Historic Czech porter brewer to remain separate company under parental supervision
The Czech arm of Molson Coors, Staropramen, has purchased an 89% stake in Pivovar Pernštejn, a brewery in the town of Pardubice, to the east of Prague. It is best known for its Pardubický Porter, a dark bottom-fermented beer brewed since 1891 and highly prized by Czech beer enthusiasts.
Prague-based Staropramen had passed through a number of hands in the years running up to 2012 when it was acquired by Canadian giant Molson Coors. It is the second-largest beer producer in the country, after Asahi’s Pilsner Urquell.
Local reports are that Pernštejn will not be absorbed into Staropramen, remaining a separate company under its own management, though several members of the board will be from Staropramen. Founded in 1871, Pernštejn had been under its current ownership since 2010, brewing 80,000hL of beer per year but losing up to 7.5m CZK (€300,000) annually. Investment from Molson Coors will allow it to double production and expand the range of beer to meet customer demands.
At statement from Pernštejn on the arrangement can be found here.
