Pilsner Urquell: “the second beer is on us”
Czech Republic | It’s been a long wait for Czech beer lovers. After pubs were shuttered on 13 March 2020 because of the covid-19 pandemic, the government only eased restrictions on beer gardens on 11 May and indoor premises on 25 May.
This was a cause for celebration. Asahi-owned Plzensky Prazdroj, the largest brewing group in the Czech Republic, used the day for a major PR stunt to boost patrons’ confidence. The brewer of Pilsner Urquell launched a promotion called “První pivo je na nás” (First Beer On Us). While this sounds straightforward enough, the actual rules were slightly different.
Every customer who ordered a beer in any pub serving Pilsner Urquell on tap would receive a second beer gratis. The promotion ran from 25 May to 7 June (with bars and restaurants free to determine specific days) and was limited to one beer per person. Prazdroj had budgeted for a total of one million free beers. On the back of an envelope that is 5,000 hl.
Plzensky Prazdroj operates four breweries in the Czech Republic: Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast a Velkopopovicky Kozel. In 2019, its domestic sales came to 7.23 million hl beer.
Total beer production in the Czech Republic reached 21.6 million hl in 2019, an increase of 1.6 percent over 2018. Beer exports (up 4.5 percent) were primarily responsible for the rise in production, says the Czech Association of Breweries and Malthouses (CSPS).
