The story of Benešov’s modest brewery,

Pivovar Ferdinand

Most people associate the Benešov area (50 km south of Prague) with beautiful Konopiště Chateau, the forested retreat that attracts the better part of the tourist majority who visit the region. But the town’s lesser-known sites are worth a look as well, in particular the enchanting Ferdinand brewery, right in the heart of the city of Benešov.

The first record of a brewery in Benešov dates back to 1595, the year the townsfolk were granted the right to make beer. Brewing met with various degrees of success through the ages, with the local brewery mainly producing the black and wheat malts that were used to craft old pales, and dark, bitter ales. In 1887, financial difficulties forced the city-owned venture to sell to Konopiště tenant Franz Ferdinand d’Este — the same man whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 would become the catalyst for World War I. By 1897, Ferdinand d’Este had successfully overhauled the brewery, laying the foundations and erecting the buildings that, apart from some minor alterations, are still in use today.

Visitors to Pivovar Ferdinand, located a short stroll from the city center and inconspicuously nestled among old apartment blocks and schools, are immediately drawn to its pale yellow-green exterior and striking red chimney. Entering through the main gate is to take a step back in time, into a cobblestone courtyard where it’s easy to conjure up an era when horses pulled wagons laden with wooden barrels. The tiny outbuildings are seemingly from another era as well — confirmation that Ferdinand is no global conglomerate but a small, independent brewery set on doing things the traditional way. And indeed “quality, not quantity” seems to be the mantra here, with brewers selecting and drying regionally grown malt, Saaz hops from the Žatec area (a world famous hops-growing region 80 km northwest of Prague), and keeping a careful watch on the proceedings without computerized help.

On a recent visit to Ferdinand, I met Ms. Eva Čechmanová from the company’s sales and marketing division. She graciously updated me on the company’s recent history and place in the current market. During the 1990s and up until a few years ago, when there was a huge boom in the Czech Republic for cheap beer, the brewery was producing as much as 200,000 hectoliters (hl) annually.

Deciding to forgo larger batches in favor of better flavor, Ferdinand ceased production of nondescript beers and now outputs just 50,000 hl a year and employs a workforce of approximately 40. The brewery has withstood the economic downturn by concentrating on its core regional consumers. Quality malt makes for a swift side business — Ferdinand is able to dry more than twice the amount of malt it actually requires for production and sells the surplus to other breweries that are without drying facilities.

I was lucky enough to be given a private tour by the head brewer himself, Mr. Jaroslav Lebeda, who has been manning the pumps, hoses, and vats at Ferdinand for more than 20 years, and has been Head Brewer since 2007. Lebeda gets an unmistakable sparkle in his eye as explains that the beer is made with traditional ingredients, using classical technological processes. (Another point of pride is that the company is Czech-owned). A quick glance around tells me that “classical technological processes” is no mere marketing slogan. The equipment here resembles museum pieces. Says Lebeda, “The steel brew kettles have been in constant use since 1916, after they replaced the original copper ones that were taken away to be made into canons during World War I.”

Much of the machinery used in the brewery was designed and built almost a century ago but is still functioning so there’s no reason to update.” Watching brew master Lebeda make his rounds, keeping a careful eye on operations and pausing to chat with his staff about the state of various batches, it’s tough to imagine the same tender-loving care going into production floor of bigger-name brands.

When I finally sit down to a pint at a pub in the town square, just around the corner from Pivovar Ferdinand, it’s their Premium Light Lager, distinctively sweeter than a Pilsner Urquell or a Staropramen with a crisp, hoppy finish. As I drink, the image of Lebeda lovingly tending his brew like a mother to a newborn is still fresh in my mind, giving the lager even more depth. Like a tomato fresh from the earth, Lebeda’s beer tastes wholesome — and these days that’s a rarity.

Ferdinand by the Numbers

Tours of the brewery and tastings can be scheduled by appointment through the Pivovar Ferdinand offices (+420 317 722 511).

To sample Mr. Lebeda’s craftsmanship in Prague, visit the brewery’s own pub, Ferdinanda, at Politických vězňů 19 off Wenceslas Square. What to know before you go:

Light Lager Premium 5 %

A beer with the pure, mellow taste and aroma of malt and hops, harmonic bitterness, pleasant bite and semi-full bodied flavour.

Dark Lager 4.5 %

A beer with a delicate caramel aroma, the mellow bitterness of hops and pleasantly sweetish flavour.

Sedm Kulí 5.5 % Special

Flavored, semi-dark beer with herb flavour and a unique, inimitable bittersweet taste

Draught Beer, Light 4 %

A beer with the pure, mellow taste and aroma of malt and hops, harmonic bitterness, pleasant bite and semi full bodied flavour.

Non-alcoholic Beer 0.5 %A beer with the aroma of malt and hops, a distinct copper and sweetish taste and aroma, with the pleasant bitterness of hops.