Coaster Crisis in Košice

Yep.  They're really getting the maximum usage out of the beer mats at Corvus in Košice.
I scouted the other tables but all seemed to be in a similar condition.  Maybe there's a beer mat shortage.

Košice, in the east of the country, is Slovakia's second largest city.
Although the suburbs stretch out, everything the average tourist needs is in a compact old town with St Elisabeth's cathedral, gardens and fountains and the theatre at it's centre.

We climbed the narrow spiral staircase of the cathedral tower, explored, had some lunch and relaxed in the park before deciding it was an acceptable hour to seek out a bar... 

Luxor Brewhouse (Biela 3, Košice)

Centrally located, down a side-street, this isn't somewhere that would jump out at you if you weren't looking for it.  And it seemed no-one was looking for it on this Saturday afternoon as we had the place to ourselves on arrival.
Despite it being Luxur Brewhouse beers are brewed by Pivovar Šemrák, squeezing 'Lux' into the names.  Hence I tried a very nice and refreshing 'WiezenLux' and the mandatory IPA, the 5% ABV 'Ipalux '.

Luxor Brewhouse

Pivovar Corvus

A walk up the main central street, Hlvaná, then straight on as this turns into Komenského brought us to the orange frontage of Corvus.

Pivovar Corvus (Komenského1095/17, Košice - web)
It looked distinctly closed as we arrived, front door firmly bolted and shutters covering the windows. But an archway to the side led to the back-yard and beer garden, not exactly in "full swing", but with a few folk relaxing on a hot, sunny afternoon.

Looks like the operation moves outside in the warmer months.

The beer list stretched to around 15 ales, 5 brewed by Corvus with several other interesting Slovakian breweries besides.  In the hot weather I settled for a hoppy, light, 'Jantar IPA 13°'.

Beer garden life at Pivovar Corvus

Pivovar Hostinec (Hlavná 65, Košice - web)

Pivovar Hostinec

This brew pub has a prime location, just to the side of the theatre on the main street.  Through the doorway there is a cavernous corridor leading to the main bar, brewing kit and several other rooms beyond.  It's a big place, combining old and new styles in its design.
According to the info in their menu, the oldest brewery in Košice was located in this same building, which inspired this modern venture.  They brew in 5hl batches, with 12 tanks in the medieval cellar for fermentation and maturation.
The 'Hostinská 12°' is served straight from the tank and is a tasty, easy-to-drink golden ale.

We grabbed some food here, going for our second plate on this trip of fried cheese, alongside cheesy mashed potato and grilled veg.
Accompanying this, I ordered a second beer, with a great name -  'Slnko Seno Melony', a 7% NE IPA.

I'm a sucker for a bit of brew kit.

Trouble with the fried cheese is that it's very filling.
In a tragic set of circumstances I declared myself too full for another beer.


On our second day in Košice we caught the train northwards to visit Spis castle.
Returning to the train station in the afternoon, there's a handy brewpub on the concourse.

"In an oval glazed superstructure, which you will not miss" says their website.
So naturally I missed it, taking a while to realise it was up on the 2nd floor.

Staničná Pivovar (Stanične Námestie 11, Košice - web)

It is undeniably a pretty spectacular design.

Extra points for having their own beer mats
and them being in good condition.

But squint and couldn't it be a Wetherspoon's?
Worse still, a Wetherspoon's where you can't go to the the bar and are at the mercy of whoever is serving your table.
In our case, someone who disappeared after taking our order. I could frustratingly see our beers, poured and ready on the bar, waiting to be delivered to our table.  On the menu were 3 of their own beers in standard Slovak styles (10° and 12° pilsners and a 13° dark lager) alongside a range of international ales.

Leaving the station, we walked through the centre of town, trying to beat the imminent thunderstorm, as we made our way to the Red Nose Pub.

Red Nose Pub (Zbrojnicná 2, Košice - web)
As usual, I pick the bustling, buzzing hot-spots of town...

They all heard I was coming and went somewhere else.

Yep, it was pretty quiet early Sunday evening, but I didn't need crowds of folk to enjoy this place with a hard rock soundtrack and superb beer list...

You can probably tell the IPA is popular in Slovakia.

Pretty expensive if you had an urge for a Belgian red ale, but otherwise €1.30 to €2.70 for 0.5l of everything else was very reasonable.
Four Corvus beers available (as well as the two Red Nose ones brewed by them) so I'd conclude that you could come here instead of walking to Corvus itself if you're short on time.
I tried two tasty, hoppy beers: 'Prešovska Comet' a 5.3% IPA from Prešovský Pivovar and

'Freerider' brewed by the Banksa Bystrica nano-brewery.  Both great.


Dobré Časý had proved a real winner in Poprad, so we were happy to learn that there was another branch of this bar in Košice.
It gave me the chance to use the full range of special characters when typing out their name..

Dobré Časý - Košický Pivný Dom  (Čajkovského 4, Košice - fb)

You can get your fix of Punk IPA here albeit at €3.50 - the priciest thing on the menu.
In their intrepid march to world domination Brewdog have entered into a partnership with Dobré Časý. 

Brewdog Merch coming soon.

The bar is a wonderful old building, with multiple rooms, a small ground floor garden and a big 1st floor terrace.
But after the choice of Slovakian beers in the Red Nose, it was a shame that, out of 19 beers available, only the two from God Times were local.  That said, the Czech beers on offer were excellent, including another chance to try the great 'Cornel IPA'.

Smart bar at Dobré Časý

We just had enough time to fit in a couple more beers, stopping in a small wine and beer bottle-shop close to our hotel.

Barrique - Pivotéka & Vinotéka (Hlavná 12, Košice)
Shelves line the wall here, with two sections containing some interesting local bottled beers, the rest a fine wine selection.  Not my usual kind of surroundings, but it was quiet, comfortable and had a couple of interesting beers on tap at the bar.  To bring the Slovakia trip to a close I settled down with a Herenwald 'Sun on Taj Mahal', a 6.1% ABV IPA.

I'm available for hire if you too would like me to photograph your venue
and make it look really appealing.