A journey in search of golden brew

Small breweries have become very popular over the last few years. Tourists are increasingly going on brewery tours, and as we recently dedicated an article to cafés, we’ve decided to give you some tips on local beer as well.

The first brewery we’d like to introduce to you is the Falkenštejn Brewery. It’s situated right in the heart of Krásná Lípa. The brewery also offers accommodation and a restaurant. Falkenštejn opened in 2013, but it builds on a long-standing tradition of beer brewing in the area. The original brewery was closed after the Second World War.

The range of beers on offer is very diverse and will satisfy even the most discerning drinker. The range includes classics such as the 11° pale lager and the 12° semi-dark lager called Ostroff, which was created as a joint project between the Falkenštejn Brewery and the Ostrov Hotel; however, the brewery also offers specialities such as Zkouřená čarodějnice (rauch) 13°, American pale ale 13°, ‘Náhlá smrt’ (double India dark ale) 22° and many others.

Our second recommendation is the Kocour Brewery in Varnsdorf. This brewery also offers both accommodation and a restaurant. A major attraction is the mini zoo located within the Kocour Brewery complex, which will delight visitors of all ages. The range includes both top-fermented and bottom-fermented beers, Lužický Porter and non-alcoholic soft drinks.

Examples of top-fermented beers include Ipa Samurai 14°, Catfish-Sumeček 11° and many others. Bottom-fermented beers include, for example, Kocour 11°, Light Lager 12°, Dark Lager 12° and so on. The range of Lužické Porters includes, for example, Hefe Weizen 12°, Porter+Punsch 14° and many others. As for soft drinks, you can choose from the following flavours: lemon, grapefruit, cola, raspberry, redcurrant and ginger.

The Kotouč Brewery in Česká Kamenice is also one of the smaller breweries. Originally, from 2003 onwards, there was only a distillery here; however, in 2015, the owners revived the brewing tradition of the Kinsky family’s manor brewery. The brewery offers its authentic unpasteurised and unfiltered beer, which you can enjoy with a pizza from the local pizzeria.

In Děčín, we’ve got two recommendations for you. The first is the Kapitán Brewery, and the second is the Nomád Brewery. Among the beers Nomád has to offer are the AK 47 Czech Ale 11°, Nebíčko Weizen 12°, Adelaide semi-dark lager 11° and many more. The selection is truly extensive.

At the breweries, you can take a guided tour to see how the beer is brewed, and then sample it in the on-site restaurants run by the breweries.

If you can’t decide which brewery to visit, we recommend organising a beer tasting and visiting them all in turn over the course of a few days.