On January 30, 2025, the Ministry of Culture included “Beer Culture in the Czech Republic” on the List of Intangible Assets of Traditional Folk Culture of the Czech Republic. The nomination, which is based on the social role of beer culture, was prepared by the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses in cooperation with experts. This step brings beer culture closer to the possibility of applying for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The inscription on the list, whose purpose is the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage in the Czech Republic, was confirmed by Minister of Culture Martin Baxa, who handed a commemorative certificate to representatives of the brewing industry. The minister decided on the inscription based on a recommendation from the National Council for Traditional Folk Culture, which assesses nominations.
“Beer culture in the Czech Republic is a living phenomenon based on professional and lay community, sharing, gathering, and passing on knowledge, symbols, and identity with strong regional and community characteristics. The inscription of beer culture on the national list is a clear example of how some intangible cultural heritage phenomena are multi-layered and involve a wide and diverse community of people. Thanks to the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses for initiating this effort. I wish all caretakers of beer culture in the Czech Republic much success,” commented Minister of Culture Martin Baxa on the decision.
“Czech beer culture includes our national treasure—beer—which rightfully deserves recognition. It is not just a beverage to quench thirst but also a drink of human togetherness. It is among national treasures such as successful Czech brewing and hop-growing. I am convinced that just as Žatec and the Žatec hop-growing landscape were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List two years ago, Beer Culture in the Czech Republic is on a successful path toward this recognition as well,” said Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný.
Czech beer culture has been developing for centuries around the phenomenon of Czech beer. It connects the smallest rural pubs with large, renowned city taverns and restaurants, their guests, and innkeepers. The inscription also recognizes landscape cultivation in the form of hop and barley growing, the traditional art of brewers, and the craft of tapsters. Throughout significant historical periods, Czech beer culture has been an important part of people’s gatherings and exchange of opinions, significantly supporting social cohesion. Despite changes and trends, it remains vibrant and holds an undeniable place even in the 21st century.
The significance of beer culture for the Czech Republic remains immense both socially and economically. More than 550 breweries operate in the country, with the brewing sector providing jobs for up to 65,000 people and contributing 29 billion CZK in taxes to the state budget in 2023 alone. Moreover, Czechs truly love “their” beer—over 96% of the beer consumed domestically is Czech, Moravian, or Silesian, with only a tiny fraction being imported.
“We are proud that the culture associated with beer is becoming part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Czech Republic. The tradition of brewing and its social role is something that has been passed down from generation to generation in this country. Lifelong friendships are formed in Czech pubs, ideas that bring great things to life are born, and people engage in discussions who would otherwise never exchange opinions. All of this is something that undoubtedly deserves recognition and something we should be proud of. We see that beer truly has the power to bring society together at one table,” said Tomáš Slunečko, Executive Director of the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses. “The inscription will now help us further maintain, protect, and develop this extraordinarily unique culture,” he added.
Brewers prepared the nomination in collaboration with experts, including sociologists, ethnologists, and historians. Beer culture joins other intangible assets such as Slovácký verbuňk, handmade glass production, and puppetry. It also follows previously inscribed elements— the list already includes the technology of Pilsen cooperage and Žatec and the Žatec hop-growing landscape. In fact, Žatec hop-growing was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. The submission of the nomination to the national list was preceded by successful inscriptions of beer culture on the intangible cultural heritage lists of the Plzeň and South Bohemian regions.
“The phenomenon of Czech beer extends beyond being merely a food product. It is rooted in craftsmanship and traditional technologies, regional agriculture, the art of tapsters, and specific social patterns that are unique to this country. In the brewing process, key roles are played by producers who preserve traditional methods, tapsters who ensure quality and act as a traditional link between brewers and consumers, and the consumers themselves, who significantly shape the social role of beer culture in the Czech Republic,” explains historian Libor Zajíc from the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University and co-author of the nomination.
The Czech Republic is now the third European country, after Germany and Belgium, to recognize its beer culture as intangible cultural heritage. Belgian beer culture was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
“We do not hide the fact that we would also like to strive for UNESCO inscription in the future. Now we must prove that we can care for and develop our beer culture, and then we will see,” adds Slunečko. Inscription on the List of Intangible Assets of Traditional Folk Culture of the Czech Republic is a necessary prerequisite for potential UNESCO recognition.