Czech Republic’s breweries charted on first beer map in 15 years

Beer is one of the Czech Republic’s best-known products and a reason why thousands of tourists flock to this country each year. Now, parched holidaymakers can navigate their way around the country’s breweries using a new beer map. I met the man behind the ‘Breweries of the Czech Republic’ map, cartographer Jan Ptáček, and asked him why he had swapped his usual production of school atlases and hiking maps for beer:

“It is an interesting topic, and we think that people here in the Czech Republic are interested in beer – they like beer very much – and so we think that they probably will be interested in breweries, in where they are, how many there are and what beers they make.”

So you suggest that this is quite a specialist map, in that case, which has details on the different types of beer that breweries make and with information on things like whether these breweries have visitor centres?

“Yes, yes. On every brewery described in the brochure you can find some detailed information. On every brewery there is a sort of bit of history, which is also in English and German. And there is an address, the brewery’s website, and described in pictogrammes, are the kinds of beers these breweries make. So for example, light beer, lager beer, dark beer, some flavoured beers, specialties, some non-alcoholic beers as well and beers for diabetics.”

I was wondering how many breweries actually made it into this map, it sounds pretty extensive?

“It is about, I don’t know the exact number, but I think it is about 140. And we are very proud to say that, as it stands right now, every brewery operating in the Czech Republic is on the map. So, from microbreweries right up to very large breweries like Pilsner Urquell.”

We are sitting in a very pretty office in the middle of Prague. Are there things in our immediate surroundings which feature on your map? What sort of breweries are in our midst?

“There is Novoměstský pivovar, there is Pivovarský dům. And there are some smaller breweries out in the suburbs, there is a brewery at Strahovský klášter, and they are preparing to open a brewery in Jižní město, which I would say is in the suburbs of Prague.”

How long did it take you to make this map?

“I must say, it was a very quick one. We decided to make the map in January, February this year, and it was out at the beginning of May. So, when I consider other maps and how long it takes to prepare them, this one was very quick.”

… And painless?

“Yes, it is always a pleasant task to make maps about breweries and about beer.”

The ‘Breweries of the Czech Republic’ map is produced by Kartografie Praha and available over the internet, in all good bookshops and, of course, in breweries throughout the country.