Monday 18th August 2014

Bob Thompson

As can be seen above this brew pub has changed its name in recent years, possibly more than once. I was in Plzeň along with Steve, Vaughan and Russell. We were here for the usual reason, a steam train. This time it ran from this famous city of beer to Cheb, a border town that has a border with an extremely beery part of Germany.

Although there had been many special steam trains to Chodová Planá to visit the Chodovar brewery, about half way along the line, this was the first time to our knowledge that one had run to the end of the line.

I had got up a silly o’clock that morning as I left the German city of Regensburg on a train at 06.23; it was that or nothing! As we had arrived from three different directions to get to Plzeň we arranged to meet at around 10.15 at the main station. This successfully accomplished, we then caught a taxi to U Pašáka.

This wasn’t a selfish indulgence as our special train left at 12.30 and we had to meet the organiser before then. Factor in that the tram route to the pub was interrupted by engineering works in the city centre, this was the smartest move.

Even outside the pub it was obvious that there was a brew going on as the sweet smells of boiling wort were wafting out to the street and it was even better inside. As you enter the small bar is directly in front with the brewery located to the left of it. The pub extends through several rooms to the right and this is where we settled.

The look of the pub is very traditional with cushioned wooden furniture. In the furthest room there was another bar with a brick frontage which I guess is in use at busy times.

The walls are clad with wooden panelling to chest height. Above this are many old brewery posters and advertisements.

The pub opened in February 2010 with its beers being brewed at Chýně just outside Prague at the Pivovarý Dvůr. There is a BeerVisits article on that brewery.

Beer wasn’t brewed on site until November 2011 when brewer Václav Ebrle installed a 200 litre brewery. He served an apprenticeship at the world-famous Urquell Brewery in the city. The production of one of his beers takes at least 41 days.

After the day of brewing it is fermented in open vessels for one week before secondary maturation for a month in closed tanks at 2C. The decoction method is used initially whereby the beer is passed from the copper to a lauter tun and back. The beers produced are unpasteurized and unfiltered and yet unlike some brew pubs, this does not result in a product resembling soup. Hops are mostly from the Saaz (Satz) region of Bohemia and are pelletized.

There are two beers in the core range and these are Světlý Ležák (Light Lager) and Polotmavy Ležák (Half-dark Lager). Specials are often made and there is a tap on the bar devoted to these but there were none available when we visited. These have included special brews for Easter and Christmas.

Also they have made a Belgian-style Kriek along with other oddities such as Green Nettle Beer and a Vanilla-Cinnamon Pilsner. One of the more normal styles attempted has been a Stout.

We didn’t eat, yet I understand the food here is good; they are brave enough to offer Steak Tartare to their customers! On the beer alone this is a recommended pub as we all liked it.

Important Information:

Pašáka Pivovar Restaurace, formerly Minipivovar U Sladka, Poděbradova 12, 30100 Plzeň
Tel: 377 946 012

Open: Monday-Friday 10.00-23.00; Saturday 11.00-23.00; Sunday 11.00-21.00

When we visited the number 2 tram was operating in two separate sections. When it runs as a complete line again it is the best way to get to this pub. It runs past the main railway station (Hlavní Nádraží) and runs through the city centre to the end of the line at Skurňany sídliste. Just after the central area alight at Palackého náměstí.

From the stop walk a short distance in the direction of the tram and turn left into Tavární.
At the next junction this changes into Kovářská and at the next intersection turn right into Poděbradova. The pub is on the right.