Late 19th century. The absinthe-soaked French are living their fin de siècle in pompous style, the U.S. Gilded Age is producing a tycoon a day, and the Czechs are gathering the courage to kick the Habsburgs' royal jewels. Except, of course, that we have never really been into kicking against the pricks—not since the Hussites scared the wits out of all Europe. So instead, in 1891, we held a local World's Fair, giving it an ambitiously grand title: the General Land Centennial Exhibition.
It wasn’t much of a global event—even Prague’s German minority boycotted it—but it did spur the city council to build its venues from scratch, and some have since become iconic Prague landmarks. Among these are the Petřín Lookout Tower and the Industrial Palace with the adjected Křižík's light fountain. And that’s where I am taking you for #beersaturday sampling.
Yet I prefer my beer well-earned, so let’s start with a walk around the exposition site. Sadly, the Industrial Palace was damaged by a fire in 2008 and left with a destroyed left wing. A dome stood for it temporarily, and the proper reconstruction only began two years ago. As you can see, it’s still far from finished.
Tour guides often claim the palace is an early Art Nouveau masterpiece, though it’s actually built in the Historicism style. The design combines Baroque elements with an iron framework, heavily inspired by the 1889 Paris Exposition venue. Baroque inspiration is evident at the Lapidarium of the National Museum in Prague, another building constructed for the 1891 event. Unlike the Industrial Palace, it wasn’t damaged by the fire but is also undergoing reconstruction.
Let’s pass around the construction site to reach Křižík's light fountain. Built by “Czech Edison” František Křižík, this complex fountain features 3,000 jets, some capable of propelling water up to 34 meters high. The most remarkable is the mechanism controlling the lights and colors, which makes the fountain an ideal stage for concerts or theater performances. I don’t have a photo of the fountain in action, so here’s an official one from a rehersal.
Via Magická Fontána
Well, that's how it looks off duty.
Are you getting thirsty yet? Hang on—we are almost there. We only need to walk past the burnt wing. It seems to consist of a lot more concrete and far less iron than the original.
Kolkovna Brewery
You might be wondering why I’m blending the two topics. Well, first of all, I’m Czech, and for me, everything connects to beer in one way or another. Second, Kolkovna Brewery shares the same architectural style as the Industrial Palace—on a much smaller and cozier scale.
Its interior also reflects the atmosphere of the exposition grounds, and with a bit of imagination, you might feel as though you’re stepping back into the 1890s. The stove isn’t just for show—they light it on cold winter nights.
The Beers
Like any proper brewery, Kolkovna offers a tasting set featuring all four regular beers and one seasonal special. Unfortunately, the last batch of APA didn’t turn out well, so it wasn’t on tap—these things happen with craft breweries. At least it’s one of the regular brews, so I’ll have a chance to sample it next time.
Pumpkin Ale
When it comes to coffee, it’s black only—I’m not one for experimenting with pumpkin spice lattes or anything similar. However, a good Pumpkin Ale is something I can’t pass up, especially since this style is still quite rare here. This beer opens with roasted malts, setting the stage for slightly acidic pumpkin notes. The mild acidity lingers, blending with hints of bitter spiciness. An interesting one!
Dark Lager 13°
This beer was remarkably creamy, almost reminiscent of a Stout. The roasted malt aroma was subtle but balanced by Rubin hops bitterness emerging in the middle of each sip. The finish was creamy again, with lingering sweet tones. For many Czechs, this would be a typical Christmas brew.
Pilsner Lager 12°
Even though the brewery is a bit off the typical tourist routes, this Pilsner is a model example of what I call a “touristy beer.” Don’t get me wrong—it’s far from the industrial brews; it’s a proper craft beer. But the master brewer seems to play it safe. There’s not much to elaborate on—a very drinkable, typical Bohemian lager with a decent range of flavors. It’s nothing particularly memorable, but I’d recommend it over the likes of Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, Budvar, and the rest anytime.
Hefe Weizen 11°
Last but not least, my favorite brew of the day—I even ordered an extra glass. Clove dominates the aroma, followed by orange peel at the start. The banana notes are muted, letting the bread yeast take center stage in the middle of each sip, finishing with a slightly citrusy aftertaste. Oh yes, I’m definitely into wheat beers!
This is my #BeerSaturday challenge post, and I would like to invite @tattoodjay to participate. I am sure there are Massachusite brews he would find refreshing :) Write a post in any language about beer with at least 3 pictures. It does not have to be published on Saturday. Check the rules published by @detlev ;)
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Yes, you've earned the beers, an interesting and well documented tour, also directly related, I like that aspect of your entry.
I've very rarely ordered these tasting sets, I end up trying a lot but individually, I think I sorta could do with adopting this format from time to time.
The Pumpkin seems to be very appropriate for this time of year, sounds like a curious but fun mix, I would have given it a try too. I'm with you on the wheat ones, they're usually my safe bet, even if they're sometimes unexceptional it's hard not to like them. cheers to that extra glass!
Salud! :)
Oh, I like to taste all these beers, too. Need to go on visit :)
For sure. Let me know if you ever make it to Prague :)
It's sad how many of these places have fallen into disrepair and been forgotten. I walked around the site of the worlds fair in New York a while ago. It was cool, but pretty run down. That's a nice looking flight of beer. They'd catch some hell in the US for leaving so much of a head.
Don't get me wrong, this place has been quite lively ever since the fair. Many events still take place there, including the largest funfair Matějská pouť. There's an alternative theatre, an ice hockey stadium and other venues.
I only wanted to take you across the two most typical landmarks - the palace and the fountain, and show the current state.
That's cool. I understand what you are saying. It is good that they are still using the places. I get a bit annoyed by these big olympic facilities they build and then after the games they just sit vacant.
I tired one pumpkin ale in here… not my favourite one 😂
There in Brazil or there in Canada? ;)
Canada … specially in the fall since there is a pumpkin trend around here…. Starbucks starts doing pumpkin spice coffee … pumpkin soup… too much pumpkin 😂
Then you can consult the local production with the Blockchain Beerologist himself, @zekepickleman, I am sure he could suggest a good Pumpkin Ale. They quality (and taste) can differ a lot.
Probably he has good ones in ontario! Buy probably none of them gets to here! Canada’s provinces are very regional selling liquor… only big brands you can find everywhere! Here I find a lot from Alberta and some from BC and Saskatchewan!
Beer's no liquor, it's bread! Liquid bread.
No seriously: https://www.visitczechia.com/en-us/news/2015/05/n-beer-liquid-bread-for-czechs
Correct! It is sold in liquor stores sorry for misusing 😂
The brewery looks more interesting than the grand, over the top places. Nice range of beers too. I don't think I've tried a pumpkin ale, but we often get some seasonal ales around here that have some different flavours. It's a while since I went somewhere with a wide selection.
Enjoy!
!BEER
Seems like you should stop by a nice brewery soon :)) The days are short, weather is gloomy, why not to make yourself comfy in such a place, huh?
I did enjoy it yesterday, visiting a brewery and blogging about it the same day is beyond me :))
Možná jsem ztracený v překladu... Ale to nebyla světová výstavá, ale Jubilejní zemská výstava. Navazovala volně na Průmyslovou výstavu z roku 1791 a samozřejmě byla inspirována děním ve světě - Londýnskou světovou výstavou 1851, Pařížskou světovou výstavou 1855 ... Uherskou všeobecnou výstavou 1885.
Další památkou na tu výstavu je Hanavský pavilon, který byl také původně na Výstavišti. Na současné místo byl přenesen později.
Ano, jsi ztracený v překladu.
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