The History of the Brewery
The Želiv Monastery, with a rich history dating back to 1139, was originally inhabited by the Benedictine order. Just ten years later, a significant change took place — the Benedictines were replaced by the Premonstratensians from Steinfeld, led by Blessed Abbot Gottschalk. Throughout its nearly 900-year existence, the monastery experienced alternating periods of prosperity, stagnation, and decline. The first written record of beer brewing at the Premonstratensian monastery dates back to the 14th century.
A major turning point came in the second half of the 15th century. The monastery was confiscated by King George of Poděbrady and handed over to the Hussite noble family of Trčka, who managed the estate for more than 130 years. At the time, it was almost standard for every noble estate to have its own high-quality brewery. The Trčka family enthusiastically followed this tradition, as evidenced by a surviving description of the brewery from 1617:
“The brewery and malthouse, with hop fields, stood just outside the castle gates. Everything was well built — two large fermentation cellars underground, cool in summer, warm in winter. The brewmaster’s chamber was vaulted, and above it space for storing malt, grain, hops, barrels, and other supplies. The brewery produced around 30 barrels of beer every two weeks, which covered not only the estate’s needs but also provided a surplus for distribution. The hop fields yielded enough for both internal use and for sale, generating additional income.”
