Knížecí pivovar Plasy

Knížecí pivovar Plasy is a Czech microbrewery located in part of the former brewery buildings within the Cistercian monastery complex in Plasy, in the northern Plzeň region. The modern company, Knížecí pivovar Plasy s.r.o., was founded in 2012 and brewed its first batch in July 2015, opening to the public on 15 August 2015 with a brewery taproom and restaurant. It thus revived a brewing and malting tradition on the site that is documented as far back as 1550 and is believed to have begun with the monks shortly after the monastery's foundation in 1144. The brewery produces unfiltered and unpasteurised beers, brewed in the historic spaces of the monastery. Its range includes bottom-fermented and top-fermented styles: Vašnosta 10° (a Plzeň-style pale draught beer), Vidlák 11° (a wheat lager), Metternich 12° (a pale lager), Felčar 13° (a semi-dark special), Nachmelenec 11° (an English-style ale), Vánoční Bock 17° (a semi-dark bock) and a Barley wine 17° aged in oak Chardonnay barrels. The brewery uses a Joe's Garage Brewery JGB 1000 two-vessel brewhouse with whirlpool, three fermentation vessels and lager tanks, and packages beer in PET bottles and KEG barrels. The on-site Pivovarský šenk (brewery taproom) seats 116 people and serves fresh tank beer, Czech home cooking and seasonal menus, with a summer terrace and facilities for group tours and private events. The brewery offers guided tours that cover the brewhouse and historic cellars and end with a tasting. It is a small, privately held company and a member of the Czech microbrewery scene, trading on its deep historical roots and its location within a national cultural monument.

The history of brewing in Plasy is tied to the Cistercian monastery founded there in 1144. Beer is believed to have been brewed by the monks shortly after the foundation, although the exact date is unknown. The first written mention of the brewery dates to 1599, when abbot Adam Wild complained that "people do not take any of my beers". In 1744 the prior Benedikt Scheppl, in his work Lapis sepulchralis, mentioned the brewery, malt house, mill and groat mill at the lower edge of the monastery. On 9 November 1785 the monastery was dissolved and the brewery passed under the administration of the Religious Fund. In 1826 Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg, bought the brewery together with the entire Plasy estate for 1,100,050 guilders. As capacity no longer met demand, a new modern brewery was built in the rear part of the convent to a design by the builder Novák of Prague; it was consecrated on 10 January 1870 and the first batch was brewed on 12 January 1870. In 1890 lager cellars were established under the convent and near the church. On 27 August 1894 a fire broke out around 15:30, caused by the charring of barrels; it took the following week to extinguish and destroyed the roofs and trusses of the convent, but necessary repairs were carried out the following year. In 1898 extensive reconstruction of the buildings took place, including complete replacement of internal equipment, and in 1900 a new malt house was completed. In the 1930s the brewery produced a 10° draught beer, a 12° pale lager and a 14° export beer called Republikán. In 1946 the Zámecký pivovar Plasy, firm Metternich-Winneburg, came under national administration and in 1949 under Západočeské pivovary, n.p. The last brew was in 1966 and the malt house ceased operations the following year; the brewery was closed as of 31 December 1967. The premises were subsequently used by the Jednota consumer cooperative as a soda factory, warehouses and offices, and for a short time Gambrinus beer brought from Plzeň in tankers was bottled there. The modern era of brewing in Plasy began in 2008, when the former brewery building passed to the National Technical Museum and a project for the heritage restoration and subsequent use of the historic buildings was created. This opened the possibility of returning beer production to part of the former brewery. In 2012 the company Knížecí pivovar Plasy s.r.o. was founded, aiming despite considerable bureaucratic complications to restart production in the reconstructed historic spaces of the original fermentation room and lager cellar. In July 2015 the first batch was brewed and on 15 August 2015 the brewery opened to the public, including a stylish taproom with a restaurant. The brewery has since produced a range of unfiltered and unpasteurised beers and operates tours and a taproom within the monastery complex.

• 2015

  First batch brewed in July; brewery opened to the public on 15 August with taproom and restaurant.

• 2012

  Company Knížecí pivovar Plasy s.r.o. founded.

• 2008

  Former brewery building passes to the National Technical Museum; heritage restoration project created.

• 1967

  Brewery closed as of 31 December.

• 1966

  Last brew; malt house ceases operations the following year.

• 1949

  Brewery placed under Západočeské pivovary, n.p.

• 1946

  Zámecký pivovar Plasy, firm Metternich-Winneburg, comes under national administration.

• 1900

  New malt house completed.

• 1898

  Extensive reconstruction of buildings, including complete replacement of internal equipment.

• 1894

  Fire on 27 August destroys roofs and trusses of the convent; repairs carried out the following year.

• 1890

  Lager cellars established under the convent and near the church.

• 1870

  New modern brewery consecrated on 10 January; first batch brewed on 12 January.

• 1826

  Prince Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar of Metternich-Winneburg buys the brewery and the entire Plasy estate for 1,100,050 guilders.

• 1785

  Monastery dissolved on 9 November; brewery passes under the administration of the Religious Fund.

• 1744

  Prior Benedikt Scheppl mentions the brewery, malt house, mill and groat mill in his work Lapis sepulchralis.

• 1599

  First written mention of the brewery; abbot Adam Wild complains that people do not take any of his beers.

• 1550

  First historically documented mention of the local brewery.

• Foundation of the Cistercian monastery in Plasy, with which the brewery's history is associated.

Historic monastery microbrewery producing unfiltered, unpasteurised craft beers with a centuries-old heritage.

• Vašnosta 10°

  Bottom-fermented pale draught beer of Plzeň style.

• Vidlák 11°

  Top-fermented wheat lager.

• Metternich 12°

  Bottom-fermented pale lager of Plzeň style.

• Felčar 13°

  Semi-dark special beer.

• Nachmelenec 11°

  English-style top-fermented ale.

• Vánoční Bock 17°

  Top-fermented semi-dark special (Christmas bock).

• Barley wine 17°

  Top-fermented semi-dark barley wine with Irish whiskey flavour, refermented in oak barrels previously used for French Chardonnay wine.

1. 1Knížecí pivovar Plasy | Minipivovar v klášteře od roku 1144pivovarplasy.cz
2. 2Knížecí pivovar Plasy – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Knížecí pivovar Plasy – Wikipediecs.wikipedia.org