Prague: Mini Breweries Beer Tour & Czech Appetizers Tasting

4.86

(276 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the smell — that warm, slightly sweet malt drifting out of a side street in Prague’s New Town. Our guide, Pavel, waved us over like he was inviting old friends home. He knew everyone behind the bar at the first brewery, which made it feel less like a tour and more like we’d stumbled into someone’s regular Friday night. We tried something dark and almost chocolatey; I’m still not sure what it was called (my pronunciation was hopeless), but it lingered on my tongue longer than I expected.

Between stops, Pavel threaded us through narrow lanes, pointing out odd details — a stone lion above a doorway, a bakery where he buys koláče for his kids. It started raining lightly as we crossed into Old Town, so we ducked under an awning and he told us how beer has been part of Prague for centuries. At the second brewery, there was this clatter of glasses and that low murmur you only get when locals are happy. The bartender slid over a pale lager that tasted crisp and grassy — honestly, I never thought I’d notice “grassy” in beer until now.

The last place was louder, almost rowdy. Plates of fried cheese and pickled sausage landed on our table before we even sat down. Unlimited pours here — dangerous if you lose track of time or your tolerance (I did both). Someone tried to teach me how to toast in Czech; Li laughed when I tried to say it in Mandarin instead — probably butchered both languages. Walking back through the city lights after all that, everything felt softer around the edges. Still thinking about that first malty smell every time I pass a brewery now.