when you come out of the cold...








2) Number 2 is beer. Just beer. Beer in general. My Great Grandfather once said "there's no such thing as a bad beer, just some that are better than others". Quite so, and doubly when, as in most pubs in Czech, the beer is cheaper than water. Think on. The taste and weight is generally fantastic. Czech is famous for Pilsner but my favourite is the dark beer - if you can find a dark Kozel - that's a good general drink. Quite heavy if you're drinking alot but for a few pints it's hard to beat. If you can find a pub that brews its own don't be afraid to try it. The strength rating system is different and beers are rated in degrees. 10 is about the strength of a pilsner. The darker beers tend to be 12 degrees and up sweeter and fully bodied than pilsner.

3) Slivovice. This is brewed commercially but it's also common for folks to take their own fruit to the distillery and get it made up into Slivovice. This is generally mind numbingly strong but you can still taste the fruit. Good for killing brain cells and giving you the illusion that you are warm.

4) Punch. What sort? Rum Punch. Fruit? Neh. Strong, hot, winey, fruity drinks in general.


5) Becherovka. This is a herby spirit - takes a bit of getting used to but worth persevering with. There's a good article on it here.

Next up, Klobasi!