Pivní Filosof - Beer Philosopher

I'll never forget how I first met Vladimír Černohorský. Pavel Borowiec, Chief Editor of Pivo, Bier & Ale had asked me to meet him at Pivovar U Valšů. The brewpub had recently changed owners and had hired Černohorský to put their brewing shit together. I arrived at about the agreed time, and went downstairs. There I was greeted by two geezers sitting at a table next to the brerwhouse. The older one defiantly asked me what I was doing there. After I told him, he stood up, pulled a pocked knife and said something threatening. It didn't scare me, but amused me, and this old man responded with a huge, honest smile. He told me to take a sit, and get a beer, while I waited for my colleague, who should be arriving any time. We met again some days later on a trip to the Annafest. There I learnt who Vladimír Černohorský was, one of the most respected and admired Brew Masters in the Czech Republic; and that he'd been in the field for over half a century. That was enough...

My wife and daughter are on holidays in Greece. They left on Monday last week, and I've been alone since; I couldn't join them because of passport issues. I worked most of the time until Thursday (field-work for the book and writing two chapters, and some translations) and I took Friday off. I wanted to do something I'd been thinking of for a while, a hike from Únětice to Stromovka, stopping at every place that sold beer along the way. Here you have the day's diary, and a lot of photos. I take the 10:18 bus to Černý Vůl. The hike starts there, with a walk, mostly in the woods, to Únětice The hike starts here It's not 11 yet when arrive at the brewery. The pub's still closed. I go around to make a couple of pics. The building with the renovated façade looks fantastic. They've done a good job restoring the facade I break my fast with a house's 10º. It's followed by a 12º and lunch, pork in a creamy mushroom sauce, with knedlíky. Carbs ...