Velkopopovický Kozel

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Velkopopovický Kozel
Type Beer
Country of origin Velké Popovice, Czech Republic
Introduced 1874
Website http://www.kozelbeer.com

Velkopopovický Kozel is a Czech lager produced since 1874.[1] In that year, Franz Ringhoffer founded a brewery in Velké Popovice near Prague. Their symbol is a goat (Kozel is "goat" in Czech).

Production

Kozel is available as a 10° Pale, 11°, 12° Premium, and as a dark variant.[2]

  • Kozel Světlý is a bottom fermented 10° pale beer which is 4% alcohol by volume (ABV).
  • Kozel 11° is a 11° pale lager which is 4.6% ABV. It has been on the market since 2005.
  • Kozel Premium is a typical 12° pale lager which is 4.8% ABV.
  • Kozel Černý is a dark beer which is 3.8% ABV, made of 4 different types of malts including a dark caramelised malt. This beer has an unusual dark foam.
Velkopopovicky Kozel Brewery

Kozel has won a lot of different awards for example the Australian Beer Award, the Czech Beer of the Year, the World Beer Cup and more.[3] Kozel Premium won awards at the World Beer Championships in Chicago in 1995, 1996 and 1997. It is now sold in 38 countries worldwide.

History

Frantisek Ringhoffer

The first historical mention of the brewery dates back to the 14th century.[4] The brewery in Velke Popovice, as we know it today, has its origins in the 19th century. After years of disagreements and the gradual decline of the brewery, it was bought by a rich industrial tycoon, Frantisek Ringhoffer, who was the Mayor of Smíchov and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Czechoslovak history.

The brewery was built in 1875, and the first batch of Kozel beer was brewed in the same year. The brewery, thanks to its owner, introduced new technologies, giving rise to its modern history. At the turn of the 20th century the brewery passed through its second major reconstruction and its production capacity was increased to 90,000 hectoliters per year from the original 18,000 in the beginning.

Historical part of the Brewery

The First World War brewery survived, operating in a restricted mode and without much innovation. It grew again in the period between the wars. Kozel became famous for its dark 14° beer "Bock". However the Second World War brought restrictions again in the production of beer for all breweries. The protectorate brewery had problems in requiring the raw materials needed for the production of beer.

After the war, the brewery was nationalized and faced a lack of workers. In 1951, therefore, the management company solved this problem by employing the first-ever women in the brewery. The ratio of women and men remained almost the same until 1962 and bottling was exclusively in female hands. In 1965 Kozel delivered the world's first beer in tank trucks and gave rise to the tradition of the tank brasseries.

After thirty years of socialism the brewery achieved independence in 1991 and in 1992 became a public limited company. In 2002, Kozel merged with the brewery Radegast and the Pilsner Urquell brewery conglomerate SABMiller.

The goat mascot

Mascot Olda

The name Kozel and its emblem have their origins in the period after the First World War.[5] At that time there was a lot of competition in brewing. Brewery founder Emanuel Ringhoffer realized that it was necessary to distinguish the brewery. He started to brew in Velke Popovice a strong, dark beer according to local tradition, which was known locally as Kozel. At that time a French painter passed through Velke Popovice. He was moved by the hospitality of the local people, and out of gratitude decided to create for them an emblem for the brewery. The painter was inspired by the figure of the goat, and put it in the form of an emblem. Since then, each beer from Velke Popovice was known as Kozel and the animal mascot has decorated the label for almost a hundred years.

In the 1930s the owners tried to firm and consolidate the position of the brewery and to give it a more attractive image, so they brought a live goat to the brewery as an attraction. The Kozel brewery still has a live mascot and other attractions for visitors today. From the 1970s, after a few generations all the goats have been named after the original caregiver Olda and this name has been passed down from goat to goat for over 40 years.

Brewery

The brewery in Velké Popovice can be visited throughout the year, it is only needed to check opening time or book a tour [6] Brewery tours offer you unprecedented access to all important areas of the brewery. From enjoying a beer in our old brewhouse to exploring the cellars, you will end the day with a much richer knowledge of both Czech history and how a traditional beer is made.

Since 2002, the company belongs to the SABMiller group.

Kozel beer in the world

Kozel became the best-selling Czech beer brand in the world, mainly thanks to licensed production. Licensed production began in January 2001 in the Slovak Republic and continued into the east. Kozel progressed over the Russian Kaluga and Ulyanovsk to Vladivostok. In Hungary Kozel settled in Budapest and in the Ukraine in Donetsk. Recently Kozel has entered new markets in Scandinavia, Great Britain, Canada, Greece and Kazakhstan.

Awards

Awards which has Kozel received in Czech and International beer competitions.[7]

2012

  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel 11° (category: 11° beer) - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic

2011

  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium (category: lager) - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium (best 11° in category lager) - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium - Australian Beer Awards, Austrálie

2010

  • 3rd place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - World Beer Cup, USA
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium - Australian Beer Awards, Australia
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Australian Beer Awards, Australia
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Dark - Australian Beer Awards, Australia
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic

2009

  • Certificate of quality Velkopopovický Kozel Medium - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic
  • 3rd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic

2008

  • Certificate of quality Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý, Medium, Premium - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Medium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic

2007

  • 3rd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní tmavý - Australian Beer Awards, Australia
  • 3rd place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Australian Beer Awards, Australia

2006

  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Monde Selection, Belgium
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - Monde Selection, Belgium
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní tmavý - Monde Selection, Belgium

2005

  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčapní světlý - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic
  • Certifikát kvality Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic

2004

  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - World Beer Cup, USA
  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - World Beer Cup, USA
  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní tmavý - Australina Beer Awards, Australia

2003

  • Gold certificate for long-term and balanced quality of the Beer Velkopopovický Kozel výčepní světlý - Zlatý pohár PIVEX, Czech Republic

2002

  • 2nd place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Czech Beer of the Year, Czech Republic

2001

  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Beer festival, Helsinki, Finland

1997-1998, 2000-2005

  • Dark Beer of the year - Readers' Choice, Pivní kurýr, Czech Republic

1995-1997, 1999

  • 1st place Velkopopovický Kozel Premium - Pivní mistrovství světa, Chicago USA

See also

Beer in the Czech Republic

References

  1. ↑ History - Velkopopovický Kozel
  2. ↑ - Velkopopovický Kozel
  3. ↑ History of the brewery - Velkopopovický Kozel
  4. ↑ Mascot - Velkopopovický Kozel
  5. ↑ Book a tour - Velkopopovický Kozel
  6. ↑ Awards - Velkopopovický Kozel

External links

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