“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.” Coco Chanel

I absolutely love beer, but those who know me well call me Bubblehead, and they know that my true passion is champagne. The effervescence of a cold glass of champagne makes every moment feel special. Champagne is like a long-term commitment, while beer is more like a fling.

I just discovered a new spot in Prague that I haven't checked out before. I'm excited to go and give it a try, and of course, I'll let you know what I think. And guess what? They offer Champagne from Collet, which is an amazing Champagne house. Can't wait to share my experience with you at Champagneria and let you know if this is merely a fling, or if it will lead to an engagement. 

Bubblehead enjoying Champagne on a visit to Paris

  

They call me Rummy

“Why is the Rum gone.” -Jack Sparrow

Yeah, I feel like that sometimes often. Don't judge.

Before reading on... make sure this plays in the background Ah Gallon ah rum

Good thing RumFest is a mere day away.  Rum cocktails, rum on the rocks, rum neat, rum-from-the-bottle, rum shots (ok, perhaps not shots), but an adundance of rum in my glass whilst at a great locale on the waterfront?  I say run, run, run to drink rum.  

Rum what!?:  A magical beverage that turns one into a pirate 

Rum when!? May 19th

Rum where!?   Žluté lázně (translates to Yellow Spa.  Literally).

Yellow Spa

Rum how?! Buy your tickets here

Rum why?!  Because it is rum.  No further explanation necessary.

I am quite the fan of Mount Gay Extra Old, and recently I have discovered indulged over-indulged in a Hawaiian rum called Ko Hana (well, sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii in 1841... and they do make a mean Mai Tai) so it makes sense there would be a rum worth indulging over-indulging in.

And then there is Don Papa.  I like anything called Don Papa.  I just want to say Don Papa over and over and over again. Don Papa Don Papa Don Papa small batch rum from the Philippines.  "Now available in New York!"   Good to know cause I just schlepped my ass to Asia for this stuff.

Let me know if you drink either at RumFest....

Hemingway. Shall we call him the Patron Saint of Cocktails?

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools." — For Whom the Bell Tolls, 1940

According to CNN Travel, one of the world's 50 best bars is in (drumroll, please) Prague.  Can't say I am shocked as I have had my fair share of great memories at several of them.

So, which bar is it?  One that I have not been to, but will have to visit next time I am in town, and that bar is Hemingway Bar.  I must say, I am quite impressed with their cocktail list and their abundance of gins and rums (my favorite spirits!).  This place has that speak easy, prohibition-era vibe. I like it.

 "I wanted to try this new drink. That's all we do, isn't it—look at things and try new drinks?" —"Hills Like White Elephants," Men Without Women, 1927

Ice, Ice Baby

I discovered a great place to go to cool off on a sweltering summer's day (not that it is a sweltering summer day).  Not even close, actually.

Let me try this again...

I discovered a great place to go on a crisp autumn day to enjoy an ice cold beer (literally) and prep one's self for the winter days still to come.

Much better.

Where is this winter wonderland where nude ice ladies serve you ice-cold Absolut shots?

Ice Pub Prague located in Karlovy lázně, Smetanovo nábřeží 198/1, 

110 00 Praha 1, Old Town

Welcome to your very own igloo

Where the drinks are served ice-cold in a glass made of ice, naturally. 

The DJ spins...on ice

And the art is, well...ice!

So just how cold is it?  -7 degree Celsius, which is 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit.  So yeah, it's damn cold.

But don't fear, they'll provide you with a thermal eskimo suit & gloves.  

See, I don't even like the cold (allow me to clarify, I don't like anything below 75 degrees F), and I was smiling.  

**Maybe I had a few of those shots by this time...**

Note:  Guests are only allowed to stay inside for 30-minutes.  Don't worry, you won't turn into this...

Yet another reason why...

I LOVE

Mmm Beer

All About Beer had a great article this month,Touring Prague: Understanding Czech Beer in Five Easy Stops.

Aside from Lokál, which I have not been to yet, I agree with their selections.  U Fleků and Klášterní Pivovar Strahov are two of my favorite places... old faithfuls if you will.   I'd say if you'll be visiting Prague, these 5 stops are a definite must.  Beer tour, anyone?

I've posted about Pivovar Strahov before and you can read it here, a well as Zlý Časy, which you will find here.

I think we can all agree that Homer Simpson says it best...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Get your Guinness on in Prague

Where will you be celebrating with a pint in-hand?

There are several Irish pubs in Prague to get your Guinness on because apparently...

 

Caffrey's in Old Town Square 

The Dubliner located in the Tyn courtyard (not far from Caffrey's) 

The James Joyce Pub (formerly Molly Malone's) has the most authentic Irish country pub atmosphere and is just a 5-minute walk from Old Town Square.  U Obecniho dvora 4 Prague 1

Rock O' Reilly's located at Štěpánská 32 attracts lots of stag and hen parties, so be ready for a packed house

 

J.J. Murphy's Irish Bar   located at Trziste 4, Praha 1

is situated around the corner from Malostranské náměstí

The Irish Club  at Keramická 4 in Prague 7 has a cozy, homey feel thanks to its woodwork (direct from Ireland apparently).

Money Murphy's  at Krymská 39 in Prague 10 may not have the most authentic Irish feel, but if you're looking for a laid back atmosphere, this is the place for you.  Word of warning... Guinness is bottled.

Pub O'Brien's at Janovského 36 in Prague 10 is situated near Výstaviště, the exhibition grounds.  It's a cross between Irish and Pirate.  Yes, pirate.  Argh.

Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta

Of all the times I have strolled down Bartolomějská Street in Old Town I have never, not once, noticed Al Capone's.  Shame on me.

The cheapest cocktails in town?

By Jennifer Rigby

Cocktails are a classy drink, as a rule. And with a classy drink often comes a classy atmosphere, classy music – and equally “classy” prices.

Not so in a little joint called Al Capone’s in the Old Town. And when I say little, I mean little – with 25 people in there, it could feel cramped. It’s dark, possibly a little scruffy (hard to tell because of the lighting), and packed to the rafters with different kinds of alcohol. 

But most importantly, the cocktails are pretty good, and they are extremely reasonably priced – 65 Kč for the main list. That amounts to a real bargain, when you are in the mood for the high life – but not the high price.

Cheap cocktail bars can be truly unpleasant, with syrups and sugars replacing real fruit and watered down liquor replacing the real deal. But at Al Capone’s it all seems pretty authentic.

Late on a Saturday night, there was a free tiny table (in the back, there are bigger tables, but on the way in past the bar, there are only tiny two-person perches, each with their own lamp) and a pleasant hum of conversation.

All in all, a pretty cool bar, nice drinks, nice atmosphere, nice prices. The only thing holding me back from wholehearted, full-throated recommendation are the frankly terrifying pictures on their website – including naked women and passed out blokes with their heads on the bar. Slightly inexplicable to me – for a start I’m not sure how they fitted in the naked ladies alongside all the regular drinkers – but on my two visits that kind of stag party debauchery seemed totally off the agenda.

I certainly hope so – because it would be a shame if this chilled out bar with such brilliant prices was taken over by the “drink until you’re sick” crowd.

Well, Jennifer's article intrigued me enough to add Al Capone's to my list of "should try"- I'll let you know what I thought.  Hopefully my night will be free of "naked women and passed out blokes with their heads on the bar...".  See for yourself at Al Capone's

Address:  Bartolomějská 305/3

Praha 1, Old Town

As if it's not cold enough...

But hell, if it's cold you may as well surround yourself with ice, snow, and even more ice right here in Prague at our very own ice bar!  Good thing cocktails will warm you up...

Cloud 9 Sky Bar & Lounge at the Hilton Hotel will be holding it's Ice Bar Opening Party tomorrow, Friday, January 6th.  Don't miss your chance to experience a bar made entirely of ice!  The view from the Hilton's terrace is spectacular, and you'll also get to taste and enjoy Slovakia's Double Cross Vodka, as they're holding their official launch at this event, too.  

Even better, Lime & Tonic has a special offer to attend this event.  Tickets are normally 2000kc, but through Lime & Tonic they're only 1,390kc, and every purchase helps to support tree planting.  There's also an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet included, and of course all-you-can-drink Double Cross Vodka cocktails.

As they say in Slovakia, na zdravie, and as we say in Czech, na zdraví!

Wednesday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed - At the Three White Roses (U tří bílých růží)

At the Three White Roses (U tří bílých růží)

This insignia is on one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Prague!  This 3-story building constructed in the late 19th century on the site of a far older medieval residence is today more widely known by the surname of its builder.

Any guesses?

As inscribed in the fresco ornamentation of the façade, the name of "V.J. Rott" invokes the founder of the longstanding family firm, Vincenc Josef Rott, who opened his first shop on the site in 1840.  

Vincenc Josef Rott

Initially, he traded clocks and musical instruments, but later extended his scope to include iron tools and ironmongery of all possible types.  In fact, a prosperous iromongers' flourished in the house almost up to the very end of the 20th century, retaining its fame among the citizens of Prague even under state ownership during the years of Communist rule.  The frescoes decorating the façade are the work of the late-19th century Czech painter Mikoláš Aleš, and inspired by the theme of the various professions that make use of iron tools: a peasant with a scythe and his wife with a sickle, a medieval blacksmith and a housewife roasting chicken on an iron spot, a gardener leaning against an iron rake.  

 Mikoláš Aleš

Aleš, whose most famous artwork is on the calendar with allegorical depictions of the twelve months on the mechanical clock of the Old Town Hall only a few steps away, also managed to include "three white roses" that gave the building its name - positioning them on the highest gable.  

Drumroll please, because you know what's coming don't you?  A legend!...

So, according to legend, the original house was the residence of three sisters, as beautiful as three white roses.  Their parents died while they were still young, and the girls inherited a great fortune.  Yet what they had in property did not make up for their deficiencies in common sense, since all three of them in turn fell victim to the same man.  Disguised as three different suitors of considerable property, he married each girl in turn and took her abroad with her dowry of many chests filled with gold pieces - where he then robbed and deserted her.

 Today, the building serves as a 4-star hotel, aptly named Hotel Rott.  There also used to be a wonderful crystal shop that sold stunning glassware, but now it's a Hard Rock Cafe.  

Address:

U Rotta (Rottův dům, U tří bílých růží) - Malé náměstí 3/142, Staré Město 

Rott House, At the Three White Roses - Small Square 3/142, Old Town

A wolf in sheep's clothing

The most dangerous beverage in Prague (and no it's not absinthe, although that's a close second) is most definitely Burčák.  

I don't like autumn, but it does bring with it Burčák season - and I love me some Burčák!  So hurry - you have until about November 30th to indulge in this ridiculously good young wine.

For those of you unfamiliar with this oh-so-good sweet nectar, Burčák is the fermented young Moravian wine that is available several weeks into the start of the grape harvest.  It's very sweet and damn good, but beware, for Burčák is known as a wolf in sheep's clothing (and, um, I can attest to that).

Besides its dangerously good phenomenal taste, there is a curse of Burčák.  You see, while it only contains about 5% alcohol, it continues to ferment while inside your body.  That sounds much worse than it is, and if you're like me you're probably visualizing some yeasty beast growing inside you.  Gross.  But no, nothing like that.  It simply means that the alcohol level of the insanely delicious sweet beverage you've been consuming for the past four hours (perhaps less, perhaps more) has grown to that of a normal, matured wine (approximately 13%) while in your body.  This most certainly explains why more than half of the folks I met at the Burčák festival were happy drunk (self-included).

Enjoying Burčák in Náměstí Míru, Prague

Although you can find Burčák this time of year at many establishments (especially wine bars) throughout Prague, I suggest going to the source.  Head to the wine region of Moravia and enjoy harvest celebrations in the town of Znojmo, as well as other large wine areas such as Mikulov and Valtice.  "Czechs but especially Moravians have a very deep, traditional relationship with Burčák, because it is a traditional Moravian beverage.  Though Austrians and Germans also produce and consume young wine, only Czechs have Burčák, the name now protected under new legislation within the new EU.  Following EU accession the only true Burčák can come strictly from Moravian or Czech grapes."   

Indulge - before it's all gone!

Beer Me

I don't know what it is but today I'm craving a good pilsner.  And so it is that with a great pilsner within my reach, I bring you to a wonderful Czech beer hall style pub in the heart Prague.  One that has retained its old world charm and hasn't become a tourist spot.  Sure there will be tourists on any given day/night...can't really escape them ...but somehow they have managed to remain a favorite spot with the locals.  Oh, and did I mention they brew their own beer?   Uh huh, yes, indeed they do.  A pub that brews it's own pivo, serves good food, and is a favorite haunt amongst locals in the heart of the city - there is a God!

 

U Medvídků dates back to 1466 and for over 500 years the building served as a brewery until the former malt house was converted into the present day beer hall in the 20th century.  The history of brewing is still retained in the form of a small microbrewery.

Then:

Now:

The beer at U Medvídků flows plentifully and is reasonably priced.  Although I'm a pilsner girl, be sure to try  their famous unfiltered amber lager Oldgott (rich in minerals and B vitamins so drink up!) and their newer 1446 pale lager.  

Definitely be sure to order their infamous X Beer 33 - it's a dark, bittersweet lager that ferments for 6-months in an oak barrel and has an alcohol content of 11.8%.  Bring it on!

Address:  Na Perstyne 7, Old Town, Prague 1