Svijany Brewery

Lore & Background

The brewery started to operate in 1564. In 1565, the village of Svijany with the brewery was acquired by Jaroslav of Wartenberg. Upon Jaroslav's death in 1602, the village and brewery passed to Joachim Andreas von Schlick. As a rebel against Habsburg rule of Bohemia, he was executed in 1621, and Svijany came under control of the Wallenstein family through 1814. In 1820, Svijany passed to control of the Rohan family. They sold the brewery to their tenant, Antonín Kratochvíle, whose family continued to operate it until 1939, at which point they were compelled to sell it back to the Rohan family.

In 1945 the brewery was confiscated and nationalized as part of the state-owned Severočeské pivovary, which was dissolved in 1990, at which point Svijany became part of the state-owned breweries of Vratislavice nad Nisou. Later threatened with closure due to a sales crisis, Svijany was sold to the newly established Pivovar Svijany in 1998. This was converted to a joint-stock company in 1992 and incorporated into Pražské Pivovary in 1997. At that time Pražské Pivovary had come under control of the English brewer Bass company. In 2002, Pražské Pivovary became part of the Belgium-based Interbrew group, changing their name in 2003 from Pražské Pivovary to Pivovary Staropramen. In 2004, Interbrew merged with AmBev to form Inbev. In 2009, the private equity fund CVC Capital Partners bought all of Anheuser–Busch InBev's holdings in Central Europe, renaming the operation StarBev. In 2010, Svijany came under ownership of the Liberec Investment Fund, which bought 55% of the company's shares from StarBev and the remaining 45% from Pivovary Lobkowicz.

Svijany are available as a 10°–15°, dark and as a special variant. The range includes Svijanská Desítka (10°, 3.8% ABV), Svijanský Máz (11°, 4.8% ABV), Svijanský Fanda (special 11° mixed dark and light), Svijanský Rytíř (12°, 5.0% ABV), Svijanská Kněžna (dark 13°, 5.2% ABV), Svijanský Kvasničák (13° unfiltered), Svijanský Kníže (13°, 5.5% ABV), Svijanský Baron (special 15°, 6.5% ABV), Svijanský Fitness (special light, 3.2% ABV), Svijanský Vozka (non-alcoholic), and Svijanský Weizen (12° wheat beer).

Reader's Guide

Svijany Brewery's significance lies in its continuous operation since 1564, making it one of the oldest breweries in the Czech Republic. Its range of unpasteurised lagers, from the light 3.2% ABV Svijanský Fitness to the strong 6.5% ABV Svijanský Baron, reflects a traditional brewing approach that has survived multiple changes of ownership, nationalization, and near-closure. The brewery's flagship, Svijanský Máz, is a typical 11° pale lager. In 2011, Svijanská Kněžna won a category at the Znojmo Grape gastronomic festival, and two brewery figures were inducted into the Czech Brewing and Malting Hall of Fame. In 2013, the brewery sued a consumer magazine over reports of mould in one of its brews, arguing additional testing found no increased levels. The brewery is currently owned by the Liberec Investment Fund, which also owns breweries in Náchod and Rohozec.

Did You Know?

• Svijany Brewery was established in 1564, making it one of the oldest Czech breweries.
• The brewery produces only unpasteurised lagers, ranging from 3.2% to 6.5% ABV.
• Svijanská Kněžna won the category of special semi-dark and dark beers at the Znojmo Grape 2011 festival.
• In 2010, the Liberec Investment Fund bought 55% of Svijany's shares from StarBev and 45% from Pivovary Lobkowicz.

Origins & Noble Lineage (1564–1939)

Svijany Brewery traces its roots to 1564, making it one of the oldest brewing operations in the Czech Republic. The following year, the village and its brewery were acquired by Jaroslav of Wartenberg. After his death in 1602, the property passed to Joachim Andreas von Schlick, a figure whose political allegiance to the Bohemian rebellion against Habsburg rule led to his execution in 1621. The brewery then fell under the Wallenstein family's stewardship, a tenure that stretched until 1814. In 1820, the Rohan family took control, and in a notable turn, they sold the operation to their own tenant, Antonín Kratochvíle. The Kratochvíle family ran the brewery for the next generation, continuing until 1939 when circumstances compelled them to sell it back to the Rohans. This chain of noble and local ownership spans nearly four centuries, embedding the brewery deeply in the social fabric of the Svijany village.

The Product Portfolio

Svijany's brewing philosophy centers on unpasteurised lagers, predominantly pale in color, with alcohol strengths spanning from 3.2% to 6.5% ABV. The lineup is organized by degree (10° through 15°) and includes pale, dark, and special variants. The flagship, Svijanský Máz, is an 11° pale lager at 4.8% ABV. The range extends from the light Svijanský Fitness at 3.2% and the non-alcoholic Svijanský Vozka up to the premium Svijanský Baron, a 15° pale beer at 6.5%. Dark options include Svijanská Kněžna (Duchess) at 13° and 5.2%, while Svijanský Fanda offers a mixed dark-and-light special. Each beer carries a distinct character, from the deeply fermented Svijanská Desítka at 10° and 3.8% ABV to the sturdier Svijanský Kníže (Duke) at 13° and 5.5%. The naming convention draws on noble and chivalric titles—Knight, Duchess, Duke, Baron—echoing the brewery's aristocratic heritage. A 12° wheat beer, Svijanský Weizen, and an unfiltered 13° Kvasničák round out the collection.

Corporate Turbulence & Modern Ownership

The twentieth century brought dramatic upheaval. In 1945, the brewery was confiscated and folded into the state-owned Severočeské pivovary, which was dissolved in 1990. Svijany then became part of the Vratislavice nad Nisou state breweries. A sales crisis threatened closure, prompting a sale in 1998 to the newly formed Pivovar Svijany. The corporate landscape shifted rapidly: the entity was converted to a joint-stock company in 1992, absorbed into Pražské Pivovary in 1997 under English brewer Bass, then folded into Belgium-based Interbrew in 2002. Interbrew's 2004 merger with AmBev created InBev. In 2009, CVC Capital Partners purchased Anheuser-Busch InBev's Central European holdings, rebranding the operation as StarBev. Finally, in 2010, the Liberec Investment Fund acquired 55% of shares from StarBev and the remaining 45% from Pivovary Lobkowicz, bringing Svijany under local private ownership alongside fellow breweries in Náchod and Rohozec.

Recognition & Controversy

Svijany's modern era has been marked by both acclaim and legal friction. In September 2011, the brewery's Svijanská Kněžna (Duchess) claimed victory in the special semi-dark and dark beer category at the third annual contest of special and unusual beers during the Znojmo Grape 2011 gastronomic festival. That same month, brewing expert Ladislav Černý and longtime manager František Horák were inducted into the Czech Brewing and Malting Hall of Fame, a recognition of their decades of dedicated craft. However, not all attention has been positive. In 2013, the brewery filed a lawsuit against consumer magazine dTest, which had published reports alleging elevated mould levels in one of its brews. Svijany contested the findings, citing additional testing that showed no abnormal mould presence, and challenged the magazine's accuracy. This episode highlighted the tension between independent consumer reporting and the reputational stakes for a small, heritage-driven brewery navigating the modern market.

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