Velkopopovický Kozel


Velkopopovický Kozel is a Czech lager produced since 1874. The brewery was founded by František Ringhoffer in Velké Popovice, a town 25 km southeast of Prague. Their symbol is a goat. The company was bought by SABMiller in 2002 and sold to Asahi Breweries in 2016.

History

The first historical mention of the brewery dates back to the 14th century. 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, František Ringhoffer, who was the Mayor of Smíchov and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Czech history.
The brewery was built in 1875, though the first batch of Kozel beer was brewed in the previous 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.
The brewery survived the First World War, 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° "Bock" beer. However the Second World War brought new production restrictions for all breweries and the protectorate brewery faced problems in requiring the raw materials needed.
After the war, the brewery was nationalized and faced a lack of workers. In 1951, therefore, the company management 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 tank brasseries.
After thirty years of socialism the brewery achieved independence in 1991 and in 1992 became a public limited company. In 2002, Kozel and the Radegast brewery were acquired by the Pilsner Urquell brewery, part of brewing conglomerate SABMiller. In 2016 it was one of the brands sold by SABMiller to Asahi Breweries, the divestment a result of the acquisition of the former by ABInBev, to meet with global antitrust regulation.
In 2012, Kozel canned beer was the subject of viral advertising in Russia: launched into space, beer dropped by parachute and everything was transmitted by online camera.

The goat mascot

The name Kozel and its emblem have their origins in the period after the First World War. Kozel means a male goat in Czech language and a dark beer was at that time called bock - in German language translated as goat.
At that time there was a lot of competition in brewing. Brewery founder Emanuel Ringhoffer realized that it was necessary to distinguish the brewery from its competitors and started to brew in Velke Popovice a strong, dark beer to local tradition, known locally as Kozel. At that time a French painter passed through Velke Popovice, who was moved by the hospitality of the local people, and out of gratitude to them decided to create an emblem for the brewery. The painter was inspired by the figure of the goat, and turned it into 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, 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. Up from the 1970s, after a few previous generations, all 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, and visitors can book tours.

Production

The company brews these different types of beer:
Kozel has won many different awards including the Australian Beer Award, the Czech Beer of the Year, the World Beer Cup and more. Kozel Premium won awards at the World Beer Championships in Chicago in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Kozel beer in the world

Kozel became the best-selling Czech beer brand in the world. It is now sold in about thirty countries worldwide. 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, Israel, Greece and Kazakhstan. Efes Moldova, Efes Georgia and Efes Turkey have started Kozel Production. Czech premium beer Kozel Dark is showing steep growth in the Korean beer market. Kozel Dark's sales in the first to three months of this year increased about 271% compared to the same period last year. The main reason for Kozel Dark's increase in sales volume is diversification of consumer tastes. In addition, Kozel Dark's stores have increased more than 30 times in the last two years. The average monthly sales of stores in Itaewon, Hongdae, and Gangnam, which are Seoul's major commercial areas, have averaged more than 1.6 million pieces per month.

Awards

Awards which has Kozel received in Czech and International beer competitions.
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
1997-1998, 2000-2005
1995-1997, 1999