Velkopopovický Kozel

Velkopopovický Kozel
Type Beer
Country of origin Velké Popovice, Czech Republic
Introduced 1874
Website http://www.kozelbeer.com

Velkopopovický Kozel is a Czech lager produced since 1874.[1] when Franz Ringhoffer founded a brewery in Velké Popovice, a town 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Prague. Their symbol is a goat (Kozel means "male goat" in Czech).

Production

Kozel is available as a 10° Pale, 11°, 12° Premium, and as a dark variant.[2]

Velkopopovický Kozel Brewery

Kozel has won a lot of different awards for example the Australian Beer Award, the Czech Beer of the Year, the World Beer Cup and more.[3] Kozel Premium won awards at the World Beer Championships in Chicago in 1995, 1996 and 1997. It is now sold in 38 countries worldwide.

History

František Ringhoffer

The first historical mention of the brewery dates back to the 14th century.[4] The brewery in Velke Popovice, as we know it today, has its origins in the 19th century. After years of disagreements and the gradual decline of the brewery, it was bought by a rich industrial tycoon, František Ringhoffer, who was the Mayor of Smíchov and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Czechoslovak history.

The brewery was built in 1875, and the first batch of Kozel beer was brewed in the same year. The brewery, thanks to its owner, introduced new technologies, giving rise to its modern history. At the turn of the 20th century the brewery passed through its second major reconstruction and its production capacity was increased to 90,000 hectoliters per year from the original 18,000 in the beginning.

Historical part of the Brewery

The First World War brewery survived, operating in a restricted mode and without much innovation. It grew again in the period between the wars. Kozel became famous for its dark 14° beer "Bock". However the Second World War brought restrictions again in the production of beer for all breweries. The protectorate brewery had problems in requiring the raw materials needed for the production of beer.

After the war, the brewery was nationalized and faced a lack of workers. In 1951, therefore, the management company solved this problem by employing the first-ever women in the brewery. The ratio of women and men remained almost the same until 1962 and bottling was exclusively in female hands. In 1965 Kozel delivered the world's first beer in tank trucks and gave rise to the tradition of the tank brasseries.

After thirty years of socialism the brewery achieved independence in 1991 and in 1992 became a public limited company. In 2002, Kozel merged with the brewery Radegast and the Pilsner Urquell brewery conglomerate SABMiller.

The goat mascot

Mascot Olda

The name Kozel and its emblem have their origins in the period after the First World War.[5] At that time there was a lot of competition in brewing. Brewery founder Emanuel Ringhoffer realized that it was necessary to distinguish the brewery. He started to brew in Velke Popovice a strong, dark beer according to local tradition, which was known locally as Kozel. At that time a French painter passed through Velke Popovice. He was moved by the hospitality of the local people, and out of gratitude decided to create for them an emblem for the brewery. The painter was inspired by the figure of the goat, and put it in the form of an emblem. Since then, each beer from Velke Popovice was known as Kozel and the animal mascot has decorated the label for almost a hundred years.

In the 1930s the owners tried to firm and consolidate the position of the brewery and to give it a more attractive image, so they brought a live goat to the brewery as an attraction. The Kozel brewery still has a live mascot and other attractions for visitors today. From the 1970s, after a few generations all the goats have been named after the original caregiver Olda and this name has been passed down from goat to goat for over 40 years.

Brewery

The brewery in Velké Popovice can be visited throughout the year, it is only needed to check opening time or book a tour [6] Brewery tours offer you unprecedented access to all important areas of the brewery. From enjoying a beer in our old brewhouse to exploring the cellars, you will end the day with a much richer knowledge of both Czech history and how a traditional beer is made.

Since 2002, the company belongs to the SABMiller group.

Kozel beer in the world

Kozel became the best-selling Czech beer brand in the world, mainly thanks to licensed production. Licensed production began in January 2001 in the Slovak Republic and continued into the east. Kozel progressed over the Russian Kaluga and Ulyanovsk to Vladivostok. In Hungary Kozel settled in Budapest and in the Ukraine in Donetsk. Recently Kozel has entered new markets in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Canada, Greece and Kazakhstan. Efes Moldova, Efes Georgia and Efes Turkey have started Kozel Production.

Awards

Awards which has Kozel received in Czech and International beer competitions.[7]

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

1997-1998, 2000-2005

1995-1997, 1999

See also

References

  1. ↑ History - Velkopopovický Kozel
  2. ↑ - Velkopopovický Kozel
  3. ↑ History of the brewery - Velkopopovický Kozel
  4. ↑ Mascot - Velkopopovický Kozel
  5. ↑ Book a tour - Velkopopovický Kozel
  6. ↑ Awards - Velkopopovický Kozel

External links

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