Our story has been developing for more than 10 years. At the start of our journey, we didn’t even dream of being able to build a successful craft microbrewery in such a short time, whose products would be offered by the best establishments in Prague, around the Czech Republic and abroad.
So, how did it all begin?
The idea of making his own brewery was born in Ivan Husák’s head in 2010. When he presented his vision at a family party, his brother just knocked his forehead and said: “You're a total crackpot...” This is how one of our beers' most memorable names emerged: Magor, meaning something between crackpot and lunatic. Even though it may have seemed an insane plan at first, it didn’t take long for the dream to come true.
Thus, the Family Brewery Zichovec was founded in the eponymous village located near the town of Slaný in 2012. The project did not involve building the brewery only. The objective was overall development of the village, so a new municipal office, a boarding house, a general store, a restaurant, a social hall, and even a chapel were built, essentially on a greenfield site. The chapel became symbolic of our brewery, and was made a part of our visual identity. The shape of this little house is distinctive, and the graphic design of our label is based on it. At first, our offer included bottom-fermented beers almost exclusively.
Not long after we established the brewery, we were captivated by the combination of beer and wooden barrels. The first cask we bought had contained port. It had just been tapped, and 1 litre of the wine still remained, so we gave it a proper tasting. We have filled more than 100 barrels with various beer styles since then, and thank God we have never ceased to be fascinated by this road we have taken. It was here where we understood each beer needs its own time.
As has been said, our headquarters are in Louny, in Ústí Region, North Bohemia. It means we are rather far away from many of our fans, who find it hard to get here. That’s why we decided to put our brewery on wheels, and come to you! You know the proverb: “If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.” We bought an old Renault City Bus, refurbished the interior to a moving pub, and went around festivals and all sorts of events in the country. We’ve got big plans for future with the bus, so rest assured there’s a lot to look forward to.
When thinking what to organize for our supporters, it did not take long to come up with a beer festival – good music, great street food, having fun, and lots of unique beers. So we decided to hold the first Zichovec Beer Fest in 2018. We’ve had the third annual event this year, trying to move it forward each time; if you have not taken part yet, you should definitely not miss it in the next years!
Like most Czech microbreweries, we used primarily barrels and bottles till 2019. But the “beer can trend” was making its way into the country. Therefore, we acquired a canning line. We see cans as the future package of choice, bringing both us producers and you consumers a number of advantages. Thanks to the restricted access of air and light, the beer remains fresh much longer, and the final quality at consumption is not compromised. It is therefore our goal to offer most of our brands solely in cans.
The idea of making his own brewery was born in Ivan Husák’s head in 2010. When he presented his vision at a family party, his brother just knocked his forehead and said: “You're a total crackpot...” This is how one of our beers' most memorable names emerged: Magor, meaning something between crackpot and lunatic. Even though it may have seemed an insane plan at first, it didn’t take long for the dream to come true.
Thus, the Family Brewery Zichovec was founded in the eponymous village located near the town of Slaný in 2012. The project did not involve building the brewery only. The objective was overall development of the village, so a new municipal office, a boarding house, a general store, a restaurant, a social hall, and even a chapel were built, essentially on a greenfield site. The chapel became symbolic of our brewery, and was made a part of our visual identity. The shape of this little house is distinctive, and the graphic design of our label is based on it. At first, our offer included bottom-fermented beers almost exclusively.
Not long after we established the brewery, we were captivated by the combination of beer and wooden barrels. The first cask we bought had contained port. It had just been tapped, and 1 litre of the wine still remained, so we gave it a proper tasting. We have filled more than 100 barrels with various beer styles since then, and thank God we have never ceased to be fascinated by this road we have taken. It was here where we understood each beer needs its own time.
As the beer production grew together with the range and the staff, the original premises in Zichovec did not suffice anymore. Therefore, we moved the production in 2016 to a newly reconstructed building of the former tank shooting range in Louny. One could say that tanks were put back in their place then. Sons Ondřej and Jan took over the management. They were interested in new kinds of beer, and consequently included a wide range of specials in the portfolio, which is typical for our brewery nowadays.
As has been said, our headquarters are in Louny, in Ústí Region, North Bohemia. It means we are rather far away from many of our fans, who find it hard to get here. That’s why we decided to put our brewery on wheels, and come to you! You know the proverb: “If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.” We bought an old Renault City Bus, refurbished the interior to a moving pub, and went around festivals and all sorts of events in the country. We’ve got big plans for future with the bus, so rest assured there’s a lot to look forward to.
When thinking what to organize for our supporters, it did not take long to come up with a beer festival – good music, great street food, having fun, and lots of unique beers. So we decided to hold the first Zichovec Beer Fest in 2018. We’ve had the third annual event this year, trying to move it forward each time; if you have not taken part yet, you should definitely not miss it in the next years!
Like most Czech microbreweries, we used primarily barrels and bottles till 2019. But the “beer can trend” was making its way into the country. Therefore, we acquired a canning line. We see cans as the future package of choice, bringing both us producers and you consumers a number of advantages. Thanks to the restricted access of air and light, the beer remains fresh much longer, and the final quality at consumption is not compromised. It is therefore our goal to offer most of our brands solely in cans.
Today we brew about 60 kinds of beer a year. We might stop being officially a microbrewery pretty soon, yet this does not mean we’d lose our direction: we’ll continue what we’ve been doing – craft with respect and humility, at the same time with a little craziness and a desire to experiment. We know where we started, and what it took to get where we are now, and whom to feel thankful to. We truly appreciate our great and loyal fan base, supporting us on our road to continuous advancement of the Czech beer craft scene.
Pivovar Zichovec
ul. 5. května 2789
44001 LOUNY
eshop@pivovarzichovec.cz
The site uses cookies.
By using the website, you agree to the use of cookies according to the principles stated in the terms of use of the website.
© 2021 I. Zichovecká s.r.o. | Design by MOO Design & Created by eSoul
There is still some space left
