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Special seasonal eSupplement - Winter 2014, everything you need to know about NYE and Christmas in Prague, including a FREE map!
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All about Christmas and New Years Eve in the Czech Republic, including insider’s tips for the
best places in Prague to party, dine, celebrate andcatch the fireworks while ringing in the new year!
DECEMBER 2014
‘RINg It oN bRo!
FREEMAPINSIDE!
2014HolidayGuide2014HolidayGuide
Udělejte Vánoce doma i v Africe.
skutecnydarek.cz
Dejte svým blízkým pod stromeček možnost poslat kozu do Afriky a pomoci tak potřebným. Skutečný dárek dokáže potěšit hned dvakrát.
skutecnydarek.czskutecnydarek.czPartneři kampaněHlavní mediální partneřiKampaň podporují
CULTUREINGISHTSTEXT JENNa moLLER PHOTOS RaymoND JohNStoN
4
CzECh hoLIDay tRaDItIoNSLook FoR hEaLth, wEaLth
aND gooD FoRtuNE...
LEaD baLLS aND a SmELtINg potuSED to bE a popuLaR paRt oF
thE CzECh hoLIDayS, but It ISNot SEEN too oFtEN toDay.
Traditions are a big part of what makes the holidayseason special for people. Walking door-to-doorsinging Christmas carols, decorating the house infestive lights, and leaving cookies out for SantaClaus on Christmas Eve are just a few of the cus-
toms many people in the United States hold close to theirhearts. But here in the Czech Republic, people have slightly dif-ferent traditions.
One old tradition that some Czechs still practice is pouringlead to tell the outlook of the next year. A small amount of leadis melted and poured into a bowl. Whatever shape the lead takespredicts the pourer’s future. For example, if the lead poured intothe bowl forms into the shape of a ball, Czechs interpret this asgood luck rolling their way. Lead in the shape of an anchormeans that the person is in need of help, and a cross signifiesdeath. But these days this tradition is not as common as others.
Klára Bulantová, 24, doesn’t practice the lead-pouring traditionwith her family, but she remembers doing it as a child in school.She didn’t take it too seriously, though. “I always just took it asfun,” she said.
Another tradition that is practiced more often among Czechstoday centers around a golden pig. The idea is that a person fastsall day until dinner on Christmas Eve in hopes of seeing a goldenpig on the wall, which signifies good luck.
However, Lenka Loucková, 24, has never seen such a pig. “Wetalk about it, but I can never go without eating for the wholeday,” she said. “Maybe you are so hungry that you have halluci-nations,” she adds with a laugh, referring to a possible reasonpeople see the pig.
The tradition of eating carp for Christmas dinner still seems tobe practiced by most families in the Czech Republic. As
Christmas approaches, tubs of fresh carp can be found on thestreets and people line up to buy one of these fish. While somepeople have it killed right there, many people take it home tokeep as a pet in the bathtub until they are ready to eat it. Thiscan be somewhat traumatizing for the children though.
Maja Korenyiová, 26, is proof of that. “We did the carp, espe-cially when I was little,” she said. “My father killed it so I didn’twant to eat it. I was crying. After that, we didn’t do it anymore.Now my mom cooks salmon.”
Less upsetting than the carp tradition is a custom that involvesan apple. “When I was little we’d cut an apple horizontally, andwhen there was a star inside that meant the apple was healthyand that you’d be healthy the whole year,” Loucková said.
Some customs in the Czech Republic aren’t done for goodluck or health, but for wealth, like putting a coin under theChristmas tablecloth or keeping the carp’s fish scales in the per-son’s purse or wallet.
Sometimes the most special Christmas traditions are the onesthat are unique to each family.
“My mom takes honey and makes a cross on my forehead,”Loucková says. “Then she says, ‘You are as sweet as this honey.’She got it from her mom.” Bulantová laughs as she recalls howfrustrated her family’s Christmas tradition used to make her as achild. “We had to sing at least three Christmas carols before wecould get our presents,” she said.
Whether it’s cutting an apple, fasting all day, or slipping acoin under the tablecloth, Czechs’ traditions are very meaning-ful for them. Although different from traditions in other coun-tries, they do have one thing in common: they are very dear toour hearts. g
CzechCHRISTMASPouring lead and searching for the golden pig...
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 5
LIvE CaRp aRE SoLD IN thE StREEt.
Nowadays, traveling for Christmas isn't justabout visiting Grandma. With the conven-ience of Internet shopping its easier thanever to travel to a country looking for aWhite Christmas, curious about fascinating
Christmas traditions and taking delight in exploring cultures.Here are a few of the more interesting cultural expressions…
ChRIStmaS IN RuSSIaIn Russia Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January.
This is so, because the church uses the old Julian calendarfor religious celebrations. Russians fast for about forty daysuntil January 6th (Christmas Eve). During the traditionalChristmas Eve, people say special prayers. Then commencesa twelve-course supper, each meal is dedicated to one ofthe twelve apostles.
ChRIStmaS IN SpaINA Christmas tradition in parts of Spain, Portugal and Italy is
to set up a model exhibition of Bethlehem. Together withthe Virgin Mother, Joseph and little baby Jesus, they place aCaganer in the scene. The Caganer (known also TheCrapper, or The Shitter) is a little figure of a peasant wearinga Catalan red cap, in the act of defecating. This is explainedwith tradition and sense of humor. It is especially amusingfor children. The Caganer is fertilizing the Earth. The idea is,that God will manifest himself when he is ready, withoutregard for whether we, human beings are not.
ChRIStmaS IN thE CzECh REpubLICWomen in the Czech Republic perform a strange ritual on
Christmas Day to predict whether they will marry next year.With back turned to the house door they throw one shoeover their shoulder. If it lands with the heel towards the door,she will stay single, but if the fallen shoe points towards thedoor, it means she should start preparing for a celebration,other than Christmas.
ChristmasTraditions
- as celebratedaround the worldChristmas is a world of bestwishes expressed with a varietyof traditions.
ChRIStmaS IN NoRwayThe people of Netherlands, who celebrate the holiday on
December expect SinterKlaas and his companion Black Pete,who come down by the way of the steam-er and leaves candy and nuts for good lit-tle boys and girls. The kids have filled theirshoes with hay and sugar for the horse.
ChRIStmaS IN gERmaNyIn Germany Nikolaustag is December,
6th. On that eve children leave a shoe out-side the door and the next morning can-dies appear in them for the good littleboys and girls. But if they haven't beengood a golden birch is put next to thesweets, as a symbol of spanking.
ChRIStmaS IN JapaNMany Japanese people on Christmas Eve
dine traditionally on KFC, It is so popular andfamous, that if you want to eat at a KFC onChristmas, you will have to make a reservation.
ChRIStmaS IN SLovakIaAt the beginning of Christmas Eve the
head of the family takes a spoon of Loksa (a traditionalChristmas dish made out of bread, poppy seed, filling andwater) and throws it up at the ceiling. The more of it remainsglued on the ceiling, the richer the crops next year.
ChRIStmaS IN vENEzuELaIn Venezuela at Christmas Eve morning
the roads of the city are closed to cars sothat people can roller skate to Mass.
ChRIStmaS IN buLgaRIaHere is the place where everybody
travels to Grandma's house. The wholefamily gathers together, and they spend aday of cooking nine meals. When eveningcomes, the oldest family member burnssome frankincense to drive evil spiritsaway from the house, then the familyholds their hands and say the Lord'sPrayer together. Carol-singers would dropin around that time.
Christmas is about sticking to thoseyou love, which makes for the true holi-day experience, and traditions make it all richer. g
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 7
CaRp IS a tRaDItIoNaL ChRIStmaS FooD INthE CzECh REpubLIC aND SLovakIa. FOTO: Sean and Anne Edison-Albright
vESELé váNoCE! CzECh ChRIStmaS CaRD. Image from NYPL.
If the noise of nightclubs and bars isn't your speed, thereis plenty of high-brow entertainment to chose from overthe holidays. Quality varies a lot and it is best to stick tothe established theatrical and musical companies. Avoid
any generic “Best of” shows where the performers are notidentified. Foremost among the offerings is The Nutcracker–AChristmas Carol, although many of the shows at the NationalTheater are already sold out. This new staging takes place in
A nutty Christmasand a batty new yearHoliday shows range from the Nutcracker to Die Fledermaus.
HOLIDAYCONCERTSTEXT Eva RotaR
8
thE NatIoNaL thEatER’S StagINg oFthE NutCRaCkER–a ChRIStmaS CaRoL
aLwayS pLayS to SoLD out houSES.Photo: Martin Divisek
London and uses the Charles Dickens tale as inspiration. The Estates Theater has three chances to see JJ Ryba'sCzech Christmas Mass, and that classic piece is a theKlementinum as well.
The State Opera has its annual New Year's Eve Show, whichincludes a performance of Die Fledermaus and a chance todance on the theater's stage afterward to swing music andpartake of a buffet between acts.
There is a jazz cruise on New Year's Eve as well for those whowant to get off the streets and away from the amateur fire-works.
A few brave companies are offering shows on New Year's Dayfor those who want to start 2014 with some culture. Advancebooking is highly recommended, and in some cases required.
thE NutCRaCkER–a ChRIStmaS CaRoLNational TheaterWhen: Dec, 20 at 3:30 and 7; Dec. 21, 24, 29 at 2 and 6; Jan. 2at 7; Jan. 4 and 5 at 2 and 6; Jan. 9 at 7
CzECh ChRIStmaS maSSBy JJ Ryba, performed by Children's Opera PragueWhere: Estates Theater When: Dec. 23 at 2, 4 and 7 p.m.
ChRIStmaS EvE CoNCERtOperatic arias and melodiesWhere: National MuseumWhen: Dec. 24 at 3:30
ChRIStmaS CoNCERtPrague Philharmonic ChoirWhere: State OperaWhen: Dec. 25 at 3 p.m.
thE magIC FLutEIn Czech with German and EnglishtitlesWhere: Estates TheaterWhen: Dec. 25 at 2 and 7
CzECh ChRIStmaS maSSBy JJ Ryba, performed by ChoirAdalbert and Orchestra BenedictusWhere: KlementinumWhen: Dec. 25 at 7 p.m.
ChRIStmaS gaLa CoNCERtSymphony Orchestra of PragueSymphonists. Works by Smetana,
Mozart and JanáčekWhere: RudolfinumWhen: Dec. 25 at 8
zuzaNa StIRSká & FINE goSpEL tImEWith the Police Symphony OrchestraChurch of St. Simon and JudeDec. 25 at 6
NEw yEaR'S EvE CoNCERtCzech Strings Chamber OrchestraNational MuseumWhen: Dec. 31 at 5
Jazz CRuISEWeb: www.jazzboat.czDeparture information at bookingWhen: Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
StatE opERa NEw yEaR'S ShowDie Fledermaus plus afterpartyWhere: State OperaWhen: Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. (welcome drink) 8 p.m. (first act)
oRgaN CoNCERtWhere: St. James BasilicaWhen: Jan. 1 at 4 p.m.
NEw yEaR'S Day CoNCERtPrague Symphony OrchestraMuhai Tang conducting Dvořák's Slavonic DancesWhere: Obecní důmWhen: Jan. 1 at 7:30 g
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 9
JammIN’ oN thE Jazz boat
One Czech illustrator is more closely associatedwith the holidays than any other. Josef Ladadrew pictures of village life in all seasons forchildren’s books, magazines and classic novels.
But his winter scenes are perhaps his most prized. And in timefor the holidays, Museum Kampa has collected a handful of hisbest work for a show called Josef Lada/What Winter Brings.Note that the title is not a question. Lada does not deal in the
Josef Lada’swinter wonderlandsRare originals of the ubiquitous holiday pictures
HOLIDAYCONCERTSTEXT RaymoND JohNStoN
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hoLy NIght, 1933, by JoSEF LaDa. INk, watERCoLoR oN papER. Credit: National Gallery in Prague.
abstract or theoretical.His drawings have adeceptively naïve sim-plicity that conveys analmost perfect worldof village life wherevirtually everyone issmiling as they under-take their daily rou-tines. Even at the timethese pictures cameout, that type of lifewas a fading memory.
The retrospective starts with some of his work from the1910s and goes up through the late 1940s, his most matureera. While many people are quick to dismiss his work askitsch, many art historians find a complex combination of tra-ditional themes and modern technique. His flattened almost2-dimensional use of perspective, for example, shows a famil-iarity with what was happening in the world of high art.
For most of his life, especially the early years, he did workas a commercial illustrator delivering pictures and demand,and the holidays were a busy season. You can find variationson the same theme year after year.
Throughout the 1920s and ’30s, for exam-ple, he did scenes of a Christmas mangertransposed into almost-modern times, with thehalos around a typical Bohemian family as ifthey were Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Villagers fillthe scene, busy as always.
The jumble of people, moving every whichway in an impossible space at times even sug-gests Hieronymus Bosch, although the atti-tude of the villagers is more upbeat.
After 1945, when the communist era start-ed, he dropped the religious overtones andinstead embraced the secular side of winter,with lonely night watchmen sounding a hornin the village square while snow falls allaround. A faithful dog is usually by his side.People building snowmen and playing withsleds become more common themes.
He also drew warm and cozy interiors, usingthe same squashed-space technique to showpeople playing with their presents. One colorillustration from 1939 even does a role rever-sal, with the children playing at smoking pipes
and wearing oversized slippers while the adults ride a scoot-er, bang a drum, ride a rocking horse and color a book.
The time, of course, is the start of World War II. While Ladais not really seen as political commentator, in this piece hedoes seem to be commenting that normal state of affairs hasturned upside down.
A few works give insight into his technique. Much of thepaper has yellowed, and on some pieces, especially theblack-and-white ones, you can see white correction ink andother evidence of retouching.
These originals were never really meant to be displayed.They were made to be reproduced in magazines and other for-mats where none of these imperfections could be detected.
Most of the show is rare originals from the National Galleryand private collections. But some examples of his work as itappeared in magazines show how is pieces were originallypresented.
Copies of Lada’s work are easy to find. There are numerouscalendars at almost every street stand, and his books are stillpopular. The originals, though, are seldom displayed andworth a peek. g
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 11
JoSEF LaDa, thE-SEaSoNS, 1947
JoSEF LaDa What Winter BringsWhen: To Feb. 23, 2014; Daily 10–6,limited hours Dec. 24, 31 and Jan. 1.Where: Museum Kampa, U Sovovýchmlýnů 2, Praha 1Web: www.museumkampa.cz
For those people who don’t like to cook at home,several hotels and restaurants are making specialmenus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thesevary from traditional to extravagant, and the best
part is you don’t have to wash the dishes.
Kempinski Hotel Hybernská Prague begins its Christmasmenu, which is available Dec. 23–26, with a starter of foie graswith William pear, Baileys cream sauce and brioche.
The soup has two small towers of sturgeon wrapped inNapa cabbage in a smoked salmon broth flavored with roeand enoki mushrooms.
The main course is a veal fillet with sweet potato puree,chestnut espuma and brussels sprouts. This is followed by agingerbread brûlé with caramelized nuts, cognac cream andmilk chocolate. The four course meal costs 1,350 Kč, plus700 for the optional wine pairing.
At the Four Seasons, Christmas Eve starts at 5 p.m. with a chil-dren’s choir in the lobby, and there is a second seating at 8:30p.m. The menu prepared by chef Richard Fuchs features panfried duck foie gras with figs carpaccio; homemade pain briochéand Piemontese hazelnut croccantino; cream of Jerusalem arti-choke soup with duck ragoût, black truffles and poppy seed oil;pan fried wild sea bass fillet with violet artichokes, San Marzanotomato, Sicilian lemon zest and Pantelleria capers and a dessertof almond parfait with wild honey caramel, pear compote andBourbon vanilla; and coffee and Christmas cookies.
If you want to stick to Czech tradition, fried carp from Třebonin Southern Bohemia with potato salad and pickled vegetablescan be substituted for the main course. Either way, the price is1,950 Kč. With an optional wine pairing the meal is 2,900 Kč.For lunch and dinner on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, thefour course degustation menu starts with tuna tartare andoctopus salad with citrus caviar, cucumber and saffron dress-ing with coriander; and potato and leek soup with
HOLIDAYDININGTEXT RaymoND JohNStoN
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Christmas dinners...without all the fuss
vEaL FILLEt wIth SwEEtpotato puREE, ChEStNut
ESpuma aND bRuSSELSSpRoutS hIghLIghtS thE
mENu at kEmpINSkI hotEL.Credit: Kempinski Hotel
Many hotels and restaurants in the center offer Czech and Western-styleholiday meals...
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 13
caramelized shallot and morels ragout. The main course is achoice of Western or Czech traditions. You can have eitherroasted turkey with stuffing, caramelized chestnuts, wintervegetable casserole and cranberry sauce; or fried carp fromTřebon in Southern Bohemia, with potato salad and pickledvegetables. Dessert is a Mont Blanc with Piedmont's marronglacé sabayon, followed by Christmas cookies and coffee ortea. The price is 1,950 Kč, and 2,900 with the wine pairing.
Then Zinc Restaurant in Hilton Prague Old Town offers four-course dinners with a choice of main dish and a glass of prosec-co on Dec. 24, 25 and 26, each for 950 Kč per person.
For people who expect Santa on Dec. 25, instead of Ježíšekon Dec. 24, then the Hilton Prague Old Town can help out. TheirDec. 25 brunch will have Santa and games along with the buffet,jazz band and selected beverages. This event is 1,150 Kč foradults and 490 Kč for kids. A brunch without Santa and gameson Boxing Day, Dec. 26, is 990 Kč price. Hilton Prague, at theedge of Prague 8, offers a five-course Christmas Eve dinner withwine at its CzecHouse Grill and Rotisserie. The price is 1,790 Kč.The main dish is a seared monk fish wrap on fennel salad, whilea vegetarian option has vegetable tempura.
The Christmas Day brunch has a buffet with select wineand beer, plus live music, for 990 Kč for adults, with a dis-count for children. The buffet offers sea bass, beef stew, oys-ters and other delicacies.
At Elegantes, the restaurant at The Augustine, the ChristmasEve menu is six courses, not counting the Christmas cookies. Itmakes a nod to the tradition. The starter is potato salad — astandard part of the Czech holiday meal — with truffles andchicken skin chips. After a lobster bisque with tarragon tortelli-ni, one option for the main course is grilled sea bass withlemon purée and butter glazed vegetables. Carp is the normalCzech meal as the country is landlocked, but ocean fish is tra-ditional in other countries in Europe. The other option is a vari-ation on the restaurant’s signature dish, braised veal shank,served with carrot ginger purée and morels. Dessert is either achocolate fondant or a selection of European cheeses.
The Christmas Day menu has more of an American orWestern European spin. Smoked turkey breast figures into thestarter, while the entrée is pumpkin soup with baked scallopsand the main course is braised lamb shank and lamp chops in agreen jacket with potato and root vegetable lasagna and ginger-bread sauce. Dessert is pecan cake with maple syrup. The costfor each of these meals is 1,950 Kč, with an additional 450 Kčfor a Moravian wine pairing or 650 for international wines.
While most restaurants will close, several in the center ofPrague will stay open with holiday meals. On Dec. 24, you can
find a traditional Czech meal with carp at Francouzská restau-race in Obecní dům, Plzeňská restaurace in Obecní dům and LaCasa Argentina, among others.
Western-style Christmas dinners are at Žofín Garden, ZlatáPraha in the InterContinental Hotel, Bílý koníček andRestaurace u Českých pánů. Reservations are essential, asmany places sell out. g
kEmpINSkI hotEL hybERNSká pRaguELe Grill restaurantWhere: Hybernská 12, Prague 1Tel: 226 226 126Email:
FouR SEaSoNSCottoCrudo restaurantWhere: Veleslavínova 1098/2ATel: 221 426 880 Web: www.festivefourseason-sprague.com
hILtoN houSE CzecHouseWhere: Pobřežní 311/1, Praha 8Tel: 224 842 014Web: www.Hilton.com
hILtoN pRaguE oLDtowNZinc restaurantWhere: V Celnici 7, Prague 1 Tel: 221 822 100 Web: www.hiltonpragueold-town.com
thE auguStINEElegantes restaurantWhere: Letenská 12/33Tel: 266 122 280Email: [email protected]
FRaNCouzSká REStauRaCE in Obecní důmWhere: Nám. Republiky 5Tel: 222 002 129Web: www.obecnidum.cz
pLzEňSká REStauRaCEin Obecní důmWhere: Nám. Republiky 5Tel: 222 002 700Web: www.obecnidum.cz
koNíRNaWhere: Anenská 221/11Tel: 257 534 121Web: www.konirna.eu
La CaSa aRgENtINaWhere: Dlouhá 730/35Tel: 222 311 512Web: www.lacasaargentina.cz
ŽoFíN gaRDENWhere: Slovanský ostrov 226/8Tel: 774 774 774Web: www.zofingarden.cz
zLatá pRahaWhere: Pařížská 30Tel: 296 630 914Web: www.zlatapraharestau-rant.cz
bíLý koNíčEkvWhere: Old Town Square 20Tel: 221 421 160Web: www.bilykonicek.com
REStauRaCE učESkýCh páNůWhere: Školská 695/38Tel: 222 231 068Web: www.english.uceskych-panu.cz
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ov
a
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SummerBoat Rentals
OSTROV ŠTVANICE
Vinohradskátržnice
METROSTRAM LINES
Praha City Map 2014A ticket for the Prague public transport network permits travel on all trams, buses and the metro
for a set period of time. And you can transfer between transportation modes. The 32Kč (longer)
and 24Kč (shorter) tickets are sold at metro stations, newsagents and Public Transport Information
Centres. As well as standard single tickets, 1 day, 3 day and 1 month passes are worth considering.
These permit travel on any mode of public transport at any time. The Prague Metro operates between 05:00-
midnight. Metro lines run a service every 2-3 minutes during peak hours, and every 4-9 minutes after 7pm.
MAP DESIGN JEFFREE bENEt WWW.INKYBRAIN.COM
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á
MUZEUM
SummerBoat Rentals
OSTROV ŠTVANICE
Vinohradskátržnice
Praha City Map 2014A ticket for the Prague public transport network permits travel on all trams, buses and the metro
for a set period of time. And you can transfer between transportation modes. The 32Kč (longer)
and 24Kč (shorter) tickets are sold at metro stations, newsagents and Public Transport Information
Centres. As well as standard single tickets, 1 day, 3 day and 1 month passes are worth considering.
These permit travel on any mode of public transport at any time. The Prague Metro operates between 05:00-
midnight. Metro lines run a service every 2-3 minutes during peak hours, and every 4-9 minutes after 7pm.
If you don’t want to jump on the wagon for videogamemachines and high-tech gadgets, a number of storesoffer some retro-style wooden toys. While mass-pro-duced marionettes can be found all over the touristy
part of town, there are a small number of stores that have pro-fessional-style puppets that are made to last. Bohemia has along tradition with marionettes, and some craftspeople aredoing quality work. Other manufacturers are reviving old-style
Holiday gifts Traditional wooden toysInterest in traditional Czech toys is slowly rising
HOLIDAYSHOPPINGTEXT AND PHOTO Eva RotaR
16
pEopLE tEND to takE a LoNg tImE SELECt-INg a toy at RoCkINg hoRSE toy Shop.
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 17
toys, or never stopped mak-ing them.
If you want somethingtruly splendid, one place tolook is Truhlář Marionety,located just underneath theCharles Bridge. When youenter you may feel like youjust stepped into Geppetto’sworkshop. Puppets are allover the walls, hangingfrom the ceiling, and one ismore beautiful than thenext. Almost everythinghere is hand-carved, andeven the puppets’ clothingis handmade.
The puppet makersdesign a wide range of mari-onettes made with tradition-al techniques, usingdifferent sorts of wood anddifferent styles: classic, mini-malism, naive poetic, deca-dence, cubism, pop art,dreamy imagination andmany more.
Store owner Pavel Truhlářsaid he started to carvewood and make mari-onettes 20 years ago, andfell in love with the job. Hehasn’t stop since.
“At first I was selling themin the street, then I openeda shop, and now I evenhave workshops where Iteach people how to carveand make toys by them-selves,” Truhlář said.
“We also do a lot ofrestoration work and puppet repairs. We have a workshop inVinohrady where everyone is welcome to come and see howwe work,” he said. The workshop courses can also be givenas a present.
He said that most puppets are sold during the tourist sea-son, although he noticed that in last two years more and
more Czech are interested in their old toy-making tradition.He also designs marionettes for the theatre and puppetshows, and he has had many exhibitions and puppets showsin Czech Republic and abroad.
Another shop offering traditional toys is the Rocking HorseToy Shop, located at Loretánské náměstí. Here you will find awide range of wooden toys, folk toys, old-looking metaltrucks, wind-up toys, Little Mole (Krtek) characters, musicboxes and much more. Most of the toys are made by 60 pri-vate craftspeople whom the store works with and others arefrom small Czech and Moravian factories.
The shop has a very intimate atmosphere and is filled withall sorts of toys not only for children but also for adults, andit would take hours to examine all of them.
Shop assistant Veronica is used to that, as she has workedthere for five years now. She is very patient with all the cus-tomers, especially the children, and likes to give them all thetime they need to choose their favorite toy.
“We regularly order more toys before Christmas,” shesaid. She admitted that the last year was better than thisone, but also noted that there was an increase in Czechbuyers. “Today, our customers are equally Czech andtourists, 50/50,” she said. “Czech people mostly come withtheir children who then pick the toys by themselves, whiletourists mostly come in pairs, without children, and thenthey choose something for them.”
Manufaktura is well-known as a Czech brand of home nat-ural cosmetics, but they also offer some traditional toysmade in Prague. The brands largest store is at Melantrichova17, but they have other locations throughout the city and atVáclav Havel Airport. They offer wooden toys ranging from35 Kč for key chains up to 500 Kč for larger toys. Shop assis-tant Týna said that they sell more before Christmas becausethere are still many tourists in town, and in January there is alarge number of Russians who celebrate according to the oldOrthodox calendar, which has its holidays later than most.
Even the major shopping malls offer a chance for someretro-style wooden toys. The chain Sparkys mostly sells theusual toys that you can find in basically any other toy store,but they also offer wooden toys from the Detoa brand, andsome other classic Czech toys. Detoa has been makingwooden toys in the Czech lands since 1908. Some of thetoys are kits for trains and houses that the child is encour-aged to build alone, others are traditional Czech characters.Shop assistant Kateřina said that the most-sold products atSparkys are plastic toys by Lego, but it is noticeable that thetraditional toys are sold more and more every year. g
maRIoNEty tRuhLářWhere Daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m.Where: U lužického sem. 5,Prague 1–Malá StranaTel: 602 689 918Web: www.marionety.com
maRIoNEty tRuhLářwoRkShopWhere: Boleslavská 11, Prague 3–VinohradyTel: 606 924 392, Email: [email protected]
thE RoCkINg hoRSE toy Shop When: Daily 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Where: Loretánské nám. 3,Prague 1– HradčanskáEmail: [email protected]
maNuFaktuRaWhen: Daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m.Where: Melantrichova 17, Prague 1–Old TownWeb: www.manufaktura.czInfo: Other locations at Celetná12, Karlova 26, Mostecká 17,Zlatá ulička u Daliborky 21,Václav Havel Airport.
SpaRkyS When: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.Where: Havířská 2, Prague 1–Old TownWeb: www.sparkys.czInfo: Other locations at the mallsin Palladium, Nový Smíchov,Fénix Vysočanská, Hlavnínádraží, Letňany, Chodov,Václav Havel Airport., Flóra andČerný Most
These cookies are nothing like the danish bear clawpastry. They were traditionally made into bear pawstylized molds (this is the traditional shape mould, butyou can use any cookie mold you like. Same as with
the gingerbread cutting forms, you'll easily find them in the farm-ers and Christmas markets around town) and there's still time tobuy or borrow the molds and bake the cookies, since they do not
need to be made too long in advance. For one batch that youcan process in one evening you'll need the items listed.
To get this batch done in get at least thirty 5 cm cookiemoulds. If the molds are smaller than 3×3 centimeters you mayneed twice as many, or prepare another cookie pastry to alter-nate bear paws when the moulds are cooling down and beingre-filled. Always bake a batch with moulds of same or very simi-lar shape and size.
Vanilla pods are usually quite expensive, you can replace byground vanilla, or get a cost efficient bulk package from theCzech vanilla e-shop (for Christmas cookies, I usually get theMadagascar grown Bourbon vanilla).
DIRECtIoNS1. Mix flour and baking powder with sugar and nuts. You can add
texture by using finely chopped nuts, or go with ground nuts
HOLIDAYDININGTEXT AND PHOTO JaN maCuCh
18
Christmas recipeBear paw cookiesYummy cookies with a lovely nuts and cocoa scent. This kind you will rarely findin the store-bought boxes, so let's make "Medvědí pracny" a special homemadeChristmas cookies.
RECIpE 140g plain flour (get "hlad-ká mouka")1 tsp baking powder70g powdered sugar +you'll need more for coating50g ground or finelychopped nuts (walnuts, hazel-nuts or even almonds, yourchoice)
½ tsp lemon peel (finelygrated)1 tbsp cocoa1 pinch cinnamon1 pinch ground cloves1 pinch scraped vanillaseeds1 egg100g softened butter30 - 70 cookie moulds
for smoother cookies. You can use walnuts, hazelnuts, evenalmonds or pecans for a fusion version.
2. Add lemon peel, spices and mix.3. Add an egg, mix until smooth.4. Add butter and work the mixture into a uniform and bit sticky
dough.5. Wrap in foil and let rest in fridge for several hours, until the
dough is not too sticky to work with.6. Pre-heat the oven to 150 °C. (Do not bake in temperatures
over 170°C, because the nuts can get bitter)7. Fill the moulds in a way the dough touches the edges, but has
a little depression in the center.
8. Arrange the moulds on a baking tray, double check they areall about the same size and bake for approximately 12 min-utes. Which is about the time you need to prepare next batch.
9. Put a layer of powdered sugar on a plate.10. Remove the tray from the oven and KEEP YOUR MITTENS
ON.11. Start unmoulding the cookies immediately by tapping the
molds or dropping them on a wooden cutting board. It maybe very clumsy to do this in mittens, but trust me, the sheetmetal molds are still very hot.
12. Roll the cookies on the plate of sugar while still hot andhumid, so the sugar sticks well. g
These cookies arenothing like the
danish bear claw
In Prague, the big fireworks display doesn’t fall on NewYear’s Eve, as it does in most places around the world —although if that is your thing, there certainly won’t be ashortage of light and color in the skies above the capital
the evening of Dec. 31 — but rather for a quarter of an hourstarting at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
Besides being the first day of the year, Jan. 1 is also the slight-ly longwindedly named Restoration Day of the IndependentCzech State, meaning it marks the anniversary of the VelvetDivorce. On this day in 1993, Czechoslovakia officially split intwo to form the independent Czech and Slovak republics: theCzech Republic and Slovakia.
The fireworks, therefore, celebrate not only the beginning of anew year but also the country’s independence, and the brightlights in the night skies Jan. 1 have become a big annual treatfor the city’s inhabitants and visitors alike.
Sponsored by Prague City Hall, the event is much more ori-ented toward families, especially those with young children, as
the fireworks are launched from one spot, making this an infi-nitely safer option than the night before, when fireworks go offall over the city and are not necessarily handled by profession-als, and some of the fireworks may have been obtained illegally.
On New Year’s Eve, injuries are often the result of accidentsinvolving fireworks, as hands and faces get burned, and the fire-works may even spark fires. Because the city handles the fire-works on New Year’s Day, the scene is much more peaceful.
Two years ago, fireworks were set off for the first time evershortly after midnight Jan. 1, 2012, but in subsequent polls byPrague City Hall, overwhelming numbers of respondents havesaid they preferred the traditional way of having the light showstart at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
The Prague municipality carries the cost of the event, whichthis year will amount to some 890,000 Kč without tax(1,076,900 Kč with tax), Tereza Králová, the spokeswoman forPrague City Hall, told The Prague Post.
NYECELEBRATIONSTEXT aNDRé CRouS
20
Starting the new year ... with a bang!
IF you waNt to SEE aND oRgaN-IzED FIREwoRkS Show, you havEto waIt FoR thE EaRLy EvENINg
oN NEw yEaR'S Day.Photo: Raymond Johnston
Annual fireworks will brighten up the capital on the double holiday
The fireworks will be set off from Letná Park a short distancefrom Prague Castle, ensuring plenty of opportunities for picture-postcard snaps with your digital device or film camera.
In the past, the fireworks were launched from a pontoon onthe Vltava River, but complaints from residents and the terrorthe show provoked in the river’s swan population, many ofwhom died as a result, have resulted in the move to the highground at Letná.
Some of the recommended sites from where to admirethe show include Prague’s many bridges in the center ofthe city — such as Charles Bridge (Karlův most), MánesBridge (Mánesův most) and Čech Bridge (Čechův most)— as well as the adjacent waterfront, like Smetana andDvořák embankments, in the center of the city.
Other higher-lying sites where friends and family oftengather to take in a more panoramic view of the celebra-tions are Petřín Hill, Riegrovy sady and Vítkov Hill.
Another, more unconventional way to experience thefireworks is by boarding a boat on the Vltava in the citycenter half an hour before the show starts to have amuch more intimate and less rowdy vantage point from
the deck, perhaps with a glass of mulled wine (svařák) in hand tocombat the new year’s chill. Prague Boats offers such a deal, andmore information is available on their website at Prague-boats.cz.
The fireworks display, which lasts 15 breathtaking minutes,will consist of some 10,315 special light effects. g
- André Crous can be reached at [email protected]
wENCESLaS IS aLSo a popuLaR Spot FoR FIREwoRkS
Photo Credit: Tom[luckytom]@Flickr
Well, it’s about time to realize it’s almost the endof the year and you still don’t have any planson how you’re going to celebrate. Heck, you’rejust trying to get through Christmas. No need
to fret, if you plan to be in Prague for New Year’s Eve, there areplenty of clubs ready to put on an unforgettable party.
One such club is Roxy, one of the oldest in Prague. But justbecause it’s been around for a while doesn’t mean its parties areout of date. And this New Year’s Eve, Roxy is ready to show thatit’s as modern as ever with its New Year’s Eve 2013 EcstasyHouse Party.
“The New Year’s Eve party has a strong tradition at Roxy andevery year it is the biggest and most favorite celebration, espe-cially for tourists visiting Prague at that time,” said Daniel Bacho,PR representative for Roxy.
Patrons can expect to hear a variety of music. “It will be acombination of quality electronic music with cutting edge
sounds from various music styles all performed by top CzechDJs and residents of Roxy club,” Bacho said.
Tickets for the Ecstasy House Party start at 350 Kč online atTicketportal or Ticketpro, but are going fast. Tickets will also beavailable for 700 Kč at the door, which opens at 8 p.m.
Another club in Prague ready to throw a memorable NewYear’s Eve party is Chapeau Rouge, a three story nightclub. Thisyear’s New Year’s Eve party will cover all three floors of the club,with each floor featuring a different style of music.
The music will come from least 15 different talented DJs, pre-pared to play into the early hours of the morning. Admission is200 Kč per person until midnight, but after the clock strikes 12the price will raise to 300 Kč. The price covers all three floors ofthe club and doors open at 8 p.m.
Want to travel back in time? Travel no further than the centerof Prague. Here, anyone ready for a good time will find Lucerna
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New Year's Eve ... at the nightclubs
pRaguE CLubS oFFER a RaNgE oFDJS aND thEmES FoR thE END oF
thE yEaR CELEbRatIoN.
Themes run from the 1980s to outer space and world domination
Music Bar, a favorite ofCzechs and tourists alike.For New Year’s Eve thisyear, the music bar willhold its well-liked 80’s and90’s party, complete withclassic hits that will haveyou dancing the nightaway down memory lane.
Jaromir Telenský, a pro-moter for Lucerna says,“visitors will enjoy musicvideos on a big LED screenand electrifying vibes.” Theparty starts at 9 p.m. andtickets can be found onlineat Ticketpro, Ticketportal,and Ticketstream for 450Kč or 550 Kč at the door.
If traveling to space ismore appealing than trav-eling back in time, the clubRetro is sure to not disap-point with their New Year’sEve party, Silvester inSpace.
The long list of DJs havebeen booked a year in advance, so get ready to hear somegreat talent. Tickets start at 350 Kč in advance online atTicketstream or they can be purchased for 450 Kč at the door,opening at 9 p.m.
Starting the party a little later into the night is SaSazu,whose New Year’s Eve party “The World is Ours!” starts at 10p.m. Whether you’re ready to claim the world as your own orjust want to celebrate the New Year with midnight fireworks,themed dancers, an acrobatic show, and great DJs, SaSazusurely will not disappoint. Tickets start at 699 Kč online at tick-etpro.cz, ticketportal.cz, or ticketstream.cz.
Even later still, Palác Akropolis will kick off this New Yearwith its party “Fresh Kick,” starting at 10:30 p.m. Tickets can bebought at the door and cost 150 Kč, but women get in freeuntil midnight. Palác Akropolis has a long list of DJs ready toplay music until well into the morning, so this is one party youwon’t want to miss.
If you’re looking to dance straight into the New Year, look nofurther than Prague. With many clubs offering a great night,this New Year’s Eve will surely be a success. g
RoXy Where: Dlouha 33, Prague 1Web: www.roxy.cz
ChapEau RougEWhere: Jakubska 2, Prague 1Web: www.chapeaurouge.cz
LuCERNa muSIC baRWhere: Vodickova 36, Prague 1Web: www.musicbar.cz
REtRo Where: Francouzska 4, Prague 2Web: www.retropraha.cz
SaSazu Where: Bubenské nábřeží 306,Prague 7Web: www.sasazu.com
paLáC akRopoLIS Where: Kubelíkova 27, Prague 3Web: www.palacakropolis.cz
If you want to splurge for New Year’s Eve, many of the bigtop-rated hotels are having gourmet meals followed byelaborate parties. One of the most elaborate evenings willbe at Hilton Prague, which is using a New York City theme.
Other players hoping to attract end-of-the-year crowds includeKempinski, The Augustine and the Four Seasons.
Hilton Prague’s elaborate New York City–themed year-endparty offers a choice of one of four gala dinners. Festivities startat 7 p.m., with entertainment in the lobby. The climax is a TimesSquare–style ball drop at midnight.
The Downtown gala dinner at the Atrium restaurant featuresan international buffet for 4,699 Kč per person. Another optionis the Empire Lounge gala dinner at the Café Bistro, with a viewof the stage. It also offers a buffet of international delicacies.The price is 4,999 Kč, or 5,999 Kč for gallery seating.
The Wall Street gala dinner at CzecHouse Grill has a six-course gourmet menu with unlimited Taittinger Champagne
and drinks, for 6,499 Kč per person. The main course is vealtournedos with walnut crust, truffle potato and cognac sauce.
The final gala dinner is at Cloud 9, the Hilton’s rooftop bar.The 5th Avenue gala dinner includes a gourmet buffet, livebroadcast of the multimedia spectacle downstairs in the hotel,a fireworks show, open bar, unlimited Champagne, ice bar andsome surprises. The buffet menu is too extensive to list indetail, but it includes everything from sushi to beef Wellington,with lots of seafood and delicacies like leg of lamb, ribs withmango and Armagnac marinated foie gras terrine. The price forthis party is 9,999 Kč per person. Guests can also drink at otherbars throughout the hotel.
For those wishing to skip the meals and just go to the parties,the Times Square party is 1,999 Kč starting at 10 p.m. and the5th Avenue party is 3,999 Kč from 11 p.m., although tickets forthe latter are limited.
The evening at Hilton Prague Old Town is a bit less elaborate. It
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New Year’s Eve at Prague’s top hotels
hILtoN pRaguE’S paRty haS a NEw yoRk thEmE, INCLuDINg a baLL DRop.
Photo: Courtesy Photo
Gourmet meals, private fireworks and dancing till dawn
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 25
has an option of a six-course gourmet menustarting at 7 p.m. at theZinc Restaurant or athree-course meal at 9p.m. at the ZincLounge and Bar. Bothmenus include a NewYear’s Eve party withdrinks, a midnighttoast and music.
The gourmet menuis highlighted byseared turbot filletwith seafood risotto,lobster tail and bisqueemulsion, followed byWagyu beef sirloin,seared foie gras,braised cheek andpuree of Jerusalemartichoke. This menualso includes a starterof spicy tuna tartare,wild mushrooms, duckconsommé anddessert. The price is4,870 Kč.
The three-courseoption is a bit cheaper,at 3,090 Kč per per-son. The menu has anAsian theme, withmain course optionsincluding beef ribs inrendang sauce, SriLankan baked jumbo
cod, or prawn sambal with biryani rice. There is also a choice ofstarters and a plate of mini desserts.
The menu at the Kempinski Hotel Hybernská Prague isthe work of executive chef Marek Fichter, who has beenwith the hotel since it opened in 2008. He was recentlynamed one of the five top Czech chefs by the CzechTelevision show All About Cooking (Vše o Vaření).
The New Year’s Eve seven-course gala dinner leads intoan evening of live music, with a caricaturist, a bubbleshow, private fireworks in the garden and a champagnetoast at midnight. Highlights from the menu include lan-goustine with green pea velouté, pheasant breast with
juniper berry sauce, lamb loin from a local farm, and baby pearmarinated in port wine. The dinner and accompanying programcosts 6,700 Kč, with an additional 1,500 for the wine pairing.
Staying at the hotel for its three-night holiday package,which includes the New Year’s Eve dinner and a bottle ofsparkling wine in the room, starts at 1,448 euros, excluding VAT.At the Four Seasons, the New Year’s Eve celebration starts at 7p.m. with a cocktail reception and continues with a five coursedegustation menu that starts with black tiger prawns and yel-low fin tuna tartare with Osetra caviar and white tomatomousse; terrine of duck foie gras with torcolato jelly, persim-mon marmalade and candied fruit baba. The main course ismilk-fed veal fillet with dauphinoise potatoes, Piedmont blacktruffles and barolo wine sauce.
That is followed by pecorino zafferano and Buccia di Rospoartisanal cheeses, cranberry and mint chutney; sfera al mascar-pone with raspberries and Amedei Nut Brown Toscano choco-late truffles; and pralines with coffee or tea.
A live DJ session will take place after dinner for dancing thenight away and celebrating the start of 2014.The menu includingthe Champagne reception but without other wines is 7,750 Kčper person, or 9,950 Kč per person including the wine pairing.
The Augustine in Malá Stana has an elegant seven-course mealby Executive Chef Robert Loos in its Elegantes restaurant startingat 8 p.m. The evening includes music by Elena Sonenshine JazzQuartet and a fire show, plus an opportunity for a photograph in asleigh. After midnight, there is a party in the 1887 bar with originalcocktails and a Champagne and oyster bar.
The menu is highlighted by pan fried halibut with squid inkrisotto, date purée and oyster velouté, and Angus beef filletwith foie gras, sweet potato fries, green asparagus and agedbalsamic reduction. A bottle of Billecart-Salmon Champagne isinlcuded per couple, as is a glass of champagne and three oys-ters at the afterparty.
The price is 7,500 Kč per person, with an optional wine pair-ing for the dinner costing an additional 2,000 Kč. g
hILtoN pRaguECzecHouse, Atrium, Café Bistro Cloud 9Where: Pobřežní 311/1, Prague 8Tel: 224 842 014Web: www.hiltonprague.com
hILtoN pRaguE oLD towNZinc restaurantWhere: V Celnici 7, Prague 1Tel: 221 822 100Web: www.hiltonpragueoldtown.com
kEmpINSkI hotELhybERNSká pRaguELe Grill restaurantWhere: Hybernská 12, Prague 1Tel: 226 226 126Email:
FouR SEaSoNS CottoCrudo restaurantWhere: Veleslavínova 1098/2ATel: 221 426 880Email: [email protected]: festivefourseasonsprague.com
thE auguStINEElegantes restaurantWhere: Letenská 12/33Tel: 266 122 280Email: E-mail: [email protected]
This holiday season, you might be getting or givingsome top-shelf liquor. The Czech Republic doesn’tactually have a long tradition with whisky, an itemthat was in short supply throughout the communist
era because it has to be imported at high cost.
So the Prague Post sought out some expert advice for thoselost in the relatively recent sea of “the water of life” that hasinundated the country. While overall consumption of spirits isdown slightly to a total of 6.7 liters per person annually, accord-ing to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), most premium branddistributors report increases in sales.
The one thing that the experts agree on is that the best wayto drink whisky is the way you like it. After that, there was a bitof variation. Václav Rout, the proprietor of Whisky & Kilt, a clubat Legerova 26 in Prague 2 with more than 400 kinds of whisky,started with the basics, using the proper glass. His establish-ment has mostly Scotch whisky, but also some Irish whiskeyand ones from such diverse places as Africa, China and Japan.
He favors what’s called a Glencairn glass. “Nobody knowsabout it in the Czech Republic,” Rout said. The glass, in usesince 2001, helps to hold and focus the aromas. You can thenappreciate the aroma by both smelling the vapor from thewhisky with your nose and breathing it in with your mouthbefore tasting it. You should turn the glass a bit, but not swirl it,he said. A glass should provide around two to three sips. Oneshould neither gulp it nor nurse it too much.
The worst way to drink it is in a tumbler with ice, as can oftenbe seen in old crime movies. “It’s a film cliché,” he said.
Ice was something that divided the experts. Rout claims thatwhisky should be consumed at room temperature, and that icewill change the flavor by slowing the rate of evaporation. Thewhisky will then provide fewer aromas.
He wasn’t against water completely, but warned people notto add too much. A few drops from an eyedropper should beenough to open up the flavor without diluting it, he said.
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What’s the best way to drink whiskey?
CaSkS oF whISky agE at thEStRathISLa DIStILLERy IN SCotLaND.
Credit: Chivas Brothers
Several experts offer tips and some suggestions of where to start
Alex Robertson, international brand ambassador for ChivasRegal, disagreed on this point. “Personally I enjoy some ice andjust a splash of water. I think the water allows the aromas toreveal themselves as the ice melts slowly into the whisky.Those aromas just become beautifully clear,” he said.
Robertson’s grandfather held views more in line with Rout’s. “Icome from a long line of Scotsmen. My grandfather used to tellme you add nothing to scotch. You drink it as it is. You drink itneat,” Robertson said.
But current industry practices are a bit different. “When wetest whiskies in Scotland, when we analyze whiskies, we willalways analyze at 20 percent alcohol by adding water,” he said.
“So as soon as you add water, you cut the alcohol and itopens the aromas,” he said.
Mirka Kverková, manager of Focus Spirits and Whiskeria Bar inthe Jindřišská tower in Prague 1, was one of many otherexperts approached by the Prague Post who stressed that theone and only thing that matters is personal preference. “Ifsomeone would like ice, please have whisky with ice,” she said.“But many more prefer to drink whisky straight, and if is too
strong for someone use some still water,” she added.
The idea of whether a single malt or a blend is better saw asharp disagreement. Robertson claimed that the idea that allmalts were better than all blends was a falsehood. “Peopleappreciate blends for the same reasons that people appreciatemalts,” he said, adding that heritage and craftsmanship wereideas that could be found in both malts and blends.
“The malt category is growing incredibly well, but it still repre-sents less than 10 percent of global Scotch whisky sales,” he said.
“Malts of course have a distinctive unique character, uniqueto the distillery. But a blend also has a house style and a masterblender has to take these whiskies and bring them together,”he said. “I would argue the blend brings together the best fla-vors of what malt has to offer. By blending you create a housestyle,” he said, adding that some classic single malts such asStrathisla and Longmorn were used in making the Chivas blend.
He also pointed out that for a blend to be called 12 years old,then every type of whisky used in the blend must be at least12 years old, and some are probably older.
Whisky & Kilt’s Rout, on the other hand, prefers single malts.
“A blended whisky is like an actor playing a role. It has a mix ofpersonalities, trying to please everyone at once. It is schizo-phrenic,” he said. “A single malt is for one person. You either likeit or you don’t.”
Cocktails, which often irk purists, didn’t meet with that muchresistance. “A cocktail is a different kind of drink, but why not?”Rout said. The important thing is to use a good whisky if youwant to make a good cocktail, he added.
Brand ambassadorRobertson also did notoppose them. “Cocktails are away to balance the flavorswithin a whisky,” he said.
While most of the expertswere discussing scotch, thePrague Post also sought outan opinion on Irish whiskeyand got a surprising recom-mendation.
“It's almost always better toadd even a teaspoon or twoof water. Somehow it seemsthat more taste and depth oftaste comes through on yourpalate when you do this,” saidFrank Haughton, the owner of the James Joyce Pub in Prague1. The pub has one of the largest collections of Irish whiskey inCentral Europe, he said.
Haughton came up with something that none of the otherexperts mentioned. “There is also a new way to enjoy Jamesonwhich incorporates a little bit of Ireland and the CzechRepublic. It's called a ‘pickleback.’
Essentially you shoot a shot of Jameson followed by a shotof the pickle liquid from the classic Czech gherkins. It reallyworks very well and has certain elements of how tequila isoften drunk with the salt and lemon,” he said.
Some of the experts offered tips for particular brands to lookfor, especially for beginners. Robertson pointed out many ofthe attributes of Chivas, the brand for which he is an ambassa-dor. “The house style of Chivas is smooth, it’s rich, it’s gener-ous,” he said.
He recommended Chivas 18 in particular. “It’s got that rich-ness and the fruitiness: apple, pear and chocolate,” he said. Andfor people going through duty free shops at airports, there is
Chivas Brothers blend, a 12 year old that is only available there.He also mentioned Glenlivet 15 year old, which is aged inFrench oak casks.
Whisky & Kilt’s Rout said a good whisky for novices, and oneof his favorites, is Highland 18 year old, which has a little flavorof smoke. He also praised The Macallan Sienna, and for women,whose liquor preferences tend to be a bit different than aman’s, he recommended Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or.
Whiskeria Bar’s Kverková also had several recommendations.“For beginners there is AnCnoc 12 year old because is a sweetand gentle, and Glengoyne 10 year old because it is verysmooth, with vanilla and green apples on the palate,” she said.
“For whisky lovers who would prefer a classic Scotch whisky, Iwould go for any of the range of Springbank, and for a whiskylover who prefers the dominant peat flavor in the whisky [thereis] Smokehead,” she said.
As for an Irish whiskey, Haughton said there is a new family-run label in Ireland called Teeling Whiskey.
“It’s causing a sensation over there. It’s a really good one witha ‘twist’ as it is aged in rum casks, and it is bringing people whonormally didn’t even consider whiskey to give it a try. And theylove it,” he said. It may be hard to find as the company can’tkeep up with demand.
Haughton also suggested that people stop by to enjoy theholiday spirit and good ‘craic’ at James Joyce at U obecníhodvora 4 in Prague 1 and try a pickleback for the holidays. g
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The drink whichenables a man to
magnify his joy, andhis happiness.
NYE Eve onCharles Bridgebegins at dusk...
so go early!
THE PRAGUE POST WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE 2014 www.praguepost .com 29
Photo: Unesco
Special Supplement design by Jeffree Benet for
The Prague Post www.inkybrain.com
