Beer and loathing – from ancient brew pubs to flash new cocktail bars, crawling through all kinds of establishment in between.

From the 14th century when King Charles IV forbade the export of Bohemia's prize Zatec hops, Czechs have revelled in their destiny: to be the world's brewmasters.

But if the art of brewing is the Bohemian gift to lay alongside the printing press or penicillin, it's one most gladly received by the giver himself. It's a tradition so ingrained that neither World War II nor the central planners in Moscow could do much to change it – thus, a night at the corner pub feels and tastes (and smells) much the same as it always has. Under balmy summer skies a Pilsener or six with your friends may well be the loveliest ritual in the world, but keeping pace with the locals is no picnic the rest of the year. Drinking is done in smoky pubs with stained tablecloths and surly servers with dodgy maths. Anything less than half a dozen half-litre mugs is suspect – if you can drink ten you can walk away with your pride intact. If you can walk at all. Czechs wouldn't have it any other way. That may explain why bars focusing on atmosphere, drink mixing or good wines are still somewhat thin on the ground. A few fortunate exceptions are Hapu and Bugsy's , and, in the Restaurants chapter, Chez Marcel and Trocadero. For a taste of the authentic, try ziikov's exemplary U Houdki pub, though any in this district will do. Pedigreed Old Town establishments include the Radegast Pub, U medvidki and U kr?le Jiziho. Barinicki rychta and U ierniho vola set the standard in Mal? Strana and Hradiany. For the wine-drinker, Moravian vintages aren't as refined as Bohemian brews but they're rebounding after years of official disdain for being bourgeois. Vineyards in Mikulov, Znojmo or Valtice yield increasingly drinkable whites such as Rulandsk? bil? and Rulandski zedi, (both pinots) and M?ller Thurgau. More complex reds are Svatovaviinecki or the less reliable Rulandski ierveni, a pinot noir. You can bring a plastic water bottle into any corner tavern marked sudov? v?no and take a chance on 'barrelled wine'. A litre costs 50-75 Kn.