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Facts about the Czech Republic

The so-called “Deed of Foundation of the Vyšehrad Chapter House”, issued by King Vratislav II at the end of the 11th century is considered the first important document concerning beer brewing in the Czech Republic. This document indicated the duty of paying the lords of the Vyšehrad Chapter House a beer brewing tithe, as well as other fees. Beer brewing culminated during the 12th century when it was considered the most important gainful municipal trade.

As a result of the historic development of the Czech brewing industry and the quality of local ingredients Czech beer has gradually became a worldwide phenomenon. Today it is considered one of the Czech symbols and the label “Czech beer” is protected as a geographic label. Czech beer differs from beers brewed in other countries by being fuller and more bitter; it is also much more fragrant and has a slightly darker colour.

Today’s Czech beer market is distinguished by its variety. Apart from well-known brands such as Plzeňský Prazdroj (map), Budějovický Budvar (map), Prague Staropramen (map) or the Moravian Starobrno (map), there are also a large number of local brands with their own specific flavours on the market.

The following types of beer are brewed in the Czech Republic:

• pale
• medium dark
• dark
• half and half

Traditional Czech beer can also be classified into light, tap, lager, special and porter beer depending on the alcohol content and the level of malt fermentation. Non-alcoholic beers (beer with an alcohol content of max. 0.5 % ) and reduced-alcohol beers (beers with an alcohol content of max. 1.2 %) have become more and more popular in recent years.

The Czech Republic holds the world primacy not only in beer brewing, but also in beer consumption. According to statistics Czechs drink an average of 160 litres of beer per head per year. Consequently, it is no surprise that various beer festivals and celebrations are held practically from spring to winter in many towns all over the country. The largest of these include the Czech Beer Festival in Prague. Apart from the traditional brewery tour Czech beer celebrations are also complemented by a varied accompanying and entertainment programme, which also includes stylish refreshments, gourmet specialities, performances by artists and music bands as well as other various attractions.

You can find a summary of this year’s beer celebrations here.