The punc(h) will be taken from the grog* this holiday season at the many outdoor Christmas markets around Prague and the Czech Republic.

The government has announced they will  strictly enforce existing laws prohibiting non-licensed vendors from selling drinks with alcohol content higher than 15 percent.  So you will have to go to a licensed premises to get anything stronger than hot mulled wine.

I can’t rant against this government directive because there is a legitimate need to monitor the source of alcohol based upon last September’s crisis that saw all sales of spirits halted for many days.  Unscrupulous bootleggers had sold various kinds of spirits that contained poisonous methanol which since then has killed 37 people and seriously injured many others.

I am hoping creative entrepreneurs will come up with some new drink that is festive yet below the maximum alcohol content.  I had my first beer cocktail in Prague and it was pretty good.

*For the un-initiated Grog is rum, water, lemon and sugar and Punc is hot spiced wine with fruit juice and rum.

These are the type of local stalls that will have to come up with something new.  Notice our Ziskov tower in the upper right.