Eggenberg Brewery Tour

Hello hello!

So, after an interesting night's sleep in a blood red room that was at least 100 degrees, lying in bed surrounded by pervocative paintings and listening to something 'click' oniniously throughout the night, we got up and headed to the Eggenberg brewery tour at 11am. They only do one tour a day for people who just show up, so it was 11am or bust. We made it though. Jeff bought a ticket that included two half litres of beer for tasting after the tour and a four beer 'gift set' (akak 'will drink later' set) and I got a ticket for the tour and tastings.

We were taken on an English speaking tour through this very old brewery (1560). It was named Eggenberg after a family who had owned it for 100 years. At some points in time it was closed because they couldn't get supplies to make the beer during the war or owned by the country during the communist regime and at another time taken over by the nazis. We were shown how the sweet beer water (before fermentation) was created with the hops and all sifted through. Then shown where the yeast was added to the vats where the beer sits for awhile before the brewmaster tastes it and decides if it's ready to bottle or keg (10-12 days or so). We learned that the worker who cleans out the vat is called the mole, lol. We got to see how the bottles and kegs are filled by conveyor, even though it was quite old looking! The beer used to be kept cold in summer months by putting ice in the attic above the fermentation tanks and sometimes it would go bad. We also learned the difference between 10% and 12% beer, and it's not the alcohol but the percentage of malt and hops to water which means the higher the percentage the stronger the taste. The 10% beer has 4% alcohol, a light beer, and 12% is 5% alcohol. In the communist era, beer was brewed at 7 or 8% (so 3-4% alcohol) so the workers wouldn't get drunk but could still have a beer during their break. Eggenberg beer is only exported to a few countries (not ours!) but mostly stays in the Czech. It was an interesting tour but the best part was afterward!

We sat with a number of people from our tour group and chatted for nearly two hours, enjoying a litre of beer each. We talked a lot about language and our countries and beer. It was really enjoyable and the best part of the day.

As it has been rainy and cold today (10 degrees! It hurts to think it's 24 and sunny at home right now) we walked for a bit after our tour through the town but eventually headed back to our place to warm up and get dry. We did some research for our next place and what our plan will be for the next few weeks. We're heading to the Horror Bar (it should be entertaining as it's Halloween themed all year) for a drink tonight and then will head out to find something to eat.

Jeff read somewhere that there isn't any bad place to eat in Cesky Krumlov so hopefully we stumble across something delicious! Some hot comfort food in this dreary weather would be nice!

Have a fabulous day today and chat soon!

Amanda

***

So, while we were getting dressed to head out I heard a number of voices outside our door and I guessed that one of them had to be Maty's. Maty's business card self-describes as:

"eccentric transmasculine FtM (female to male)
performance artist cabaret actor
drag king contemporary painter
photo-pirate avant-garde writer
modern poet transqueer
androgynous genderfluid
introverted half
of Drag Addicts duet
pseudo-intellectual diettante &
genderplay illusionst"

Maty was so helpful to us! We got loads of inside information about places to go (and not go!) that had great food or quirky atmosphere's. We learned about a gypsy restaurant that had great food and a very closeby bar that is mostly full of locals (the owner opened up so he could serve his friends cheap beer, essentially). We also learned of a supposedly really delicious deli/bakery in town as well.

So, we headed out to the gypsy restaurant and although it was really quite difficult to find, as the front door looked like a back door, we found it. It was awkward as we stepped in, everyone staring but we sat found a seat and sat down. The owner (we presume as we were told it is a family owned and run business) got us drinks and we thankfully could read the menu because it had English. I got potato pancakes with boiled cabbage (saurkraut) and ham and Jeff got a spicy pork mix with fries. While we waited at a table for six, three women joined us because the small place was busy. Both of our meals were delicious and a lot of food for the price.

We then headed out to the Horror Bar and although Maty said it's touristy, there wasn't any English or other recognizable language (other than Czech) in the place and it was busy too. We were again greeted by stares and no idea where to go to sit as everything was full. So, we followed some stairs and found an eerie room with a coffin, turned over piano, and eeire lights (from the 70s! AH! lol). It was in some sort of cellar and with no natural light it would be creepy all the time. We had passed a see-through coffin that was used as a table and there were skeleton things hanging from the ceiling and scary looking candles. We ended up ordering from a flustered bar woman and sat by ourselves in a back room. There was no music so we just sat and talked over a drink.

Then we headed out to the Gorrila Bar, the one that is mostly locals. We entered again with trepidation but just sat down and got a drink when the owner came by. There were a lot of men and a number of them were watching a tennis match on a big t.v. There was music playing too. The walls were covered in torn out magazine posters of rock groups and they were framed. There was also a giant poster of Homer Simpson that said, "To alcohol" that was also framed. The place was pretty easy-going but the smoking inside waw getting to me. I am thankful that there is no smoking indoors in Canada anymore!

We didn't stay long before climbing up our 80 stairs and then eventually hitting the hay.