The tradition of brewing beer in the Czech Republic may already have brought the Slavs, when migration of Nations was happening. Beer has been brewed in monasteries from the beginning, also hops were cultivated there. The first mention of beer in the Czech Republic comes from the year 993, when a Czech Bishop Vojtěch built a Benedictine monastery in Břevnov and started to brew the beer there. In the medieval period brewing beer was under the development of the towns. In the 13th century first legal standards are applied. Later the nobility also wants the right to brew the beer, and numbers of disputes are taking place. This is solved by the Treaty of Saint Wenceslas in 1517, which repeals the monopoly on beer brewing by burghers.
The end of 18th century was under the influence of the teachings of brew master František Ondřej Poupě and his successors. They changed brewing to rational production activity. An important moment in the Czech brewing industry was foundation of the Burgher brewery in Pilsen (today’s Prazdroj) in the 1842. The beer was bottom fermented and was of very good quality and has become an ideal model for other breweries. An important milestone was the cancellation of the “propinacni” right in 1869, which restricts the creation of new breweries.
This started a golden era of the Czech brewing industry, which lasted until the Second World War. After the war, many breweries have closed have not been resumed their activity. During the Communist regime, only 2 new breweries were built.
In recent years, there is a great renaissance of beer, associated with the opening of new regional breweries and mini breweries. Also the diversity of beer production is extended. Nowadays there is already about 250 Breweries of all sizes in Czech Republic.