Prague diaries – a beer tour that brewed a friendship

A trip to the Czech capital is incomplete without getting a beer belly from its popular lager. What’s a better way than taking a ‘Beer Tour’ that gives you insights on Czech Republic’s beer history and types of brew?

To tick off another item on our Prague bucket list, on a chilly rainy afternoon, we assembled at a common meeting point with other beer enthusiasts from across the globe. As any tour protocol, we started out with introductions. “How about you mention your names and where you’re from”, announced our guide, Vaclav.

As usual I was set to spell out “I’m Palavi, from India” but the husband nudged me and prompted, “Let’s say, we are from India but live in Saudi Arabia. After all, how many people living in the Saudi would possibly join a Beer Tour in Prague?” Well, he had a point and I decided to (unlike most times) play along.

After a Mexican couple introduced themselves, we did our little tweaked introductions and instantly got a “Wait, we live in Saudi Arabia too!” Turned out the Mexican couple, Jessie and Jorge had flown in from Riyadh as well. In the next three minutes, we had each others’ phone numbers and addresses and I was picturing us (in my cartoon-like thought bubble) hanging out in Riyadh already.

What a great start to the beer tour! For all the beer lovers and tasters (like me), here’s a brief tour of the three distinct pubs we visited~

Our first stop was The PUB – Pilsner Unique Bar. A contemporary, high-tech bar where we learnt how to pour a perfect pint of Pilsner – the ideal pint is with a two-finger width foam. If you’ve ever poured one from the tap, you’ll know that it’s a tricky business – with tilting the mug to a certain angle and moderating the flow of beer from the tap. The interesting part being, a meter on each table calculated the bills based on beer poured out and displayed statistics comparing other tables. No surprise why beer drinking is a ‘sport’ in the Czech Republic!

The beer meter!

A seven-minute walk away was Restaurance U Špirků, with its extraordinary medieval character that took us a couple centuries back. Established in 1870, this restaurant is one of the oldest in Prague. What stood out the most for me, were its unique interiors, displaying four replica devices of alchemists from the 16^th century. And believe it or not, this restaurant also housed the first and the only ‘interior sundial’ in the world!

An Alchemist’s device (replica)

The interior sundial

We tried the wheat brew here and also got introduced to Becherovka (the Czech Jagermeister) – a herbal bitters used as digestive aid and made from a secret recipe of 22 herbs and spices. Oh and did I mention that it has only 38% alcohol content?!

Having downed a mix of lagers, we trotted along to our last stop through the cobbled streets of Prague and heard Vaclav exclaim, “Now, Czech humor is a bit messed up. You’ll see why”. Perplexed and curious, we stepped in to U PIVRNCE and found the place giving modern café vibes with its walls decked with grisly comics, some quite disturbing and even offensive.

Sipping on a pint of dark lager, munching on cheese nachos and having a hearty chat with fellow Australian and Colombian beer enthusiasts, we got scribbling our bit on the walls with colored crayons.

I always say that ‘the best part about travels is making new friends (after museum visits, of course)’ but hey, what were the odds of making new friends from Mexico based in Riyadh! An uncanny coincidence in Prague brewed a friendship with the most fun-loving, warm and enthusiastic couple.

Taking Arabic language lessons together, sharing conversations over Mexican and Indian food, attending art workshops and exploring the city of Riyadh together definitely turned the desert life more colorful and happening.

Ad Diriyah Historical District, Saudi Arabia

I believe encounters like these are the essence of life and that you don’t have to be ‘related’ to be a family…

As a cross-cultural trainer and an avid traveller, I’ve realized the best way to connect with fellow travelers or locals is by sharing ‘commonalities’. Think about it, don’t you connect the most with someone you share something in common with? Be it sporting the same t-shirt or a city you’ve both visited before or a common language you speak.

So being open and adding that ‘extra bit’ to your identity can change your travel experience and maybe, just maybe, a part of your life too (!) just like it did for me 🙂