Did you know?
- as you pore over the shelves of the local grocery, you'll notice that most bottles have the word svetlé on them. That's because Slovaks generally prefer light-coloured beer. However, look around a bit, usually toward the bottom of the shelf, and you'll find a few labels marked tmavé, which denotes dark beer.
- for alcohol content, look at the fine print on the back label. After the words "Obsah alkoholu min." the minimum percentage alcohol content appears. Typically, beers of 10 degrees are around 4 percent alcohol, while beers of 12 degrees are around 5 percent alcohol.
- did we say the wine was good? Slovakia lies on the northern fringes of the wine-making world. Its climate - hot summers and cold winters - makes it perfect for producing fruity whites and full-bodied reds. During the days of Austro-Hungarian rule, nobles prized the white wines produced in the Small Carpathian region and the red wines produced in the southwest.
Bratislava Bars and Beers Guide
PUBS
In the capital of a country that so likes its pivo (beer) - Slovaks are 10th in the world in annual beer consumption per capita - it can be challenging to find one that's not imported, at least in the swanky, glass-fronted watering holes of Old Town. Take for example the Greenwich Meantime Cocktail Bar (Zelená 10), makes no pretence of being your average Slovak pub. The 30-page drinks menu features 7 flavours of mojito and 17 different Caipirnhas but the only beer on the menu is Zlatý Bažant. A lot of pubs put Belgian and Czech beers on tap, prices starting at around Sk35 for Prague's Staropramen and Sk45 for Stella Artois. Try 17s Bar on Hviezdoslavovo square 17 for great Czech beer (and good pizza). The Dubliner's Irish Pub on Sedlárska Street is popular with ex-pats and serves Irish, as well as Slovak beers, along with pub food. Several pubs with traditional beerhall ambience can be found around the centre: try Prazdroj on Mostova behind the Radisson SAS Carlton Hotel or Plzensky Dvor on Cintorinska.
BEER
Šariš and Zlatý Bažant, flush with marketing cash from Miller SAB and Heineken, are the most popular Slovak beers. But your best bet in Slovakia is clearly Czech beer, such as Budvar, Staropramen, or Pilsner Urquell. Slovakia's biggest beer festival usually takes place in the first week of June if you want to learn more.
