Holy Hops: Czech Bishop’s Brewery Wins Top International Beer Honors

The Bishop’s Brewery in Litoměřice earns gold and diamond medals at Czech Brew Star 2026, blending faith, craft, and tradition in every pour.

Newsroom (07/04/2026 Gaudium Press )In a triumph that blends centuries-old tradition with modern craftsmanship, a microbrewery owned by the Diocese of Litoměřice in the Czech Republic has captured international acclaim, taking home gold and diamond medals at this year’s Czech Brew Star 2026 competition. The small Bishop’s Brewery in St. Stephen, nestled in northern Bohemia, has emerged as an unexpected champion among 113 breweries from six countries.

The brewery’s amber lager, Jezule 15%, claimed the gold medal, while its flagship Czech pale lager, Děkan 11%, received the diamond medal—the highest distinction of the competition. The awards were announced in Brno on February 6 and celebrated by the diocese on March 16. Days later, the brewery’s latest creation, a dark Easter stout brewed with five types of malt, earned yet another gold medal at an international beer festival in Litoměřice and was named the best beer among microbreweries in the Ústí nad Labem region.

The celebrations even took on a spiritual tone when Archbishop of Prague Msgr. Stanislav Přibyl blessed the Easter stout shortly before the fifth Sunday of Lent. In a prayer over the new batch, he invoked divine favor: “Beer is a precious beverage; through it, people meet and friendships are strengthened. Grant that whoever drinks it may receive protection of body and soul.”

Brewing Beyond Tradition

Master brewer Robert Kříž, who leads the creative process behind the award-winning beers, explained the decision to craft a stout for Easter as an intentional break from convention. “Everyone makes green beer before Easter, so we said we would do something completely different,” Kříž said. “The decision was a strong dark beer.”

The stout, a bottom-fermented brew characterized by its robust blend of five malts, derives its distinctive flavor primarily from chocolate malt—a nod to classic stouts like Guinness, though Kříž was quick to clarify the brewery’s independence of style. “We definitely don’t want to compare ourselves to them,” he added. “We have our own flavor, and that’s something you have to try.”

A Competition of Craft and Faith

The Czech Brew Star prides itself on celebrating pure brewing tradition by evaluating only unfiltered and unpasteurized beers. The 2026 edition brought together 52 tasters from nine nations who assessed 444 beer samples—a rigorous process that highlights the exceptional achievement of the Bishop’s Brewery.

The Jezule 15%, whose name derives from the Czech affectionate diminutive for the Christ Child, was inspired by Otfried Preußler’s beloved children’s book The Flight to Egypt through the Kingdom of Bohemia. Brewed originally as a Christmas special, Jezule has been produced only twice in the brewery’s 11-year history. “The judges praised the perfect harmony of flavors, aroma, and overall quality of this beer,” Kříž said proudly.

Brewery director Richard Kirbs described the top honors for Děkan 11% as “a fantastic success in an unprecedented competition,” emphasizing that the lager can be enjoyed any time in the brewery’s restaurant. “This is also the best reward for our master brewer and the entire team,” he said.

Brewing Faith into Craft

Founded in 2015 within the Diocesan House of Litoměřice, the Bishop’s Brewery stands as a renewed symbol of ecclesiastical brewing—a tradition stretching back centuries across the Czech lands. While church-owned breweries remain a rarity in Europe, their resurgence carries deep historical resonance, linking the art of fermentation with spiritual stewardship and community.

Archbishop Přibyl, a Redemptorist appointed to the Archdiocese of Prague by Pope Leo XIV on February 2, continues to oversee the Diocese of Litoměřice until his installation in Prague on April 25. Under his guidance, the brewery’s success has come to represent more than mere craftsmanship—it is a revival of faith-infused creativity.

In Litoměřice, where stone churches overlook rolling fields of barley, the Bishop’s Brewery offers evidence that devotion and artistry can share the same glass. Its new medals glint as testimony that even the most humble brewers—in pursuit of quality and faith—can raise a toast heard far beyond Bohemia.

• Raju Hasmukh with files from ACi Prensa

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