New Billy–Goat’s Beer Tour Opened Under The Baton Of Maestro Václava Kozel

„We constantly strive to improve our visitor services, so they can learn all there is to know about our beer in an interesting way, and these tours are becoming more and more popular, here and abroad. Live billy–goat Olda is of course an inseparable part of the whole exposition and of the story of Velkopopovický Kozel beer. The first one came to the brewery from Uzhgorod in the 1930s, and today, as a  live symbol of the brewery, it concludes the visitors tour,“ said Tomáš Raboch, Director of Tourism.

Velké Popovice brewery is growing in popularity, not just amongst beer fans but also with regular tourists. Last year, nearly 30,000 people visited the brewery. Today, tour participants can walk „in the footsteps of the billy–goat,“ passing from the lager cellars through a 40-metre long tunnel directly into the bottling room to see this year’s newly reconstructed historic brew house from 1928. In the lager cellars, the visitors may then taste Velké Popovice beers in an authentic environment right at a new, unique bar.

„After receiving the invitation from Velké Popovice brewery, thanks to my last name (Kozel – billy goat in Czech), to open the new section of the trail, I did not hesitate a second. Velkopopovický Kozel is one of my favourite beers, so I will be very happy to learn more about its brewing process and its history. One starts to see the beer differently once they’ve heard the whole story,“ said Václav Kozel (billy–goat), Czech Radio Big Band Director.

This evolution of the visitors tour is a continuation of the changes that began in 2009.  2009 saw the opening of the Visitor Centre and a  Billy–goat gift shop, where visitors can purchase various souvenirs featuring the popular Billy–goat logo. Visitors were able to tour the historic 1928 brew house, then learn the history of the Ringhoffer family and Velké Popovice brewery through a film and a displayed exposition.

Velkopopovicko is a region with beautiful historic, cultural, and natural monuments, not far from Prague. We invite you to visit the 135–year–old Velké Popovice brewery, which is now the starting point or destination of many hiking tours, bike trips, family trips and international excursions. And the entrepreneurship of Baron Ringhoffer was not limited to founding Velké Popovice brewery. The popular Walk Across the Country of Baron Ringhoffer is a constant reminder of all of his contributions to this day.

For more information:

Vladimír Jurina, PR Brand Manager,
e-mail:

Notes for editors:

• Velké Popovice brewery brewed their first batch of beer on December 15, 1874, and just one year later, 18 000 hl of beer were brewed there and sold. Just a few years later, the brewery became the third biggest brewery in the country. They were especially known for their dark, heavy beer.
• The Velkopopovický Kozel brand is irreplaceable in today’s beer market. No other brand has had a more dynamic rise in both Czech and foreign markets. Velkopopovický Kozel Dark is the leader among dark beer brands on the Czech beer market, and the best selling Czech beer abroad.
• Velké Popovice brewery has been a part of Plzeňský Prazdroj Company since 1999.
• With total sales of 9,9 million of hectolitres during the calendar year of 2011 (including licensed productions abroad) and with exports to more than 50 countries worldwide, Plzeňský Prazdroj Inc. is the preeminent beer producer in the region and the biggest exporter of Czech beer.
• Plzeňský Prazdroj Inc. is a member of SABMiller plc. group. Pilsner Urquell is the international flagship brand of the SABMiller brand portfolio.
• SABMiller is one of the world’s biggest beer brewing companies, with beer production and distribution activities in more than 60 countries across six continents. SABMiller’s brand  portfolio includes such important brands as Pilsner Urquell, Miller Genuine Draft, Grolsch, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, and many other successful regional brands.
• You can find more info about the most recent activities and projects supported by Velkopopovický Kozel brand at www.kozel.cz.

Praha