Brewery Chodovar in Chodová Planá

The brewery Chodovar is currently managed by the family Plevka. Annual production is around 90,000 hectolitres of beer and Il Sano mineral water. The brewery´s humic malt plant produces 1 700 tonnes of malt per year.

The historic brewery grounds are also a popular tourist destination. It offers visitors an attractive environment of a stylish restaurant "Ve Skále", a small brewery museum. You can stay in the wellness hotel U Sládka***. In the hotel premises you can visit the original beer spa or the restaurant "Stará Sladovna".

The brewery buildings are connected to the brewery garden, which offers stylish seating for 3,000 guests and is the venue for traditional beer festivals every year (beer festivals are held in Chodovar at the end of August). In the lower part of the brewery garden, the European Beer Barrel Championship (held at the end of June) takes place.

From the brewery history

The family brewery Chodovar in Chodová Planá was built over ancient cellars carved into the granite massif. The origin of the cellars is associated with the creation of the local castle. After the annexation of the Cheb region to the Czech Kingdom by John of Luxembourg in 1322, the castle lost its significance and disappeared over time. The abandoned rock cellars and the spring were the impetus for the future brewing of beer. In 1861, the brewery was devastated by a huge fire which destroyed the original buildings. Count Berchem, the owner at the time, had a new brewery built immediately in 1862. Its appearance has been preserved to this day.

The dog Albi tale

According to legend, it was the dog Albi who found a well with a rich spring of water near the castle. Albi has been considered the good spirit of the brewery cellars for centuries. Albi has been depicted on the emblem of the local maltsters´ guild since ancient times. According to an old brewing custom, the youngest apprentice had to prepare a sipper of beer in Albi´s bowl before finishing his work and leaving the cellar. The old brewers believed that only in this way would the good spirit of the rock cellars bring them good luck and protect their work - the famous Czech lager.

Did you know that ...

• the oldest written records of the brewery date back to 1573?
• Brewery Chodovar was awarded the European trademark Chodské pivo® in 2008 to label its beers?