Staropramen Brewery
A historic Prague brewery and Czech lager brand owned by Molson Coors, with products exported across Europe and North America. Pivovary Staropramen is a Czech brewing company associated with the Staropramen beer business.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Staropramen Brewery, known in Czech as Pivovar Staropramen or Pivovary Staropramen, is a historic brewery in Prague's Smíchov district and one of the Czech Republic's largest beer producers. Its origins date to 1869, when shares were offered for a joint-stock brewery in Smíchov. The brewery buildings were completed and brewing began in 1871. The Staropramen name, meaning “old spring,” was registered in 1911 as the business sought to distinguish its beer in a competitive Prague brewing market. The brewery expanded during the interwar period. Together with the Braník and Ostravar breweries, it became part of the broader consolidation of Prague and regional brewing capacity. By the 1930s, Staropramen had become the largest brewery in Czechoslovakia. Like other Czechoslovak breweries, it was nationalized after the Second World War under the communist system. Following the political and economic changes after 1989, the brewery was reorganized and subsequently passed through several ownership structures. In 1992, Staropramen, Braník, and Měšťan became part of the Prague Breweries group. The group came under the control of Bass in 1996, and Bass added Ostravar in 1997. Bass sold its brewing operations to Interbrew in 2000; Interbrew later combined with AmBev to create InBev. In 2009, private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners acquired Anheuser-Busch InBev's Central European brewing holdings, including Staropramen, in a transaction reported at €2.23 billion. The Central European operations were renamed StarBev. Molson Coors acquired StarBev in 2012, bringing Staropramen into the Molson Coors portfolio. Staropramen's core business is the production and sale of Czech-style beers, especially pale lagers in different strengths and serving formats. Its range includes draught beer, standard and premium pale lagers, dark beer, wheat beer, non-alcoholic beer, extra-hopped beer, reduced-sugar beer, and semi-dark lager. The flagship Staropramen Ležák, also marketed as Staropramen Premium, represents the brand's traditional premium lager position. The brewery's wider portfolio has also included other Czech beer brands such as Ostravar, Braník, and Velvet. The brand operates primarily from Prague but has an international distribution footprint. Reference material describes Staropramen products as being exported to 37 countries, mostly in Europe and North America. Beers have also been produced under license in several European and neighboring markets, including Serbia, Croatia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and Georgia. In May 2023, English actor Orlando Bloom was announced as a Staropramen brand ambassador, signaling a contemporary international marketing direction built around the brewery's Czech heritage and beer culture.
History
Staropramen Brewery traces its institutional origins to 1869, when investors were invited to subscribe for shares in a proposed joint-stock brewery in Prague's Smíchov district. Construction followed, and the brewery began brewing in 1871. Its location placed it within one of the principal brewing centers of Prague, but the business faced strong competition from other established breweries in the city. To establish a distinct market identity, the Staropramen name was registered in 1911. The name is generally translated as “old spring,” referring to a source of water and conveying a traditional Czech brewing image. The brewery benefited from the growth of the Czechoslovak beer market after the First World War. During the interwar decades it expanded significantly and by the 1930s was the largest brewery in Czechoslovakia. Its later corporate history was shaped by the consolidation of several breweries. Ostravar opened in 1898, while Braník began operations in 1899; both eventually became associated with Staropramen through successive group structures. After the Second World War, the Czechoslovak state nationalized the country's breweries. Staropramen remained part of the state-controlled brewing system during the communist period. After the end of communist rule, the brewery entered a period of privatization and corporate restructuring. In 1992, Staropramen, Braník, and Měšťan were organized within the Prague Breweries group, known in Czech as Pražské Pivovary. Bass gained control of the group in 1996 and brought Ostravar into the organization in 1997. Bass sold its brewing operations to Interbrew in 2000. Interbrew subsequently merged with AmBev in 2004, creating InBev. During this period, Staropramen continued to grow and was described in 2008 as the Czech Republic's second-largest beer producer, with a reported 15.3 percent share of the domestic market. That figure is historical and does not describe current market share. In October 2009, CVC Capital Partners acquired Anheuser-Busch InBev's Central European holdings, including Staropramen, in a transaction reported at €2.23 billion. The acquired operations were renamed StarBev. In April 2012, Molson Coors purchased StarBev, making Staropramen part of the Molson Coors international beer portfolio. Today, Staropramen is associated with a broad range of Czech-style beers produced and marketed from Prague. Its offerings span pale draught beer, pale lagers, premium lager, dark beer, wheat beer, non-alcoholic beer, extra-hopped lager, reduced-sugar beer, and semi-dark lager. The business has also been connected with other brands, including Ostravar, Braník, and Velvet. Staropramen products are exported to numerous markets, with reference material identifying 37 export countries concentrated in Europe and North America. Licensed production has also been reported in Serbia, Croatia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and Georgia. In 2023, the brand added actor Orlando Bloom as an ambassador, illustrating its effort to present a long-established Czech brewing identity to an international audience.
- 2023
Orlando Bloom becomes brand ambassador
[1]Staropramen announced actor Orlando Bloom as a new ambassador for the brand.
- 2012
Acquired by Molson Coors
[1]Molson Coors acquired StarBev, placing Staropramen within its global beer portfolio.
- 2009
StarBev formed after CVC acquisition
[1]CVC Capital Partners acquired Anheuser-Busch InBev's Central European holdings, including Staropramen, and renamed the operations StarBev.
- 2008
Second-largest Czech beer producer
[1]Staropramen was reported as the Czech Republic's second-largest beer producer, with a historical domestic market share of 15.3 percent.
- 2000
Bass sells brewing operations to Interbrew
[1]Interbrew acquired Bass's brewing operations, including the business associated with Staropramen.
- 1997
Ostravar joins the group
[1]Bass brought the Ostravar brewery into the brewing group.
- 1996
Bass gains control
[1]The Prague Breweries group came under the control of Bass.
- 1992
Joins Prague Breweries
[1]Staropramen joined the Prague Breweries group together with the Braník and Měšťan breweries.
- 1930
Brewery becomes Czechoslovakia's largest
[1]By the 1930s, Staropramen had become the largest brewery in Czechoslovakia.
- 1911
Staropramen name registered
[1]The Staropramen brand name was registered as the brewery competed with other Prague producers.
Products and positioning
A heritage Czech lager brand positioned around Prague brewing tradition, accessible premium quality, and international availability. Czech brewery company associated with Prague-origin beer and the Staropramen name.
Pale draught beer
Staropramen Smíchov
A lighter pale draught beer associated with the brewery's Prague home district. It is described as a 4.0% ABV beer and corresponds to the Czech výčepní or 10-degree style, making it suited to everyday draught consumption.
Pale lager
Staropramen Jedenáctka
A pale lager identified as an 11-degree Czech beer and containing 4.7% ABV. It occupies the space between lighter draught beer and stronger premium lager, reflecting the range of strengths typical of Czech brewing.
Premium pale lager
Staropramen Ležák
The brand's flagship pale lager, also marketed as Staropramen Premium. It is described as a 5.0% ABV, 12-degree Czech ležák and represents the brewery's principal expression of traditional premium Czech lager.
Dark beer
Staropramen Černý
A dark Czech-style beer with 4.4% ABV. Its darker color and malt-led profile broaden the Staropramen range beyond pale lagers while retaining the brand's connection to Czech brewing traditions.
Unfiltered wheat beer
Staropramen Nefiltr Pšeničný
An unfiltered wheat beer with 5.0% ABV. The product adds a cloudy, wheat-based style to a portfolio otherwise centered on pale and dark lagers, and is positioned as a less conventional specialty within the brand.
Non-alcoholic beer
Staropramen Nealko
A low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer containing no more than 0.5% ABV. It provides an alternative for consumers seeking the taste and social role of beer while limiting alcohol intake.
Extra-hopped pale lager
Staropramen Extra Chmelená
An extra-bitter pale lager with 5.2% ABV. Its additional hopping gives it a more pronounced bitterness than the standard pale lager offerings and targets consumers seeking a stronger hop character.
Reduced-sugar beer
Staropramen Déčko
A pale beer with reduced sugar content and 4.0% ABV. The product extends the portfolio toward a specific dietary preference while retaining a conventional pale-beer format.
Semi-dark lager
Staropramen Granát
A semi-dark lager containing 4.8% ABV. Its intermediate color and flavor position it between pale and dark beers, offering a broader malt profile without moving fully into the dark-beer category.
Beer
Staropramen beer
The principal beer offering associated with Pivovary Staropramen is Staropramen, a Czech beer name linked to Prague brewing. The supplied sources do not document a complete range of variants, packaging formats, launch dates, recipes, or current availability, so the entry records the offering at brand level rather than attributing specific sub-products without verification.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Orlando Bloom brand ambassador program
International
Staropramen appointed English actor Orlando Bloom as a brand ambassador. The partnership connected the historic Czech brewery with a globally recognizable cultural figure and supported the brand's international positioning.
Brand decisions
2012
Molson Coors acquires StarBevM&ABackground
Staropramen was operating within StarBev after CVC Capital Partners' acquisition of the Central European brewing business.
Action taken
Molson Coors purchased StarBev and added Staropramen to its international beer portfolio.
Aftermath
Staropramen became a subsidiary brand within Molson Coors, where it remains associated with Czech beer production and exports.
2009
CVC acquires Central European brewing holdingsM&ABackground
Anheuser-Busch InBev sold its Central European brewing operations as part of a major portfolio transaction.
Action taken
CVC Capital Partners acquired the holdings, including Staropramen, and renamed the operations StarBev.
Aftermath
Staropramen operated within StarBev until Molson Coors acquired the group in 2012.
Reported transaction value. €2.23 billion (October 2009)
1992
Reorganization into Prague BreweriesStrategyBackground
Following the end of communist rule and the beginning of brewery privatization and restructuring, Staropramen was grouped with Braník and Měšťan.
Action taken
The breweries became part of the Prague Breweries group.
Aftermath
The move began a sequence of ownership changes that later brought the business under Bass, Interbrew, InBev, StarBev, and ultimately Molson Coors.
Sources3 sources
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