"More Beer Faster," is a battle cry for this country.  I am constantly amazed, not only by my own, but by almost everyone's ability to drink beer.  I know, I've talked about drinking beer here before, but I think it's a subject which requires more scrutiny.  In depth research, even. 

There are three types of beer which you can get at most pubs.  Svetle, or light beer, cerne, dark or black beer, and this strange creature called, rezane, which is half and half, literally, "cut" beer.  These three types of beer are also modulated by their strength.  This strength is determined not by the percentage of alcohol, like they do back in Canada, but by the specific gravity -- generally you have two types, 10-degree and 12-degree, though some pubs serve their own brands which have 11-degree and 13- degree.  It seems the higher the degree, the higher the level of alcohol.  This is a good thing to keep in mind if you're drinking 13-degree beer.  I had one evening which ended up . . . well, let's just say, I wish I'd known I was drinking 13-degree, and not 10. 

Before you sit your behind down on a bench in a pub, make sure you ask your prospective neighbours, "Je tu volno?"  or, "is it free here?"  It's just polite, after all.  You wouldn't want to deprive anyone of their precious beer-drinking space while they were out.  Generally, people have left their seats for one of two reasons: getting more beer, or getting rid of it.  Usually, its the latter, as most pubs have hard-working waiters who rush around with fists full of mugs.  On one occasion, I've seen a waiter carry up to two dozen.  Of course, I might be exaggerating: I could have been seeing double. 

So, once you have a seat, you carefully place a coaster in front of you to indicate that you'd like a beer.  I find this bit of etiquette particularly genial and somewhat ironic.  First of all, it prevents all that nasty waving and crying out for service which you get in other countries.  It's ultimately ironic, however, because what else could you possibly be there for, except to drink a beer or two?  Or six. 

Finally, here's the best part.  You don't pay as you drink.  You pay after you drink.  Each time the waiter leaves you with another beer, he makes a tick on your bill.  I find this very civilized.  It prevents all that nonsense with change, and leaves it to one simple, painless exchange.  It also means that the waiter doesn't waste his time dealing with money after each round, and instead can concentrate on the vital task of bringing the patrons more beer.   

More beer . . . faster.