Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Differences between Czech and Slovaks? Apparently very few, when alcohol consumption is concerned

People abroad wondering about the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993 often ask how much the Czechs and Slovaks differ.

Bratislavahotels-link.sk writes at http://www.bratislavahotels-link.sk/restaurants:
"Beer is very much the lifeblood of the Slovak society, with a rate of consumption that easily tops the world league table. Visit a typical Slovak pub (pivnice or hosposa) and you'll find simple wooden benches, beer sold by the half-litre, and an atmosphere that thankfully makes few concessions to foreign visitors. For wine drinkers, wine cellars (Vinaren) are the place to head, with good quality wines from the Modra area alongside cheaper, more potent offerings, that will almost certainly give you a hangover the next day!

Travel to Bratislava, venture into a Slovak bar and, along with beer and wine, you'll find a range of traditional spirits which include becherovka (an acquired taste), slivovice plum brandy (warming to say the least) and the French-invented, but now adopted absinthe (a hallucinogen in large doses)."

Hotel4you.cz writes at http://www.hotel4you.cz/about.php?city=12&language=0&menu=0:
"Beer is very much the lifeblood of Czech society, with a rate of consumption that easily tops the world league table. Visit a typical Prague pub (pivnice or hosposa) and you'll find simple wooden benches, beer sold by the half-litre, and an atmosphere that (thankfully) makes few concessions to foreign visitors. For wine drinkers, wine cellars (vinĂ¡rna) are the place to head, with good quality South Moravian reds sold alongside cheaper - more potent offerings - that will almost certainly give you a hangover the next day!

Venture into a Czech bar and, along with beer and wine, you'll find a range of traditional spirits which include becherovka (an acquired taste), slivovice plum brandy (warming to say the least) and the French invented, but now adopted absinthe (a hallucinogen in large doses)."

Not so different, eh?