Indeed, there is a country where beer is cheaper than water. This is the Czech Republic, the birthplace of one of the most popular types of beer in the world : Pilsener.
In a country where the per capita intake of this drink is 161 liters per year –the highest in the world–, one wonders if it is because it costs half as much as water and even juices and soft drinks. The price of a large jug of beer , one of those so common in Central Europe, does not usually exceed the euro. In the Czech territory there are about fifty industrial breweries; The best known of these is U Fleků, from Prague , where it has not stopped being produced since 1499.
In the old days the Czechs made their own beer at home; and it was not only available as a drink, but also as an ingredient in porridge and various soups . As early as 993, its manufacture is documented in the Brevnov monastery.
Normally, traditional Czech bars only serve one brand of beer, although in recent years the varieties have multiplied and sophisticated, with formulas inspired by other latitudes. There are breweries in the country where you can spend the night, and even a Prague tram, at the end of line 11, has been converted into a pub specializing in the national drink .
The countries that follow the Czech Republic both in quantity of consumption and in cheap price are Germany, Belgium and Ireland. By the way, put on your agenda that Prague hosts the Czech Beer Festival in May , the largest beer gathering in the Czech Republic.
Photo: Czech Beer Festival in Prague
