Pivní Filosof - Beer Philosopher

I can happily announce that I have completed the biggest, hardest but most fun part of the project “Prague: A Pisshead's Pub Guide - 2nd edition” : writing the blessed thing. It has 16 pub crawls and a few sections, and in total it covers over 130 pubs, cafés and restaurants from all over the city and beyond. Granted, a few days behind schedule—partly because I decided that the last chapter would an epic 11-pub crawl written in0 a sort of short story style—and there are still a few lines that need to be written. But I can now get started with the more tedious part of editing and putting everything together, including the pictures, and turn a bunch of text files into a book. I don't know how long it'll take me to complete that. It'll depend on work, you know, the one that pays the bills (and the beer); that always takes top priority; unless there's someone willing to buy a few hundred copies in advance, so I can dedicate myself full-time to the task. Anyway, j

Beers served in 0.4 l portions aren't anything new. Flekovský, Sv. Norbert, Staropramen Granát, Velvet and Kelt (when it was around), and Ferdinand Sedm Kulí have always been available on that size, only. But it seems that recently, this plague has multiplied. None of the three newest brewpubs in Old Town, U Tří růží, Národní and U Dobřenských, serve any of their beers in a full, adult portion of half litre. There are also pubs like Pivo a Párek and Pivní Rozmanitost that are now selling some beers in 0.4l sizes, and even bigger companies like Plzeňský Prazdroj and Pivovary Lobkowicz have got on the game. I don't like it, at all. When I think of točené (or, to speak correctly, čepované) pivo, I picture a half-litre glass or mug (or a 0.3 l one, for those rare occasions that I want a malé pivo), so a 0.4l serving gives me the sensation that I'm being short-changed. I know it’s only a sensation, it's not true (though if you can buy at Vojanův dvůr a half-litre of a