Pilsner Urquell Brewery

This article is for the brewery, for the beer it produces, see Pilsner Urquell

Coordinates: 49°44′48″N 13°23′14″E / 49.746758°N 13.387243°E / 49.746758; 13.387243

Plzeňský prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell)
Corporation
(akciová společnost)
Industry Alcoholic beverage
Founded 1842
Headquarters Pilsen, Czech Republic
Products Beer
Production output
 9,7 million hl (2013)[1]
Revenue CZK 15 billion (2010)
Owner SABMiller
Website http://www.pilsner-urquell.com
Plzeňský Prazdroj, main gate
Pilsner Urquell historical cargo railroad car

Plzeňský prazdroj a.s. (pronounced [ˈpl̩zɛɲskiː ˈprazdroj a ɛs], German: Pilsner Urquell) is a Czech brewery founded in 1842 and headquartered in Plzeň, Czech Republic. It is the first brewery to produce pilsener blond lager style beer, branded Pilsner Urquell,[2] making it the inspiration for more than two-thirds of the beer produced in the world today, which are named pils, pilsner and pilsener.[3] Both Plzeňský Prazdroj and Pilsner Urquell can be roughly translated into English as "the Fountainhead at Pilsen" or "the original source of Pilsner".

History

The brewery was founded in 1839 by both local Czech-speaking and German-speaking citizens in Bohemian city of Plzeň as Bürgerbrauerei (citizens' brewery, later translated to Měšťanský pivovar in Czech). The first beer was brewed here in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. In 1859, “Pilsner Bier”[4] was registered as a brand name at the local Chamber of Commerce and Trade. In 1869, a competitor was founded as a joint stock company, later known as Gambrinus. In 1898 the German trademark Urquell and Czech trademark Prazdroj were created, to underline the claim of being the older, original source of Pilsner beer. In 1932 Měšťanský pivovar merged with Plzeňské aciové pivovary. In 1946, the brewery was nationalized under the name Plzeňské pivovary (Pilsen breweries).

After the fall of communism in late 1989, the brewery was turned into a public share company, then renamed in 1994 after the Czech name of their famous beer, Plzeňský Prazdroj. In 1999, they started to merge with Pivovar Radegast a.s. and Pivovar Velké Popovice a. s..

The brewery has been part of the SABMiller group of companies (at the time South African Breweries) since 1999.[5] It has been the largest exporter of beer produced in the Czech Republic since 2000 when production surpassed that of Budějovický Budvar.[6]

Timeline

Museum

Traditional fermenting building (center) and modern fermenting building (left) in Pilsner Urquell Brewery

A brewery museum ("Pivovarské muzeum") has been set up near the brewery in the authentic medieval brewing house with malt house, which has been declared a cultural monument. It includes the late Gothic malt house, kiln, original drying shed and two-level laying-down cellars with ice-cellar, which are hewn from the Pilsen substrata. The exhibition covers Pilsen's most ancient history, the development of crafts, the emergence and growth of the guilds, the beginnings and development of brewing, malting, the craft of cooper, haulage and catering.

The tour includes a replica of a pub from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and a laboratory from the second half of the 19th century. The city walls have been opened with an example of the cultivation of barley and hops.

The museum has become an anchor for the European Route of Industrial Heritage.[7]

Pilsner Fest

Pilsner Fest is a two-day beer festival held each year by the brewery, with music by local bands on four stages in the town.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s. - základní informace
  2. ↑ German Beer Institute, PILS
  3. ↑ University of Economics Prague, Brewery tour of Pilsner Urquell
  4. ↑ Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s
  5. ↑ History of Plzensky Prazdroj, www.prazdroj.cz
  6. ↑ Historie a.s. Plzeňský Prazdroj, www.pivovary.info (Czech)
  7. ↑ "ERIH Entry: Pilsner Urquell Brewery". European Route of Industrial Heritage. 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Pilsner Fest Pilsen". czechtourism.com. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
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