Pilsner Brewery, Czech Republic (07.08.15)

Today is ‘International Beer Day’. Thoughtfully celebrated since 2007 on the first Friday of every August, across over fifty countries and two hundred cities.

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In respect of this event, this blog posting is on the world famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery. A venue I would highly recommend visiting.

Located in the Bohemian city of Plzeň, the brewery dates back to 1839; the first pint was brewed three years later in 1842. After changing hands from one private owner to another and being nationalised by the communists, the brewery was transferred into a public share company in 1994.

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The main factory area stands with tall brick chimneys and white castle-style turrets, as if straight out of Charlie’s chocolate factory. Along with the old steam engine, traditional Plzen train rolling stock stands guard across the cobbled courtyard before you enter the brewing zone.

As these photos show, the combination of traditional and modern brewing facilities makes for an extremely interesting visit. You are guaranteed a warm welcome, as authentic medieval brewing techniques are explained. The museum, which you visit before crossing over to the work-house brewery, includes an original malt house kiln and a double level lay-down cellar.

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The hardware is as impressive as the process, with old shiny copper kilns remarkably similar to the new copper pipe brew house towers. Whatever the temperature above ground, get ready to wrap up when you enter the century-old cellars. Temperatures tumble dramatically the further you delve into the Aladdin’s cave of barrel houses below. It is like going underground into a salt mine, with its warren of tunnels and caves, flush with enormous barrels of beer, which appear like secret military bunkers housing the city’s most precious of commodities. Beer.

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Rest assured any visit includes an opportunity to sample this famous Czech amber nectar. Which is delicious and most apt, when considering that International Beer Day focuses on the three purposes of:

Enjoying the taste of beer, when drinking with friends.

  1. Enjoying the taste of beer, when drinking with friends.
  2. Appreciating all those responsible for both brewing and serving beer.
  3. Uniting the world under the banner of ‘beer’ – while appreciating the diversity of beer brewed across the globe.

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