Czechia
Budějovický Budvar
České Budějovice brewery producing a long-lagered Czech pale lager, and party to a naming dispute with the American Budweiser lasting over a century.
Also known as Budweiser Budvar brewery, Budvar brewery.
The town’s German name is Budweis, and beer from it was described as Budweiser long before either modern company existed. The resulting trade mark dispute has run through courts in dozens of jurisdictions with mixed outcomes, which is why the beer is sold under different names in different markets.
Why it matters
A reference Czech pale lager, and the clearest illustration in beer that a name can be geographic, generic and trademarked in different places at once.
Details
| Founded | 1895 |
|---|---|
| Where | Czechia |
| Status | Operating |
| Ownership | State-owned, and one of very few significant national breweries that has remained so. Recorded 2026-08-16; ownership changes without announcement. |
Reference beers
BeerHQ carries only the products that anchor something. This is not the brewery’s full range.
Styles it is associated with
- Czech premium pale lager — The original pale lager: rich bready malt, generous Saaz hopping and a rounded bitterness that soft Bohemian water makes possible.
Traditions
- Bohemian pale lager brewing — The Czech pale lager tradition: exceptionally soft water, Saaz hops, floor-malted barley and multi-step decoction.
Other breweries in Czechia
Plzeňský Prazdroj · Rodinný pivovar Bernard · Staropramen · Velkopopovický Kozel
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.