Top 10 Czech Beers and Breweries

Kozel, brewed by the Velké Popovice Brewery south of Prague since 1874, stands as one of the Czech Republic's most beloved and widely distributed beer brands. Its dark lager, Kozel Černý, is particularly prized for its smooth, slightly sweet roasted malt character at a low 3.8% ABV. Now part of the Asahi Group, Kozel sells over 3 million hectoliters annually—nearly double the volume of #4 Budvar—and holds a 15% market share among Czech beer imports in the United Kingdom, while competing favorably in Russia and Slovakia.

Bernard, an independent family-owned brewery in Humpolec revived in 1991 after communism, uses unpasteurised beer with no additives to preserve a live-yeast character that gives its lagers fuller, fresher flavor. Founded in 1597, it now produces over 250,000 hectoliters annually—85% less than #2 Kozel—yet its award count per hectoliter is 50% higher than the industry average for Czech breweries, making it a standout in the craft revival.

Budvar, brewed in České Budějovice since 1895, is a state-owned Czech lager famous for its 100-year legal battle with Anheuser-Busch over the Budweiser name in over 60 countries. Its traditional 90-day lagering period is three times longer than the average for typical Czech pale lagers, yielding a crisp, balanced profile. Exported to over 70 countries, it sells approximately 1.7 million hectoliters annually—43% less than #2 Kozel—yet remains a fiercely guarded symbol of national pride.

Staropramen is Prague's largest historic brewery, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually to its original 19th-century complex in Smichov. Since 1869, it has scaled its classic Czech lager using Bohemian Saaz hops and Moravian barley, maintaining quality despite being part of Molson Coors. Its production volume exceeds that of Zatec Brewery (#8) by nearly tenfold, and it holds a 12% share of the UK's imported Czech beer market, outperforming the average Czech import by a 5% higher market share there.

Gambrinus is the best-selling beer in the Czech Republic by domestic volume, holding roughly 15% of the market. Brewed alongside Pilsner Urquell in Plzen by Plzensky Prazdroj (Asahi) since 1869, it offers a clean, approachable pale lager at a price point 20% lower than its premium sibling. This makes it cheaper than the typical Czech premium lager, cementing its role as the everyday choice in neighborhood pubs across Bohemia and Moravia.

Kout na Sumave is the most critically acclaimed craft brewery in the Czech Republic, revived in 2006 after decades of dormancy. Its unfiltered, unpasteurized 12-degree and 14-degree lagers beat the average pilsner by a 35% higher score in blind tastings, setting benchmarks for traditional Czech lager style. With a 20% annual increase in visitor numbers since 2015, it outperforms #7 Gambrinus in critical acclaim, becoming a pilgrimage destination for serious beer enthusiasts worldwide.

Zatec Brewery showcases the singular aroma of Saaz hops from northern Bohemia, a variety with EU PDO status exported to brewers in over 40 countries. Its signature "Chmelar" lager costs 15% less than the typical Czech premium import in Western Europe, making it cheaper than the average imported lager while delivering single-origin hop terroir. Since the 13th century, the Zatec region has been the world capital of Saaz hops, underpinning the brewery's unique position in the Czech beer landscape.

Rohozec Brewery, a small family-run operation in the Liberec Region dating to 1850, delivers classically crafted, unfiltered pale lagers from local Bohemian ingredients with no additives. Its intimate scale—producing fewer than 30,000 hectoliters per year—enables meticulous fermentation and lagering that outperforms #10 Matuska Brewery’s smaller output by achieving 20% more lagering time than the industry average for equivalent grades. This attention yields a depth of flavor that large industrial operations cannot match; output has tripled since 2010, reflecting a renaissance in traditional Czech brewing.

Matuska Brewery, founded in 2009 by homebrewer Martin Matuska, pioneered the Czech craft beer revolution by introducing American-style IPAs, wheat ales, and barrel-aged beers to a lagers-dominated market. Its Raptor IPA, one of the first Czech craft beers to gain significant international recognition, outperforms the typical lagers on this list—Rohozec’s styles—by attracting 30% more export interest. Producing over 40 styles, Matuska has inspired dozens of craft breweries locally and now exports to the UK, Germany, and the United States.