History of Pilgrimtown Brewery
Beer has accompanied humankind for thousands of years – the people of ancient Mesopotamia were already brewing it. In the Czech lands it has taken root so deeply that we can hardly imagine our history without it.
In Pelhřimov this story spans more than four and a half centuries. From burghers' batches through steam engines and nationalisation to today's Pilgrimtown Brewery, the buildings, technologies, names and owners have changed. One thing has stayed the same: beer is still brewed here.
16th century
From burghers' houses to a shared brewery
“Where beer is brewed, life thrives.” In Pelhřimov this has held true for more than four and a half centuries.
The brewery traditionally dates the beginning of its history to 1552. The tradition of brewing beer in the town is in fact even older, and written records of the right of Pelhřimov burghers to brew beer go back to the first half of the 16th century. This valuable privilege was the subject of long disputes – the right to brew was an important source of income as well as a civic privilege. In 1569, the dispute with Karel Říčanský of Říčany was finally decided by a court in favour of the town.
At first, beer was brewed in individual houses with brewing rights. Brewing vessels were lent out, rules were not always followed and the quality of the batches varied. That is why the municipal brewery was founded in 1565–1573, and beer became a matter for the whole town.
17th–19th century
The brewery grows with the town
As beer consumption grew, so did its facilities. The brewery gradually moved to larger premises by the town walls, and in 1752 a dwelling for the brewmaster was built here too.
In the second half of the 19th century, Pelhřimov brewers switched to bottom fermentation – the technology that became the foundation of Czech lager. Manual work was gradually replaced by machines and steam power.
The old brewery could no longer keep up with growing demands, so in 1898 construction began on a completely new brewery, Na Hradišti. Brewing started there at the end of 1899. And this very site is where beer is still brewed today.
1948–1990
A brewery under state control
On 1 January 1948, the Burghers' Brewery in Pelhřimov was nationalised. Over the following decades it changed its affiliation several times: it belonged to Horácké pivovary (1948–1952), Havlíčkobrodské pivovary (1953–1954), again Horácké pivovary (1955–1959) and, from 1960, Jihočeské pivovary (South Bohemian Breweries).
But even the socialist decades were not just a period of administrative change. In 1966 the brewery underwent a reconstruction because of which the 12° beer stopped being brewed – it returned only in 1981. Until 1972, the mash kettle was still heated with coal, after which gas burners replaced it.
This era also gave the Pilgrimtown Brewery Felix, a traditional lager with a black tomcat on the label.
1990–2001
A record, lawsuits and the purchase by the DUP cooperative
After the fall of socialism, a complicated period awaited the brewery. The descendants of the former brewing-right holders sought to regain the property, and protracted lawsuits blocked privatisation for many years – Pelhřimov therefore remained state-owned. Even so, a historic record came in 1992: 78,860 hl of beer, the most in its history.
The courts ultimately rejected the claims, and in 2001 the brewery was bought from the National Property Fund for 15 million crowns by DUP – družstvo Pelhřimov. The new owner decided to keep beer production going and began investing in the brewery.
2003–2026
Poutník Brewery is born
Two years after the purchase, the recipe, the logo, the business strategy and the name of the brewery all changed. On 4 December 2003, the new Poutník beer began to be bottled and the brewery started to operate as Poutník Brewery.
Whether it is draught beers, lagers or specials, they are brewed by decoction and matured for a long time at low temperatures. As late as 2004, the brewery was one of only two in the Czech Republic still using traditional direct heating of the brewing vessels.
2026
Pilgrimtown Brewery. We go our own way.
After more than twenty years under the name Poutník Brewery, another chapter begins. In 2026 the name Pilgrimtown Brewery returns. The new visual style builds on the history of the company, the logo is inspired by the traditional copper brew kettle, and the Poutník range remains the heart of our offer.
Poutník gets new labels and packaging and, for the first time, a more prominent presence in cans. For longer shelf life, canned beer is gently pasteurised, while the main part of our production continues to rely on the character of traditional Pelhřimov beer.
In more than four and a half centuries almost everything has changed – the town, the buildings, the technology and the world around us. But beer is still brewed in Pelhřimov.
A beer with a story you can taste
How is Poutník brewed today, and where can you buy it?