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Family Brewery Bernard (officially in Czech Rodinný pivovar Bernard) is a brewery in Humpolec, Czech Republic, founded in 1597. It is owned by Rodinný pivovar Bernard, a. s. (shareholders: Duvel Moortgat NV, Breendonk, Belgium 50%, Stanislav Bernard 25%, Josef Vávra 25%).

History
The era of beer brewing started in Humpolec in 1597, when the brewery belonged to the owner of the Herálec estate. In the 1930s, it employed 40 people and produced 20,000 hectolitres a year. The beer was sold in the Humpolec, Německý Brod (now Havlíčkův Brod), Ledečko and Pelhřimovsko regions.

After World War II, the brewery was integrated into that state enterprise Horácké pivovary Jihlava, and in 1960 into Jihočeské pivovary České Budějovice. In 1989, the conglomerate Jihočeské pivovary was renamed to Pivovary České Budějovice, a state enterprise. This company’s leadership didn’t plan on developing the brewery further, and pressure grew to liquidate it. Up until the time of privatization, the brewery made a 10° pale beer, 11° pale Orlík beer, and briefly before 1991, a pale 12° called Zálesák (Woodsman).

A new era
On 26 October 1991, Stanislav Bernard, Josef Vávra and Rudolf Šmejkal bought the bankrupt brewery at auction for five times the initial asking price. This started a completely new era for the brewery.

In the initial years, burdened with large debt, the brewery battled for existence. The new owners not only succeeded in brewing good beer that started winning awards all over the world, but also in building a brand whose renown reached beyond the industry and the borders of the Czech Republic. Today, Bernard beer is exported to more than 20 countries; about 20% of production is destined for export. In 2000, the Bernard family brewery became a joint stock company that attracted investment by Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat.

Medium-sized Bernard is nonetheless a star of the Czech beer market, of which its production makes up about 2%. Most of the beer (63%) is sold in barrels, and a smaller amount in bottles. This ratio is the reverse of the Czech market overall, where most beer is sold in glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles. Cautious of the environment, the brewery has never shipped beer in plastic bottles and not even in cans. The brewery is a member of Zálohujme.cz, an organization advocating use of deposit bottles.

So far, the brewery’s highest output was in 2019 — 400,000 hectolitres. However, maximum production is not the goal. Since the brewery’s founding, the owners have been on a constant quest to brew the very best beer. For this purpose, in 2000, the brewery bought a humno malt house in Rajhrad u Brna. Production of humno malt is labour- and cost-intensive, but malt produced in this way is the most suitable for traditional Czech beer. The brewery propagates its own brewer’s yeast, draws high-quality brewing water from its own deep wells and uses the highest quality hops. But Bernard beer’s most indispensable ingredient is love.

Innovation
The Bernard family brewery came to the Czech market with many innovations that brought attention and distinction to the brand. For example, starting in 2002, the brewery has used patented retro bottles that drew great interest from customers and are now characteristic of the brewery. In 2007, the brewery was the first to come out with non-alcoholic semi-dark beer. In 2009, the non-alcoholic beverage Švestka was released. In addition to the brewery helping bridge the crisis years, it opened a completely new segment on the Czech market, in which many manufacturers operate today. In 2014, the brewery started brewing top-fermented Bernard Bohemian Ale, which won first place in its category at the prestigious World Beer Awards a year later.

Company values
At the initiative of the management, the brewery employees themselves proposed a corporate mission statement, reading: Our own path to honest Czech beer. The company’s values are openness, confidence, cooperation, responsibility and positivity. Focus on the customer, the employees and on growth in the company’s value. Later, humility and courage were added. Co-owner Stanislav Bernard called selection of these values the brewery’s most important “investment”.

Never waste a crisis
From 2020 to 2022, the brewing industry was negatively affected by measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Among other things, that meant closure or restrictions on businesses with draught beer. The Bernard Family Brewery used this time as an opportunity to introduce several new products. It offered chocolates with malt and a pinch of hops, and also introduced an excellent, strong, but delicate Bernard beer brandy. Master Jiří Syrovátka brews it for the brewery from fresh beer at the Zámecké sady Chrámce biodistillery in the České středohoří Protected Area. The beer brandy is normally available in bottles, but there are also several oak barrels of it lying in the cellar of the distillery, which will be here for an unknown time awaiting release to the market. This is the same place where Bernard whisky develops and matures. The brewery has also started offering pralines with beer brandy.

Visitor Centre
In honour of its 30th anniversary, the brewery prepared to open the Bernard Visitor Centre. Due to anti-epidemic measures, the centre was opened to the public later, on 1 June 2022.

The Visitor Centre is connected directly to the brewery. The tour routes lead directly to the heart of the brewery, where visitors are introduced to the production procedures and ingredients — and of course they try fresh beer. The centre includes a state-of-the-art cinema, where people can see an inspirational film about the brewery’s story. The experience is enhanced by a detailed 3D model in an attractive exhibition. On the top floor of the centre, with a beautiful view of the city, is the masterfully designed Tavern in Štoky, and one floor below is the Brewer’s Hall, for organized groups, training, social events, tastings, and more.

The view from the brewery chimney
Along with the centre, a lookout tower has been built around the brewery’s functional chimney. From the walkway, 33 metres in the air, one can view the brewery, the town and the surroundings. The Orlík castle ruin and Lipnice castle are among the things to be seen.

A respected brand
The brewery is known for its unusual, fresh communication fully in keeping with its slogan “Our own way”. Its campaign “The World Has Gone Crazy” is well-known, as is the connection between beers and animated pin-up girls. The brewery still uses the graphic motifs of the “Beer as a Jewel” campaign to this day.

The brewery regularly collects awards for its product range, advertising and more. Since 2005, it has regularly published the magazine “Our Own Way”, which readers can receive free. In Humpolec, the brewery holds an annual music festival, Bernard Fest.

With the Bernard Award, the brewery recognizes exemplary, admirable acts. The award includes a big golden heart, a certificate and free beer for a year (average Czech beer consumption per person in the previous year). In 2022, the owners founded the Bernard Assistance Endowment Fund, which helps people in Humpolec and the surrounding area with difficult life situations.