# Beer born from a legend

> Švabín Brewery in Zbiroh is on record since 1567. The state closed it in 1952 and it stood derelict for seventy years. Today unfiltered beer is brewed there again.

- Address: https://svabin.com/en/story/
- Language: en

Our story · since 1567

We brew beer where it has been brewed for hundreds of years. We've simply added a fantasy world where every beer has a character of its own. Švabín isn't just about taste. It's about mood, atmosphere and a little escape from reality. Characters like Faun, Bard, Satyr and Leshy come alive on the label and in the glass. The result? Beers that taste great… and that you'll remember, too.

„Thirsty for Adventure"

Timeline

## Five centuries in a single sip

14th century

First mention of brewing in Zbiroh

In 1379 we find the first mention of beer brewing in Zbiroh — in an inventory ledger of the period. The exact location of the brewery at that time remains unknown.

1567

First mention of the Švabín brewery

In 1567 the Švabín brewery is officially mentioned for the first time in the records of the Brewery Museum in Pilsen — at a time when the Zbiroh estate belonged to the Lobkowicz family.

17th century

An era of prosperity

After the Thirty Years' War, Švabín became the most successful brewery in Zbiroh — the townspeople had by then lost their own right to brew.

18th century

Growth

At the beginning of the 18th century the whole site was rebuilt and extended; the design was drawn up by Giacomo Antonio de Maggi and revised by Giacomo Antonio Canevalle. After the work the brewery produced 3,800 hl a year, and in 1710 it reached 1,638 barrels (3,997 hl).

1868–1875

The railway king

The estate and the brewery were owned by Bethel Henry Strousberg, known as the "railway king"; during his era output reached its historic peak of 17,000 hectolitres. In 1879 ownership passed to the Colloredo-Mansfeld family.

20th century

Modernisation and decline

Before the First World War, almost 12,000 hl of beer were produced a year. After nationalisation in 1948 Švabín became part of the West Bohemian Breweries, and in 1952 the last batch was brewed — the equipment was moved to Gambrinus.

2018–2024

New life

In 2018 the brewery was bought by a private investor. In May 2023, before the rebuilding was finished, Švabín brought its beer to market together with a contract brewery. Head brewer Zdeněk Sirůček joined in October 2023, and in 2024 the Double IPA Leshy won bronze at the International Beer Challenge 2024 in London.

From the archive

## Old photos of the brewery

Photographs that survived the centuries — from the brewery archive and the Zbiroh Museum.

Characters & world

## Every beer has a face of its own

A hand-drawn world from ancient myths. Every beer has a face of its own — collect them all.

[Polednice](https://svabin.com/en/beers/polednice/)

[Faun](https://svabin.com/en/beers/faun/)

[Bard](https://svabin.com/en/beers/bard/)

[Satyr](https://svabin.com/en/beers/satyr/)

[Stínovlk](https://svabin.com/en/beers/stinovlk/)

[Leshy](https://svabin.com/en/beers/leshy/)

[Kodama](https://svabin.com/en/beers/kodama/)

[Puk](https://svabin.com/en/beers/puk/)

[Pathfinder](https://svabin.com/en/beers/pathfinder/)

[Mini Puk](https://svabin.com/en/beers/minipuk/)

[Pixie](https://svabin.com/en/beers/pixie/)

[Meet the whole crew](https://svabin.com/en/shop/)

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Sold by Pivovar Švabín (Švabín s.r.o.), Plískov 8, 338 08 Zbiroh, CZ · info@svabin.cz · +420 725 836 414
Everything on sale with prices: https://svabin.com/catalog.json · how to buy here: https://svabin.com/llms.txt