The best brews at summer beer festivals

Beer tastes best straight from the source, and open-house days are the perfect way to get well-acquainted with your favorite beers - or to try out something new. The summer months offer a wide variety of beer festivals and brewery days, ranging from small, intimate affairs where you can meet the brewers and tour the facilities, to large-scale open-house days with representation from multiple breweries and with concerts, games grilled food and carnival rides. Here's a roundup of the season's sudsiest meet-ups (check individual websites for more details as they become available).

Třebíčské slavnosti piva

When: May 27-28

Where: Zimní stadion, Třebíč, Vysočina region

Beers: Starobrno, Hostan, Bernard, Fríí, Budweiser, Heineken, Harrach, Ježek, Černá Hora, Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Steiger, Rebel, Rampušák, Belgian Beer Import, Valášek, Primátor, Samson

Admission: 129 Kč

Web: Slavnostipiva.cz

Slavnosti piva České Budějovice

When: June 3-4

Where: České Budějovice, South Bohemia

Beers: Presentations by breweries on alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and related foods

Admission: Free

Web: Vcb.cz

Slavnosti českých pivovarů

When: Saturday, June 4

Where: Znojmo, south Moravia

Beers: Znojemský pivovar, various

Admission: Free

Web: N/A

První zlínský pivní košt

When: June 8-12

Where: Zlín, Zlín region

Beers: 30 types from microbreweries Zlínský Švec, Hukvaldy, Koníček, Excelent, Kozlovice, Štramberk, Slezan, Rožnov, Lipník nad Bečvou, Moritz, Svatováclavské

Web: Sopa.cz/pivo

Broumská pípa

When: Saturday, June 11, 10:30 a.m.

Where: Broumy, Central Bohemia

Beers: Beers from the surroundings of Prague and Plzeň

Web: N/A

Ferdinand Fest

When: Saturday, June 11, 1-10 p.m.

Where: Benešov, central Bohemia

Beer: Ferdinand

Admission: 190 Kč

Web: Pivovarferdinand.cz

Den Kozla

When: Saturday, June 11

Where: Velké Popovice, Prague-East

Beer: Kozel

Web: Kozel.cz

Open Doors Day at Pivovar Nymburk

When: Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m.

Where: Nymburk, Central Bohemia

Beer: Postřižinské

Web: Postriziny.cz

Slavnosti piva Skalák

When: Saturday, June 18, from 1 p.m.

Where: Malý Rohozec u Turnova, Liberec region

Beers: Rohozec

Admission: Free

Web: Pivorohozec.cz

5. Pivní slavnosti Sokolovské piva Permon

When: Saturday, June 18, from noon

Where: Sokolov, Karlovy Vary region

Beers: 14 taps of Permon brews

Admission: 25 Kč

Web: Pivopermon.cz

Olomouc 10. Beerfest

When: June 22-25

Where: Olomouc, central Moravia

Beers: Rakovník, Bernard, Budvar, Bravur, Černá Hora, Desperado, Gambrinus, Holba, Hostan, Janáček, Kout, Lobkowicz, Litovel, Nová Paka, Opat, Pilsner Urquell, Platan, Radegast, Rychtář, Svijany, Starobrno, Staropramen, Poutník, Kozel, Chotěboř, Zubr, Ježek, Vysoký Chlumec, Klášter, Paulaner, Rohozec, Pernštejn, Strakonice, Krušovice

Web: Pivnifestival.cz

Havířovské pivní slavnosti

When: Friday, June 24, from 2 p.m.

Where: Havířov, Moravia-Silesia region

Beers: Radegast, Ostravar, Svijany, Pilsner Urquell, Bohemia Regent, Budvar, Bernard, Staropramen, Carlsberg, Heineken, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, Lobkowicz, Černá hora

Web: Pivnislavnosti.info

Den Konráda

When: Saturday, June 25, from 1 p.m.

Where: Liberec-Vratislavice, Liberec region

Beer: Konrád

Admission: 50 Kč

Web: Pivo-konrad.cz

Jihlavské pivní pábení

When: Saturday, June 25, 1-5 p.m.

Where: Jihlava, Vysočina region

Beers: Two dozen small and midsize microbreweries

Admission: 100 Kč

Web: Radnicni-jihlava.cz

Klášterské pivobraní

When: Saturday, June 25, from noon

Where: Klášter Hradiště nad Jizerou, Central Bohemia

Beer: Klášter

Admission: 100 Kč

Web: Pivovarklaster.cz

Pivní slavnosti Městyse Cerhovice

When: Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m.

Where: Cerhovice, Central Bohemia

Beers: Černá Hora, Radouš, Litovel, Braník, Samson, Rytíře Lochoty, Vysoký Chlumec

Admission: 120 Kč

Web: Pivnislavnosticerhovice.estranky.cz

Dýšinské pivní slavnosti

When: June 24-25

Where: Dýšina, Plzeň region

Beers: Belveder, Purkmistr, U Rybiček, Chyše, Chýně, Žatecký, Platan, Vyškov, Bernard, Broumov, Konrád, Herold, Kaltenecker, Bakalář, Berounský Medvěd, Krakonoš, Strakonický

Web: Dysinskepivni.cz

Velký pivní festival Padochov

When: Saturday, July 2, 1 p.m.-3 a.m.

Where: Padochov, South Moravia

Beers: Berounský Medvěd, Opat, Chýně, Hubertus, Modrý abbé, Černý orel, Kout, Bravůr, Oslavany, Pacov, Padochov

Admission: 70 Kč

Web: Pivnifestival.eu

IXX. Nepomucké pivní slavnosti

When: Saturday, July 9, from 1 p.m.

Where: Nepomuk, Plzeň region

Beers: Bašta, Bernard, Černý orel, Modrá hvězda, Ferdinand, Gambrinus, Velkorybnický Hastrman, Herold, Chodovar, Ježek, Klášter, Kocour, Lobkowicz, Matuška, Mostecký Kahan, Opat, Pacov, Plzeňský pašák, Novopacké, Platan, Pilsner Urquell, Purkmistr, Radouš Šťáhlavy, Bohemia Regent, Starobrno, Svijany, Staňkův Rukodělný, Veldensteiner, Vítek z Prčice, Vyšší brod, Žatecký, Belveder

Admission: Free

Web: Pivo.nepomuk.cz

Uherský Brod pivovarské slavnosti

When: Aug. 5-6

Where: Uherský Brod, Zlín region

Beer: Janáček

Web: Pivovar-janacek.cz

Bernard Fest

When: Aug. 12-13

Where: Humpolec, Vysočina region

Beer: Bernard

Web: Bernardfest.cz

Chodová Planá tradiční pivní slavnosti

When: Saturday, Aug. 20

Where: Chodová Planá, Plzeň region

Beer: Chodovar

Web: Chodovar.cz

Chotěboř Pivovarské slavnosti

When: Saturday, Aug. 20, from 2 p.m.

Where: Chotěboř, Vysočina region

Beer: Chotěboř

Admission: Free

Web: Pivovarchotebor.cz

Open Doors Day at Pivovar Rychtář

When: Saturday, Aug. 27

Where: Hlinsko, Pardubice region

Beer: Rychtář

Web: Rychtar.cz

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com