 The
Czechs have been drinking beer since time immemorial. The secret
of Czech beer is that agricultural conditions are ideal for
growing hops, and chronicles establish their cultivation in
Bohemia as early as 859 A.D., while the first evidence of their
export dates back to 903. Bohemian hops were so prized that
King Wenceslas ordered the death penalty for anyone caught exporting
the cuttings, from which new plants could be grown.The first
mention of brewing in the Czech territories is in the foundation
charter for the Vysehrad church, dating from 1088. In this document,
the first Czech king, Vratislav II, decreed that his estates
should pay a hop tithe to the church. Many pubs have been around
for hundreds of years. One example is the U
Fleků microbrewery in Prague which has been in operation since 1499 and is still
going strong. |
