Czech Breweries
styles - history - beers




Introduction
Much has changed in the Czech brewing world since the end of communism. Brewery closures, new technology and foreign takeovers have transformed the industry. Not all of these changes have been for the better.

This page attempts to describe the current structure of the Czech brewing industry, its beer styles and how they developed.

Index
Czech brewing industry
Czech beer satistics
Czech beer styles - history
Czech beer styles today
Czech Breweries
That was then
In 1988 many Czech breweries were almost unchanged from the 1930's. While productivity may have been low, there was no argument about the quality of the beers brewed. Open fermenters, long lagering times and absence of pasteurisation produced distinctive and flavoursome beers. No other country came even vaguely close to the general high standard of Czech lager. It was impossible to find bad beer.

The larger regional breweries - Staropramen, Gambrinus, Velké Popovice and, of course, Pilsner Urquell - had national distribution. Even in a town like Prague, where there were several large local breweries, there was a good choice of beer from the whole of Czechoslovakia.

Though not as well known as those from Pilsen and Ceské Budejovice, the Prague beers were of just as high a standard until a few years ago. Unhappily, this is no longer the case and the ubiquitous Staropramen 10% and 12% pale lagers are rapidly approaching the (low) standard of 'international' pils beers brewed the world over. The traditional Prague style, as in Munich, is a dark lager and thankfully, after many years of being difficult to find, it seems to have become more available of late. It resisted the switch from top-fermenting longer than other Czech styles and only changed to using bottom-fermenting yeast at the end of the 1800's. The best example is undoubtedly that of U Fleku, a beer along the same lines as a Franconian dark kellerbier. The second best of this style, Braník 12% cerné, which for many years was the only other to be found in any of the city centre pubs, has been discontinued. A move which demonstrated Bass's level of commitment to Prague's brewing traditions. The pubs which used to sell it (and which in some cases still have signs outside advertising it) now have the much-inferior Mestan 11% dark.
This is now
The idiotic way the Czech brewing industry was privatised, when the regional groupings of the communist era were sold off in job lots, meant all the local breweries gained a single private owner. In Prague the three large breweries - Staropramen, Braník and Mestan - were in a single group, Prazské Pivovary, and had the same owner. In November 1996, when they increased their shareholding to 51%, that owner was the British firm Bass. When Bass decided to get out of brewing, the breweries passed to the Belgian multinational Interbrew.

Interbrew isn't the only international vulture to have descended on the carcass of the communist brewing industry. SABMiller - worryingly for anyone who cares about beer - grabbed almost half of the Czech market when Nomura got bored of playing brewer. They've shown their respect for Pilsner Urquell's uniques tradition by brewing it under licence in plants they control in other countries, such as Poland.

Heineken, through its ownership of the Austrian group BBAG, now has a toehold in the Czech Republic. I can't imagine that it will be content with its current market share of less than 5%. That just isn't the way globalists operate.

Most of the country's breweries have been hypnotised by all those shiny new conical fermenters and stainless steel lagering tanks. It's as if there's a race on to see how quickly they can destroy hundreds of years of tradition. At the current rate of destruction, they should be just about finished in 5 years time. A few smaller companies are showing more respect, but these are usually small and only available locally. Herold and Regent are two of those sticking with the old techniques and whose beers have a wider distribution.

On a more positive note, many individuals have taken advantage of the new economic climate and set up microbreweries and brewpubs. These now make up over 40% of all the breweries in the Czech Republic. Though in terms of market share they are of negligible importance.

The Czech brewing industry
At present, the Czech domestic beer market is dominated by SABMiller, who have a share of over 40%. I expect Heineken and Interbrew to increase their cut, either through further acquisitions ofr aggressive marketing. The future looks bleak for many of the smaller, regional breweries who lack the finances to secure outlets or advertise.

The five largest brewing groups account for around 75% of beer production. Since the mid-1990's most regional breweries have seen their output fall - sometimes quite dramatically. Many medium-sized breweries are operating at less than 50% of their capacity.

At the time of the change in the political system in 1989 there were 71 breweries in the Czech Republic. Of these, 20 have since closed. So far, the opening of new brewpubs and microbreweries has more than offset the closures, at least in terms of total numbers. The net number of breweries has been increasing by around 1.5 per year over the last 10 years.

The current number of active breweries is around 89. The breweries break down as follows:

Brewery No. Details
SABMiller 3 Owns Pilsner Urquell, Velké Popovice, Radegast. All are in the the top five largest breweries in the Czech Republic.
Heineken 2 Owns Starobrno and Hostan (through BBAG).
Interbrew 3 Staropramen, Branik, Ostravar
PMS a.s. Přerov 3 Owns the Holba, Litovel and Zubr breweries.
Drinks Union 4 Owns breweries in Velké Březno, Krásné Březno, Louny and Kutna Hora.
Independents 32 Many of the smaller independents are struggling to compete with the large internationally-owned breweries. I expect more to close.
Microbreweries 12 Brewpubs have been more popular than stand-alone micros.
Brewpubs 28 The first brewpubs started to appear in the 1990's. Apart from U Fleků, of course, which has been around since the 15th century.

Brewers' Trade Organisations

The Czech Union of Breweries and Malt-Houses ("Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven")
http://www.cspas.cz/

An organisation founded before WW II. Represents the longer-established and larger breweries.


The Czech Union of Small Independent Breweries ("Český svaz malých nezávislých pivovarů")
Černá Hora 3/5,
679 21 Černá Hora.
Tel: 0506 - 482426
Fax: 0506 - 482429
Email: asistent@PivovarCH.cz
http://www.csmnp.cz/

Founded in 1993 to represent the interests of smaller breweries. Has around 24 members.
Beer Drinkers' Organisation
Chrám chmele a piva "Cathedral of Beer and Hops" an organisation deicated to the hops and beer of Zatec (Saaz).

Czech Beer Tours Let Libor Vojácek guide you around some of the Czech Republic´s smaller and more interesting breweries.


Czech Beer Styles - History
Pilsener and Budweiser
Bohemia is world-famous for its pale lagers, yet these beers to not dominate the local beer landscape as much as one might imagine. A surprisingly large number of dark and amber lagers are brewed, too. It should be remembered that the terms "Pilsener" and "Budweiser" are used as terms of geographical origin in the Czech Republic, not to designate a style or a brand.

A tradition of brewing bottom-fermenting porters, similar to those made in Poland, has almost died out, though a couple of such beers still survive.

Before I tell you about Czech beer styles today, let's take a journey into the past. I think it will prove most instructive.
Bottom-fementing styles circa 1900
There is a fascinating chapter in "American Handy Book of Brewing , Malting and Auxiliary Trades" (Wahl & Henius, Chicago 1902) on Thick Mash Beers in Germany and Austria (P.780-792). It's the best explanation I've read of early lager styles. It's pretty precise about the specifications of the beers, even down to the hopping rates. As the book is designed as a practical manual for berwers, it must bear at least some resemblance to reality.

I'll paraphrase now what it says about the different types of continental lager beer:

type colour subtype gravity Balling hops/ hl comments flavour
Bohemian beer: "light-yellow to greenish-yellow" Abzug/Schenk 10.5° 300, 350, to 400 g usually kräusened as Hefenbier - I suppose a sort of cask-conditioned version. It was kräusened as racked into the trade package and needed time to settle in the public house before serving. "the taste is vinous , dry, somewhat sharp; instead of the malt taste, the bitter taste of the hops predominates." The kräusened beer didn't need to be kept as cold during lagering
    Abzug/Schenk 11.5° 350, 400 to 430 g    
    Lagerbier 12.5° 420, 460, 500 g not kräusened, i.e. racked bright. Stored three to four months. Bunged 4 weeks and more., so I guess high in CO2.
    Export 13.5° 450, 480, 550 g not kräusened. Stored minimum three to four months. Bunged 4 weeks and more.
Wiener Beer: between Bavarian and Bohemian in colour Abzug 10.5° 200, 220 to 260 g 6 to 8 weeks old, bunged 1 or 2 weeks cooled to about zero
C02 content 0.32-0.39%
Between Bavarian and Bohemian in taste. I suppose bittersweet.
    Abzug 11.5° 250, 280 to 300 g 6 to 8 weeks old, bunged 1 or 2 weeks cooled to about zero C02 content 0.32-0.39%  
      12.5° 300, 330 to 360 g    
    Lagerbier 13.5° 320, 360, 400 g Stored four to five months, bunged (if at all) max. 2 weeks  
    Märzen 14.5° 380, 400, 420 g    
    Export 15.5° 400, 480, 550 g    
Bavarian beer: pale brown Munich beer and dark brown Kulmbacher beer. Winter Bier 10.5-11.5° (4.25% alc. vol)   Stored 4 weeks, bunged 6 to 8 days "It has palate-fulness, a sweet taste and malt flavor."
    Summer Bier 12.5-14.5° (4.9% alc. vol) 200, 280 to 300 g Same hop rate for all strengths. Stored 4 weeks, Bunged 2 weeks  
    Export 15° (5.5% alc. vol)   Stored 10 weeks, Bunged 2 weeks  
    Bock 16° to 18° (5.9% alc. vol)   Stored 10 weeks, Bunged 2 weeks  
Notes:
  1. Beer was bunged to increase the amount of dissolved CO2 to that desired. It usually ocurred immediately before the beer was due to be sold.
  2. The darker beers were not - as is often the case today - brewed from a grist of pilsner malt plus a small amount of highly-coloured malt. Vienna beers were brewed from 100% vienna malt, Munich beers from 100% dark Münchner malt. The Bohemian beers were - surprise, surprise - made from 100% pilsner malt.
  3. The principal differences between the types in terms of colour and degree of attenuation derived from the characteristics of the different kinds of malt.

Here are some Czech, Viennese and Bavarian beers analysed around this time (Wahl & Henius, p. 823-830):

Beer Brewery Date sampled Balling Wort Balling Beer app.deg. atten. alc. wt. alc. vol.
Pilsener (Schenk or Winter Beer) Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen (Pilsner Urquell) 1886 11.2° 3.56° 68% 2.98%  
Lagerbier Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen 1887 11.72° 3.25° 72% 3.32%  
Export Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen 1888 11.95° 3.55° 70% 3.46%  
Export Bürgerliches Brauhaus, Pilsen 1898 13.82° 3.80° 72.5% 4.20%  
Lagerbier Actien-Brauhaus, Pilsen 1887 11.72° 2.75° 77% 3.51% 4.4%
Export Actien-Brauhaus, Pilsen 1897 12.21° 3.1° 75% 3.82% 4.8%
Lagerbier Pilsner Urquell, Pilsen 2004 12.0° 3.65° 70% 3.52% 4.4%
Lagerbier Budweiser (not specified which brewery) 1887 11.34° 2.75° 76% 3.56%  
Lagerbier Budweiser Budvar 2004 12.0° 2.5° 81% 4% 5%
Lagerbier Dreher, Michelob 1888 13.30° 3.80° 71% 4.11%  
Bock Brünner (Brno - not specified which brewery) 1876 14.63° 4.40° 70% 4.39% 5.5%
Schenk or Winter Beer Nussdorfer 1876 10.78° 3.75° 65% 2.93%  
Lagerbier Nussdorfer - 13.18° 3.75° 72% 3.85%  
Schenk or Winter Beer Kleinschwechater 1888/1885 10.13° 3.00° 70% 2.94%  
Lagerbier Schwechater - 13.25° 4.25° 68% 3.62%  
Export Dreher, Kleinschwechat 1898 13.07° 3.95° 70% 3.83%  
Schenk or Winter Beer Munich (not specified which brewery) 1886 11.92° 4.25° 63% 3.00%  
Lagerbier Löwenbräu, Munich 1888 14.75° 3.55° 76% 3.46%  
Export Löwenbräu, Munich 1901 13.53° 4.13° 69% 3.95%  
Lagerbier Spaten , Munich 1867 13.07° 4.50° 66% 3.23%  
Export Spaten , Munich 1879 13.7° 5.05° 63% 3.74% 4.65%
Bock Spaten , Munich - 24° 8.47° 65% 7% 8.73%
Export Kulmbacher 1885 17.60° 7.55° 57% 4.18%  
Export Kulmbacher 1887 15.30° 4.50° 71% 4.48%  
Bock Kulmbacher Actien 1880 20.24° 6.97° 66% 5.28%  

You'll note that the beers run like this in decreasing degree of attenuation (and increasing colour):
Budweis, Pilsen, Vienna, Munich.

A tantalising - that because I only have an analysis of 1 Budweis beer - difference is shown between the Pilsen beers the drier one from Budweis. It's a distinction that is just as true today.

By way of comparison, here are the specifications of DDR bottom-fermenting cicrca 1975 ("Technologie Brauer und Mälzer" Wolfgang Kunze, Leipzig 1975, p.415-430):

type start grav. end grav. app.deg.atten. alc. wt. hop g/hl colour EBC CO2
Malzbier 2.4° 55-65% 0.5 - 1.2% 40 min 47 0.35%
Hell 11° - 11.°5 2.75° (max) min. 75% 3.6 - 4.0% 180 max 13.8 0.38%
Schwarzbier 12° 3.6 - 4.8° 60-70%   230 min 160 0.35%
Deutsches Pilsner 12.5° -13.0° 3.1° (max) min. 75% 3.7 - 4.2% 250 max 12.2 0.38%
Deutsches Pilsator 12.5° -13.3° 2.75° (max) min. 78% 3.8 - 4.5% 300 max 12.2 0.40%
Märzen 14° 4.2° (max) min. 70% 3.8 - 4.3% 240 40 - 55 0.38%
Bockbier Hell 16° 4.0 - 5.1° 68-75% 4.5 - 5.2% 150 23 - 33 0.38%
Bockbier Dunkel 16° 4.5 - 5.6° 65-72% 4.5 - 5.0% 150 min 85 0.38%
Norddeutsches Lagerbier*         130 - 250    
Pilsener Biertyp*         250 - 500    
Dortmunder Biertyp*         200 - 250    
Münchner Biertyp*         130 - 170    
Notes:
The start and end gravity are given in degrees Plato.
* "Leitfaden für den Brauer und Mälzer" Rudolf Dickscheit, Leipzig 1953, p.82.

You're probably wondering (if you haven't already packed up and gone home) why I have bothered you with all this historical gumph. Because without this knowledge, modern Czech beer styles won't make a great deal of sense. Unless - as may well be the case - you're brighter than me.

How can I say this without seeming a total prat? Until a terrifyingly recent date, I had thought of Czech beer as without beer styles in the classic sense. They don't call their beers Pils or Münchner or Export; they just brew 11, 12, 13 and 14° Plato beer either pale, dark or amber. How wrong could I have been.....

Stumbling across a pre-WW II Czech beer label prompted a rethink. A very simple label, printed in orangey-brown. In the centre "14%" and underneath "Märzen". Of course - Czech 14% amber beers were in the Märzen style! On closer inspection, 13% pale lagers are in the Spezial style; suddenly these Bohemian beers were fitting in very nicely with the lagers from Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland.

(As an illustration I've included the German and Czech versions of the same beer label. OK, it's a bit strange calling a 10° beer a Märzen, but it confirms "Březňák" as the Czech translation.)

It's like a physicist stumbling upon an unified field theory - suddenly the whole universe can be described in one sentence. Or perhaps a 19th century chemist filling in the grid of the periodic table. Which is exactly what I'll do now.

The illuminating quality of Czech lagers is not a matter of chance. The survival of so many of the early lager types in Bohemia make it far easier to spot patterns. Here's my grid:
Country 8% 10% 11% 12% 13% 14% 15% 16% 18%
Czech Republic Výčepní Výčepní Ležák Ležák Speciální Speciální/Exportní y y y
  Výčepní Výčepní Ležák Ležák Speciální Speciální/Märzen y y y
  Výčepní Výčepní Ležák Ležák Speciální Speciální y y y
Bavaria x x Pils Helles Spezial Oktoberfest x Bock Doppelbock
  x x x Lagerbier?   Märzen x Bock Doppelbock
  x x x Dunkles märzen/export   x Bock Doppelbock
Austria x x Helles/Pils Märzen Spezial   x Bock  
  x x Lager Bernstein Granit Märzen x Bock  
  x x   Export Spezial   x Bock Doppelbock
Switzerland x x Pils Helles Spezial Starkbier   Bock x
  x x       Starkbier   Bock x
  x x   Dunkles Spezial     Bock x

I won't insult your intelligence - you can see that far more of the Czech boxes are occupied. Vienna lagers aren't dead: they've just moved over the border. No country produces such a range of amber (polotmavé pivo) and dark lagers (tmavé pivo) as the Czech Republic. I can't quite understand why no-one has twigged this yet.


You can read more about the History and Brewing methods of Pilsner Urquell here.

Czech Beer Styles Today
Bottom-fermenting Styles
The overwhelming of majority of beer brewed in the Czech Republic is bottom-fermenting. Uniquely amongst traditional lager countries, 10 degree beer (OG 1040; 3.5-4% alc.vol.) is the biggest seller.

Some brewpubs make unfiltered versions of the classic Czech styles.

This is a breakdown of the bottom-fermenting styles:
Style alc. description
Světlé Výčepní Pivo 3-4% (8-10° Plato) Pale, low-strength lager. In German the name translates as "Helles Schankbier". Usually highly-attenuated and fairly hoppy. Not lagered for any great time, such beers are sold 3-4 weeks after mashing. The most popular style of beer in the Czech Republic.
Polomavé Výčepní Pivo 3-4% (8-10° Plato) Amber, low-gravity lager. Some breweries call it Řizek or "cut", meaning a mix of pale and dark. A type of beer which is virtually unknown outside the Czech Republic.
Tmavé (Černé) Výčepní Pivo 3-4% (8-10° Plato) Dark, low-gravity lager - "Dunkles Schankbier". Can be either sweet and malty or quite dry, with an amount of malt bitterness. Pretty much exclusively a Czech style.
Světlý Ležák 4.4 - 5% (11-12.5° Plato) The classic Czech pale lager style. The name means the same as "Helles Lagerbier" in German. Individual beers vary greatly, from sweetish and malty (like Pilsner Urquell) to dry and hoppy (Budvar). One thing they all have in common is being heavily hopped with good quality aroma hops (such as Saaz). Beers in this style should be lagered for 2-3 months before sale.
Polotmavý ležák 4.4 - 5% (11-12° Plato) An amber lager, roughly in the Vienna style. Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.
Tmavý (Černý) Ležák 4.4 - 5% (11-12° Plato) A term that covers a wide range of darker lagers, that vary in colour from pale brown to jet black. The name translates as "Dunkles Lagerbier" in German. They vary in taste from sweeter than a Münchner to quite dry. The Czech Republic is very unusual in that pale lagers preceeded dark ones. Czech dark beers remained top-fermenting until the 1890's. Beers in this style should be lagered for 2-3 months before sale.
Světlé Speciální Pivo 5.3 - 5.8% (13-14° Plato) A heavily-hopped pale lager. Approximates to a South German "Helles Export" or "Spezial" - a full-bodied beer with a good dose of quality aroma hops.
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 5.3 - 6% (13-14° Plato) An amber lager, roughly in the Märzen style (some breweries still use that term, or at least the Czech translation "Březnové pivo"). Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.
Tmavé (Černé) Speciální Pivo 5.3 - 5.8% (13-14° Plato) Strong dark lagers, which don't have many equivalents elsewhere. A Dunkles Märzen or Dunkles Export, related to Franconian beers of this name. A style usually only attempted by full-on artisan lager brewers. Full-bodied, malty and sometimes quite bitter. The U Fleků Ležák is a beautiful example of this style.
Světlé Speciální Pivo 6 - 7% (15-17° Plato) Roughly equivalent to a pale bock - powerful and bittersweet.
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 6 - 7% (15-17° Plato) Amber bock - malty and bittersweet. Some beers are even called Kozlík - the Czech for "small goat" or "kid".
Tmavé (Černé) Speciální Pivo 6 - 7% (15-17° Plato) Dark bock - big, chewy lagers.
Světlé Speciální Pivo 8 - 9% (18-21° Plato) Pale doppelbock - powerful, malty lagers.
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 8 - 9% (18-21° Plato) Amber doppelbock. Another amber style rarely seen outside the Czech Republic.
Tmavé (Černé) Speciální Pivo 8 - 10% (18-24° Plato) Dark doppelbock. Includes the strongest Czech lagers.
Porter 8 - 9% (19-20° Plato) Black lagers. Very full-bodied beers, with lots of dark malt flavours and a good dose of bitterness. Pre- WW II, the standard top-end beer of Czech breweries. Getting rare.

Top-fermenting Styles

There are a few examples of Bavarian-style wheat beers, which have been introduced in the last 10 years by some smaller breweries. It's really a re-introduction of the style, which supposedly originated in Bohemia before jumping across the border to Bavaria in the 17th century. That aside, the commercial Czech breweries are effectively 100% bottom-fermenting.

This is an overview of the top-fermenting beers brewed in the Czech Republic:
Style alc. description
Pšeničné pivo 5 - 5.5% (12 - 13° Plato) Top-fermenting wheat beer in the Bavarian style. The unfiltered version is called "kvasnicové" ("kvas" - like the name of the Russian beer - means "yeast" in Czech). Only pale varieties appear to be brewed in the Czech republic. Lightly-hopped, high in carbonation, and with a characteristic spiciness derived from the special yeast culture.
Altbier 4.2 - 5.3% (10 - 12° Plato) A copper to pale brown coloured beer, which is fairly dry and hoppy.
Others varies Some micros and brewpubs brew beers in British styles, such as Bitter, Stout or Porter. Others try their hand at Belgian styles like Witbier or strong ale.



Czech Breweries
Czech Beer Statistics


Beer Production (1000 hl)
1712 1832 1864 1900 1905 1929 1930 1950 1976 1978 1980 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Czech Republic     3,000b   9,000b - - - - 16,400@ - 17,626# 17,476# 17,928# 18,200*
18,854#
18,936# 17,414 - - 18,242 - 18,292 - - 17,916 17,881 18,178 18,548* 18,753*
Czechoslovakia
      11,968c   13,000@ 11,400@ 9,250@ 22,100 21,900@ 23,000@ 22,789# 22,228# 22,670# 23,333# 21,966# - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Slovakia
          - - - - 5,500@ - 5,164# 4,752# 4,743# 4,538# 4,607# - - 3,986 4,536 - 4,700 - 4,485 - 4,520 4,574 4,850  
Bohemia
1,336c 1,966c      
Sources:
(years 1997 - 2001) Brauwelt Brevier
2003 - Brauwelt 3/2004, page 86
* Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven
@ ABC o Nápojích (Angerová & Sůra, 1986) p.176
# UN Statistics Division.
b "Pivovary Moravy a Slezska" (Region Silesia, 2002, ISBN 80-238-9776-4) p.6
c Brauwelt 11 (2005) p.304


Beer consumption per head per annum (litres)
1976 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
The Czech Republic n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 164.9* 163.3* 153.6* 163 160 160 160 161.8 - 159 158& - 160@
(Czechoslovakia)
142 147.8 140.1 130.8 133.4 130 130 - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
(Slovakia)
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a - - - - - 96 - - - - - 93# -

Sources:
1976 - World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson,
1983 - 1989 Bier in Belgie, Geert van Lierde,
1993 and 1994 - The Confederation of Belgian Brewers.
1995 - Economics Department, German Brewers' Assocition.
1997,1998 - Brauwelt Brevier 2000
2000 - Brauwelt 31-32/2002
2002 - # Brauwelt 18/2004 page .513
2003 - @ Brauwelt 3/2004, page 86
* US Department of Commerce


Number of breweries
1712 1832 1850 1860 1905 1912 1918 1927 1935 1937 1946 1950 1979 1989 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Czech Republic
Total
    -     - 500# - - - - - 80@ 71* 72a 74a 77a 80a 77a 73a 81a 81#
81a
81a 84a 84a 88a
pre-1989 breweries
        68a 68a 67a 66a 62a 58a 57a 58#
56a
55a 54*
54a
51a 51a
post-1989 breweries
        4a

6a

10a 14a 15a 15a 24a 23#
25a
26a 30a 33a 37a
Czechoslovakia
    1052* 1060b 740b 666* 526* 331& 320& 309& 260* 198# 96@ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Slovakia     -     - - - - - - - 16@ - 15 - 15 15 15 15 - - 12 - - -
Bohemia
1279c 1087c
Sources:
& Státní úřad statistický
* Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven
@ "ABC o Nápojích" (Angerová & Sůra, 1986)
# "Restaurant Microbreweries in the Czech Republic" (1999, ISBN 80-902658-0-4) p.9
a - my calculation
b "Pivovary Moravy a Slezska" (Region Silesia, 2002, ISBN 80-238-9776-4) p.6
c Brauwelt 11 (2005) p.304


Czech beer exports (1,000 hl)
Country 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Exports Production %age exported Exports Production %age exported Exports Production %age exported Exports Production %age exported Exports Production %age exported
Czech Republic 1,589c 17,916b 8.9% 1,855* 17,881+ 10.4% 2,034a 17,987a 11.31%a 2,130c 18,548c 11.5%c 2,638c 18,753c 14.1%c
Sources:
*
Centraal Brouwerij Kantoor
+ Brauwelt Brevier 2003
a "Het Brouwersblad" June 2004. p.10
b Brauwelt Brevier
c Ceský svaz pivovarů a sladoven


Beer production by beer type
beer type 2004
výcepní 61.3%
ležák 34.4%
non-alcoholic beer 1.1%
Source:
Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven


Beer production by package type
beer type 2004
draught 47%
bottled 46%
canned 4%
Source:
Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven


Largest Czech breweries and their market share
1991
1991
1995
1995
2000
2000
2001
2001
2002
2002 2003 2003 2004 2004
Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) %
Plzeňský Prazdroj (SABMiller)     3,283,560* 18%* 4,915,000 27% 5,100,000 28.5% 5,200,000 28.6%        
Radegast (SABMiller) 1,177,000   1,763,000 9.7% 2,077,000 11.6% 1,900,000 10.6% 2,155,000 11.9%        
Budějovický Budvar (state owned) 490,000   909,000 5% 1,347,000 7.5% 1,350,000 7.5% 1,213,000 6.7% 1,112,000c 6% 1,112,360 5.9%
Staropramen (Interbrew)         1,157,000 6.5% 1,243,000 6.9% 1,257,000 6.9% 1,400,000c 7.5%    
Velké Popovice (SABMiller) 812,000   811,000 4.4% 749,000 4.2% 944,000 5.3% 1,107,000 6.1%        
Pivovar Braník (Interbrew)         731,000 4.1% 841,000 4.7% 829,000 4.6%        
Krušovice (Binding)     513,000 2.8% 790,000 4.4% 711,000 4% 678,000 3.7%        
Starobrno (Heineken)         569,000 3.2% 545,000 3% 572,500 3.1%        
Ostravar (Interbrew)     372,000 2% 441,000 2.5% 475,000 2.7% 543,000 3%        
Pivovar Holba (PMS a.s. Přerov)     270,000           433,000 2.4%        
Pivovar Zubr (PMS a.s. Přerov)         386,000 2.2% 335,000 1.8% 306,000 1.7%        
Krásné Březno (Drinks Union)             246,000 1.4% 248,000 1.4%        
Total (top 5 breweries) 10,286,000 57.4% 10,537,000 58.9% 10,932,000 60.1%        
Total (all breweries)     18,242,000   17,916,000 17,900,000 18,178,000   18,548,000   18,753,268
Source:
The Czech Union of Breweries and Malt-Houses
* SABMiller
c Brauwelt 11 (2005) p.304
my own calculation


Largest Czech brewing groups and their market share
1991
1991
1995
1995
2000
2000
2001
2001 2002 2002
2003
2003 2004 2004
Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) % Output (hl) %
Plzeňský Prazdroj (SABMiller)     3,284,000* 18%* 4,915,000 27% 5,100,000 28.5% 5,200,000 28.6%        
Radegast (SABMiller) 1,177,000   1,763,000 9.7% 2,077,000 11.6% 1,900,000 10.6% 2,155,000 11.9%        
Velké Popovice (SABMiller) 812,000   811,000 4.4% 749,000 4.2% 944,000 5.3% 1,107,000 6.1%        
SABMiller Total 7,741,000 43.2% 7,944,000 44.4% 8,462,000 46.6% 8,600,000 46.4% 8,447,957 45%
Staropramen (Interbrew)         1,157,000 6.5% 1,243,000 6.9% 1,257,000 6.9% 1,400,000c 7.5%    
Ostravar (Interbrew)     372,000 2% 441,000 2.5% 475,000 2.7% 543,000 3%        
Pivovar Braník (Interbrew)         731,000 4.1% 841,000 4.7% 829,000 4.6%        
Interbrew Total 2,329,000 13% 2,559,000 14.3% 2,629,000 14.5% 2,800,000 15.1% 2,946,614 15.7%
Hostan (Heineken)     192,000   213,000   203,000 1.1% 200,000 1.1%        
Starobrno (Heineken)         569,000 3.2% 545,000 3% 572,500 3.1%        
Heineken Total 748,000 4.2% 772,500 4.3%     831,243 4.4%
Pivovar Holba (PMS a.s. Přerov)                 433,000 2.4%        
Pivovar Zubr (PMS a.s. Přerov)         386,000 2.2% 335,000 1.8% 306,000 1.7%        
Pivovar Litovel (PMS a.s. Přerov)                 230,000 1.2%        
PMS a.s. Přerov Total 969,000 5.3%     956,276 5.1%
Krásné Březno (Drinks Union)     320,000   268,000   246,000 1.4% 248,000 1.4%        
Kutná Hora (Drinks Union) 230,000   200,000   102,000   90,000   69,000 0.4%        
Pivovar Louny (Drinks Union)         234,000   251,000 1.4% 229,000 1.3%        
Velké Březno (Drinks Union)     180,000   227,000   246,000 1.4% 249,000 1.4%        
Drinks Union Total         831,000   833,000   795,000 4.4%     935,887 5%
Total (top 5 brewing groups)                 13,667,500 75.2%     14,117,977 75.3%
Total (all breweries)     18,242,000   17,916,000 17,900,000 18,178,000 18,548,000   18,753,268  
Sources:
The Czech Union of Breweries and Malt-Houses
* SABMiller
c Brauwelt 11 (2005) p.304
my own calculation


Breweries grouped by output
Annual output 1995 2003
< 10,000 hl 4# 40*
>10,000 hl < 100,000 hl 23# 16*
>100,000 hl < 250,000 hl   20*
>250,000 hl < 500,000 hl   4*
>500,000 hl < 1,000,000 hl   3*
>1,000,000 hl   5*
Total   88*
Source:
* my own calculation

1995
  No. %age output (1,000 hl %age of output  
<10 4 5.71 8.6 0.05  
10-50 11 15.71 306.7 1.72  
50-100 12 17.14 856.0 4.80  
100-150 9 12.86 1,082.8 6.07  
150-200 11 17.71 1,940.0 10.88  
200-500 16 22.87 5,089.7 28.55  
500-1000 4 5.71 2,781.7 15.60  
>1000 3 4.29 5,764.7 32.33  
Total 70 100.00 17,830.2 100.00  
Source:
U. S. Department of Commerce - National Trade Data Bank, May 6, 1999



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