Last updated: 3 September 2023
Remember that proverb, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”? Surely the same applies when in the Czech Republic, so do as the Czech’s do – find the TVARG brewery in Olomouc, and drink their beer!
As a people, the Czechs love their beer. They hold the number one spot in beer consumption per person per year – about 160 litres, about 280 pints a year, or 4.5 pints/day (every day, for a year).
This is a record they’re proud of, having held the world’s top in per-capita beer consumption every consecutive year since 1993!
For the record, Aussies come in at #19, and the British at #28, according to the Global Beer Consumption report published by Kirin Holdings.
It should therefore come as no surprise that when we knew we were heading to Czech for a conference, that beer, and a lot of it, made a feature in our itineraries.
History of Brewing in the Czech Republic
Alongside wine and mead, brewing is one of the oldest human-made fermented beverages.
Specifically for Czech, it was in the 9th & 10th centuries when several monastery breweries were established within the Republic’s lands. Many historical references note that the beer brewed here was of excellent quality. And, in terms of beer quality, not much has changed!
Olomouc was one of the first cities in the Czech Republic to establish beer brewing.
Many cities in the Czech Republic began brewing around the same time. In 1200 AD a city-brewery in Teplá, west of Prague, produced beer as the first city-owned brewery. Just 50 years later, in 1250 AD, another city-brewery was established in Olomouc. In 1295, Pilsen was founded, the King, Wenceslas II, gave burghers his permission to brew beer.
Early adopters to the brewing technique were burghers, who through ownership of property and the right level of social status, they had the privilege to brew and tap beer.
Fast forward some 700 years, and I find myself on my way to TVARG Brewery and to meet the owner, David Kapsia and sample some of TVARG’s range.
Prior to TVARG, Kapsia launched Kosíř, a microbrewery situated close to the highest peak Velký Kosíř, a legendary mountain sometimes referred to as the Hanac Mont Blanc at an impressive 442m above sea level. Just 17 km west from Olomouc.
Ok, so admittedly, the TVARG Brewery isn’t exactly in Olomouc. It’s located in a small town called Velká Bystřice which is a short 15-min drive east of Olomouc city centre, but I’m promised it’s worth the drive to meet David, sample all their available brews, and see the brewery that rose like a phoenix from the ashes after being neglected for many years by the former owners.
TVARG Brewery & Their Beer
TVARG makes a series of classic brews that are produced regularly and are available all year round. They also brew seasonal and limited edition beers, so all-in-all they brew up to 20 types a year, taking care to use only the highest quality ingredients and water extracted from their own well.
On a stroll within the brewery, surrounded by pristine shiny stainless steel vats, we pop our glasses under the tap for the freshest beer one can get.
Navigating more foam than I’m used to, it was initially a challenge to reach the amber liquid. I was keen to try the seasonally-appropriate pumpkin spiced ale which had notes of nutmeg, and smelt like Autumn in a glass.
Confusing Czech Beer Classifications
Unsure of how strong each beer was, I was befuddled by the measurements. Confusingly, the Czechs classify their beers using the Balling scale, often expressed as a number and a degree symbol (e.g. 10°), which relates to the concentration of dissolved sugar and malt in a brewery wort. A calculation I still quite don’t understand. The standard ABV seems much easier for us beer-novices.
Confused? That’s ok. As a rough guide, 12° is a regular lager, 10° is also lager but weaker. If you only calculate by ABV, then a 10° beer roughly equates to ~4% ABV, while 12° is ~5%.
The TVARG brewery is home to a three-vessel brewhouse with a volume of 20 hectolitres (hl). If you need some context, 1 hectolitre is the equivalent of one hundred litres.
For the zythophiles, here is the nitty gritty about the TVARG beers.
The primary fermentation of the bottom-fermented beers takes place in an open vat, while the top-fermented beers mature in cylindrical-conical fermentation tanks.
They have 6 lager tanks with a volume of 20 hl at a temperature of 2-4 degrees to age the beer. TVARG beer is not pasteurised, and is unfiltered.
The Cheese
These cellars aren’t just home to TVARG beer, but also cheese which matures here under barrels in these historic stone vaulted cellars.
Tvargle is their curd cheese. A piquant flavour and a smell to match, it can be infused with different flavours such as pepper, paprika, cumin, even caraway, and pairs well with the TVARG beers, draft, lager, and black beer.
Tvarůžek, Olomouc cheese, is a specialty and one that is treated to a dark beer bath at the end of the maturation process, giving it an unmistakable taste.
It’s worth noting TVARG’s cheese is suitable for vegetarians as they don’t use animal rennet.
Beer & Whiskey
TVARG brewery partnered with Irish Whiskey distillery Jameson’s to develop a stout edition, whiskey aged in craft beer barrels. The ‘cheese black’ as it’s known, is malty and bitter of hops from the Tršice region, the finish goes from chocolate to coffee tones over time.
While we snacked on cheese from the factory, breads toasted and not, and discussed all things beer, we all had an attempt at pouring beer in the Czech way.
Czech’s pour beer differently to Aussies so it’s worth noting the head in the glass in this picture.
In Australia, such a head would surely attract some negative commentary from pub patrons, but not in Czech. Czech master brewers aim for 2.5cm high head on lagers, or two fingers width, though I suppose that depends entirely on the size of your fingers!
Discover TVARG
If I have your attention and you’re ready to explore the TVARG brewery, you’ll be pleased to know that tours are available focusing on beer, cheese, or both.
A tour of the brewery includes samples of beers made onsite, and an education on the brewing techniques used at TVARG. Tours are available in Czech and in English. Tours run for 75 minutes, and booking in advance is highly recommended.
English-speaking visitors can book the tour which runs on weekend afternoons in the summer. Cost: 225 CZK (~ £8/€9) . N.b. reduced rates apply for groups, and more tour times are available in Czech. This detail is subject to change so it’s best to check dates and availability directly with the brewery.
If cheese is more your thing, discover the cheeses with a dedicated 45 minute tour into the history of the craft, an excursion to stone cellars, and of course a curd tasting.
What’s next for TVARG?
David Kapsia, owner of Tvargle, is going from strength to strength, having recently received the Regional Food Award for the Olomouc Region. The awards aim to support local producers and spread awareness about regional products.
More good news is on the way for TVARG with an onsite renovated restaurant, featuring artisanal bread being baked in Velké Bystřice. Kapsia says “it’s a meaningful connection for me. The customer can have a beer with cottage cheese on honest fresh bread. Now all we need here is butter”.
In the summer months, the brewery garden is open for alfresco dining, featuring a children’s corner with a water feature and chargers for e-bikes. In the cooler months, the interior restaurant will be open. A seasonal week-day menu sits alongside a permanent menu which focuses on regional ingredients, such as Tvargle cheese with varieties such as mature fried Tvargle or spicy tartare.
How to get to TVARG Brewery from Olomouc
Driving via a taxi or rideshare is the most direct route to getting there (~15 minutes), though you can take 2 buses from Olomouc city centre to the brewery (~30 minutes).
If you’re going to drive yourself, don’t drink and drive. The Czech Republic’s standard blood alcohol limit has been zero since 1953. Fines and driving bans apply.
For more information, check out the TVARG website for opening times, current beers, and to book tours.
Final Thoughts
If you’re seeking to discover Czech beer at the source, head to a brewery. The team at TVARG will happily show you around, encourage you to smell the hops, and help you sample their beers.
Where: Pivovarská 899, 783 53 Velká Bystřice
Info: Website
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Disclaimer: This post is the result of a press trip with Central Moravia and CzechTourism. We were not financially compensated for this post however the experience, and the beer, was complimentary.
