Břevnov Monastery Brewery

Břevnov Monastery Brewery is a Czech brewery associated with Břevnov Monastery in Prague. Its identity is rooted in one of the country’s oldest documented brewing traditions: Břevnov Monastery was founded in 993 by Prague Bishop Adalbert and Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, and brewing formed part of the monastery’s economic activities. The modern brewery presents itself as a continuation of that long religious and local brewing heritage rather than as an entirely new commercial brand. The monastery and its brewery experienced repeated interruptions and destruction over the centuries. The complex was badly damaged during the Hussite wars, after which a new brewery was built in 1720. The Baroque rebuilding of the monastery involved architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, and historical production reportedly reached approximately 5,000 hectolitres annually. Brewing eventually ceased in 1889, principally because the cellar could no longer provide sufficient capacity. The historic brewery building was later demolished in 1953 during the expansion of nearby Patočkova Street. Modern production was restored in 2011 under the name St. Adalbert Břevnov Monastery Brewery. The brewery operates from the Baroque former stables at the monastery. Its beers are sold under the Břevnovský Benedict name and cover a broad range of Czech and international styles, including pale and dark lagers, wheat beer, IPA, dark ale, imperial lager, Russian imperial stout and wheat bock. Beer is filled at the brewery into glass bottles, PET bottles and barrels. Břevnovský Benedict is also brewed in the restaurant located on the monastery premises and is available at other Czech restaurants. The brand combines historical provenance with small-scale, site-linked brewing. Its portfolio includes traditional Czech lager formats as well as stronger and more stylistically diverse beers intended for specialty-beer drinkers. The brewery’s name, product naming and location emphasize the connection with Břevnov Monastery and the St. Adalbert tradition. Since 2016, beer made in Busan, South Korea, according to the same recipe and under the supervision of Břevnov Monastery Brewery technologists has been sold under the Praha 993 brand. These South Korean-produced beers extend the brewery’s historical Prague identity into another market while remaining distinct from the core Břevnovský Benedict range. The available reference material does not identify the brewery’s legal ownership, current management, financial performance or distribution scale.

Břevnov Monastery was founded in 993 by Prague Bishop Adalbert and Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia. A brewery was established as part of the monastery’s economic foundation, making brewing one of the institution’s longstanding productive activities. This origin gives the modern brewery a historical lineage extending back more than a millennium, although brewing was not continuous throughout the entire period. The monastery complex, including its brewing facilities, suffered severe damage during the Hussite wars. According to the monastery’s historical record, a replacement brewery was constructed in 1720. The monastery was subsequently renovated in the Baroque period, with Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer playing an important role in the architectural rebuilding and repairs. During this era the brewery reached reported annual production of around 5,000 hectolitres, demonstrating that the operation was more than a purely household-scale facility. Production later declined and ended in 1889. The principal reported reason was inadequate cellar capacity, which limited the brewery’s ability to operate competitively. The historic brewery building did not survive into the modern period: it was demolished in 1953 during the expansion of Patočkova Street near the monastery. The brewing tradition was revived in 2011 with the establishment of the St. Adalbert Břevnov Monastery Brewery. The modern facility was placed in the Baroque former stables of the monastery rather than in the demolished historical brewery building. Its beers are marketed mainly under the Břevnovský Benedict name, linking the contemporary range with the monastery’s religious setting and historical identity. The revived brewery produces and packages beer directly at the site in glass bottles, PET bottles and barrels. Břevnovský Benedict is also brewed in the restaurant operating within the monastery premises and is served at other Czech restaurants. The range is broader than a traditional single-style Czech lager portfolio, including pale and dark lagers, wheat beer, IPA, dark ale, imperial lager, Russian imperial stout and wheat bock. This mix allows the brewery to address both Czech lager expectations and the wider craft-beer market. The brand’s international activity expanded in 2016 when beer began to be produced in Busan, South Korea, using the same recipes and under the supervision of Břevnov Monastery Brewery technologists. The South Korean beers are sold as Praha 993 and include pale lager, wit, stout and IPA variants. The available material does not establish the ownership structure of the Busan operation or indicate that the brewery itself owns a South Korean production site. Břevnov Monastery Brewery therefore represents a modern revival of a historic monastic brewing institution. Its differentiation rests on the combination of Prague heritage, a monastery location, direct on-site packaging and a diverse beer range. Information about its current executives, legal structure, revenues, production volumes after the historical 5,000-hectolitre figure, and present distribution footprint is not established by the supplied references.

1. 2016Praha 993 introduced in South Korea

   Beer produced in Busan using Břevnov recipes and supervised by its brewing technologists began selling under the Praha 993 brand.

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2. 2011Modern brewery revived

   The St. Adalbert Břevnov Monastery Brewery was established in the Baroque former stables, restoring brewing at the monastery.

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3. 1953Historical brewery building demolished

   The former brewery building was demolished during the expansion of Patočkova Street.

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4. 1889Historical beer production ends

   Brewing ceased, reportedly because the brewery’s cellar capacity was insufficient.

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5. 1720New historical brewery built

   After the monastery’s destruction and disruption during the Hussite wars, a new brewery was built at Břevnov.

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6. Břevnov Monastery founded

   Prague Bishop Adalbert and Boleslaus II, Duke of Bohemia, founded Břevnov Monastery. Brewing was established as part of the monastery’s economic activities.

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A historically rooted Czech monastery brewery combining the Břevnov brewing tradition with a modern specialty-beer portfolio.

• Břevnovský Benedict Světlý ležákPale lager

  A pale lager listed at 12° and approximately 5% alcohol by volume. It represents the brewery’s traditional Czech lager expression and is among the core Břevnovský Benedict beers associated with the monastery brewery.

• Břevnovský Benedict Tmavý ležákDark lager

  A dark lager listed at 11° and approximately 4.5% alcohol by volume. It extends the Benedict range beyond pale lager while retaining a recognizably Czech lager format.

• Břevnovský Benedict PšeničnýWheat beer

  A wheat beer listed at 11° and approximately 4.2% alcohol by volume. It provides a lighter, wheat-based alternative within the monastery brewery’s otherwise lager- and ale-oriented portfolio.

• Břevnovský Benedict Klášterní IPAIPA

  A monastery IPA listed at 15° and approximately 6.5% alcohol by volume. The beer brings an internationally recognized hop-forward ale style into the Břevnovský Benedict range.

• Břevnovský Benedict Břevnovské AbbeyDark ale

  A stronger dark ale listed at 17° and approximately 7.1% alcohol by volume. Its name and style reinforce the product line’s association with the Břevnov Abbey setting.

• Břevnovský Benedict Imperial LagerImperial lager

  A high-strength pale lager listed at 20° and approximately 8.5% alcohol by volume. It is positioned as a stronger, more substantial interpretation of the brewery’s lager tradition.

• Břevnovský Benedict Russian Imperial StoutRussian imperial stout

  A strong stout listed at 21° and approximately 8.5% alcohol by volume. It broadens the portfolio into a dark, high-gravity style associated with modern specialty brewing.

• Břevnovský Benedict Pšeničný BockWheat bock

  A wheat bock listed at 16° and approximately 6.6% alcohol by volume. It combines wheat-beer characteristics with the stronger bock tradition.

• Praha 993 Pale LagerPale lager2016

  A pale lager brewed in South Korea under the Praha 993 brand using Břevnov Monastery Brewery recipes and technical supervision. It is listed at approximately 4.5% alcohol by volume and is produced only in South Korea.

• Praha 993 WitWheat beer2016

  A South Korean-produced wheat beer in the Praha 993 range, listed at approximately 4.7% alcohol by volume. It adapts the Prague-associated brand identity to a wheat-beer style.

• Praha 993 StoutStout2016

  A stout produced only in South Korea under the Praha 993 name and listed at approximately 4.8% alcohol by volume.

• Praha 993 IPAIPA2016

  A South Korean-produced IPA in the Praha 993 portfolio, listed at approximately 6% alcohol by volume and made under the Břevnov brewery’s recipe and technical supervision.

• 2016Recipe and technical partnership in South KoreaStrategy

  The brewery expanded its historical Prague identity beyond the Czech market through local production in Busan.

  What changed. Beer was produced in Busan using Břevnov Monastery Brewery recipes and under the supervision of its technologists, then marketed as Praha 993.

  Aftermath. A separate South Korean range comprising pale lager, wit, stout and IPA became associated with the Praha 993 brand.

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• 2011Revival of brewing at Břevnov MonasteryStrategy

  The historical monastery brewery had ceased production in 1889 and its former building had been demolished in 1953. The revival sought to re-establish brewing in connection with the monastery’s documented tradition.

  What changed. A new St. Adalbert Břevnov Monastery Brewery was established in the Baroque former stables and began producing beer under the Břevnovský Benedict identity.

  Aftermath. The monastery again became a brewing site, with beer packaged there and served in the monastery restaurant and other Czech restaurants.

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• 2016Praha 993 beer production begins in Busan

  Beer brewed in Busan according to Břevnov Monastery Brewery recipes and under the supervision of its technologists began appearing under the Praha 993 brand.

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• 2016Praha 993 beers begin production in Busan

  Beer based on Břevnov Monastery brewery recipes and produced under the supervision of its technologists began being brewed in Busan, South Korea, under the Praha 993 brand.

  Product launch
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• 2011Modern Břevnov Monastery Brewery established

  Beer production associated with Břevnov Monastery was restored in the Baroque former stables, reviving a brewing tradition that had ended in the nineteenth century.

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• 2011Břevnov Monastic Brewery is re-established after a long interruption

  A new brewery was founded in the tradition of Břevnov Monastery brewing and installed in a Baroque former-stables building within the monastery complex.

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1. Břevnov Monastery Brewery