Mmmmm... Beer!

My first stop on this adventure is the one I've been most excited about. The Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plžen Cžech Republic. The birth place of pilsner beer in 1852. Although they have one of the most modern breweries in the world they still make batches of beer the old way. The brew in wooden barrels and kegs and maintain a stock of unpasteurized beer just to make sure they don't lose the original recipe.

The brewery is amazing. Fastest bottling line in Europe, most sanitary lagering and brewing facility in the world, and probably the best pilsner beer in the world.There is a tour of the facilities and of course I take it. It's actually the only way you can sample the original beer from the wooden kegs. One of the first things I see when I come into the visitor center is this Yamaha:
And to think when I was coming up with paint schemes I honestly considered making my own Pilsner Urquell bike. I don't think it would have held up to this one. The second thing that caught my eye was the beer vending machine. You put your money in and then you have to scan your passport to prove you're 18. I love it! I want one at work.

The tour is amazing! I learned more about beer in one afternoon then I have in the last 25 years of drinking the stuff. Here's a few photos:

"The bottling plant"

"The original water tower."

"The old lagering vats."

"And the new ones!"

"The original kegs!"

"The greatest beer of my life!"

After the tour ended I went upstairs and started spending the money that was generously donated by some of my readers.

To your health (times 10 or 11...OK maybe 12 I have a long drive ahead of me)

They say they have a good quality control department at the brewery but I felt that they needed an independent third party review of their final product. I took this responsibility on personally and tasted the beer in it's many containers. From the tap, in a small bottle, in a large bottle, in the mini keg, in a small can, in a large can, and in the plastic bottle. My honest opinion is that the beer tastes best when it's in my mouth. But I will have to test this theory over and over again. And I don't think I should limit myself to just one brand of beer. As a matter of fact I don't think I should limit myself to just beer. I mean what about the guys making vodka and whiskey and wine? Don't they deserve to find out whether my theory is valid?

Next stop Prague!!!