The elephant in the room on a tour of Budweiser Budvar brewery, home of the original Budweiser, in the Czech Republic
- Ceske Budejovice, once known as Budweis, in the Czech Republic, is the birthplace of Budweiser Budvar beer, the ‘Beer of Kings’
- Expect frothing mugs of the stuff on a Budvar brewery tour, and little talk of its 127-year trademark dispute with the US maker of Budweiser, ‘King of Beers’
“Before we begin, are there any Americans here today?” asks the matronly tour guide as we stand impatiently at the brewery gates, bubbling with anticipation like grown-up versions of the children who won tickets to enter Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
We exchange nervous glances as she scans the group through narrowed eyes. When no one raises a hand, she smiles, turns on her heel, and leads us into a sprawling 19th century brewery complex; the magical realm of one of the world’s most celebrated beers.
There is no trace of hostility or unfriendliness in our tour guide’s inquisition … but you cannot blame her for wanting to know if anyone from Stateside is among the party visiting the Budweiser Budvar brewery.
After all, the makers of this beer in the south of the Czech Republic have some awkward history with Americans. More than a century of it, to be precise, centred on an intellectual property battle believed to be the world’s longest-running trademark dispute.
The legal fight is now in its 127th year and revolves around the right to use the name Budweiser.
Budweiser Budvar beer is named after Budweis – the Austro-Hungarian empire-era name of its hometown, Ceske Budejovice, where variations of the beer have been brewed since the 13th century.
