Say hello to Bohemian King- the first Czech beer

Outside India, especially in Europe, beer is heavily consumed and it is an important part of their culture. The usage of unique recipes in handcrafted beer has attracted enthusiasts from all across the world to Czech Republic. 

But now that Czech Republic based company Roneli and Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd. has recently launched the first Czech beer, ‘Bohemian King’ in India, one can easily taste the unique craftsmanship in their own comfort zone.

The recipe of ‘Bohemian King,’ which defines authentic Czech beer, has been obtained from the Brevnov Monastery in Prague – the oldest brewery in the Czech Republic (established in 993 AD) and located in the heart of Bohemia. Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in India, under the patronage of whom the official launch of the first ever Czech beer brewed in India took place, said: “The Embassy of the Czech Republic is honoured and pleased to be a part of this historic moment. I am grateful to all who have been working hard to transform a long term dream of having a Czech beer and a part of our culture in India into reality.”

Rakesh Dhawan, Managing Director, Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd., said, “It is an exciting moment for us to launch the first Czech beer in India. We have formed this company with a vision of being a serious player in the growing Indian beer industry. The Indian beer market is currently growing approx. at 10 per cent per annum and we aim to be the sixth largest player in the Indian beer market in our first year of operations.”

Antonin Kovarik, Export Director, Roneli, said, “Our partners comprises of some of the most experienced people from the industry and we are extremely happy to partner with them. India is a young country and we are excited to bring to them a unique Czech beer specifically formulated for them. Consumption of Beer in Czech Republic per Capita is the highest in the world. It is not a surprise that Czech people drink about 150 litres of beer annually. We foresee a huge potential in India as we expect the current consumption of beer to double in the country.” The comapny has plans to invest around 500 crores in the coming few years and has set up a plant in Punjab that will manufacture the beer. In the first phase, ‘Bohemian King’ will be available in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The company aims to become the sixth largest player in the next one year of the Indian beer industry which is approximately pegged at 270 to 280 million cases.

Gaurav Sharma, Director, Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd., said, “The premium segment where our brand will be focused on is currently growing at much faster rate of approximately 200 per cent. Recent government polices and various state governments allowing new sales channels like departmental stores, micro-brewery etc., will further provide the right impetus in sales.”