On March 25, 1991, BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. was officially registered in the Commercial Register.

According to the company’s founding charter dated March 18, 1991, its mission was to make a significant contribution to the prosperity of Czech and Slovak hop growing—primarily through the efficient sale of hops on both global and domestic markets, the introduction of progressive methods in hop cultivation and processing, and the provision of modern machinery, technologies, fertilizers, and crop protection products through imports.

The establishment of the company was closely linked to the new economic conditions following the political changes at the end of 1989. Its goal was to ensure continuity in hop supplies to both foreign and domestic breweries, as well as to secure sales channels for members of the Cooperative for the Cultivation, Processing and Sale of Hops.

The first members of the Board of Directors were František Chvalovský, Čestmír Theimer, Václav Stuchlý, Josef Valášek, Ing. Alexandr Kusý, Ing. František Hrubý, Ing. Zdeněk Ulrich, Ing. Miloslav Pěnička, and Ing. Jaroslav Kareš. The composition of the Board reflected the founding entities, namely the Cooperative for the Cultivation, Processing and Sale of Hops in Žatec (the predecessor of today’s CHMELAŘSTVÍ, cooperative Žatec) and the trading companies Koospol and Intersug.

František Chvalovský Sr., born in 1930 and also the first Chairman of the Board of CHMELAŘSTVÍ, cooperative Žatec, passed away 20 years ago.

The first Managing Director of BOHEMIA HOP, a.s., Ing. Jaroslav Kareš, celebrated his 80th birthday at the end of January 2026. Subsequent Commercial Directors included Ing. Jiří Vent and Ing. Pavel Šponer, and the current position is held by Ing. Vladimír Šeretka.

In 1991, the largest share of hop exports was directed to Japan, followed by the USA, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. More than 6,000 tonnes of hops from the 1991 harvest were exported to these five countries.

Today, BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. is a subsidiary of CHMELAŘSTVÍ, cooperative Žatec, which gradually became the company’s largest shareholder and has held a majority stake of approximately 99.6% over the past 20 years.

BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. is part of a comprehensive service chain for Czech hop growers within the CHMELAŘSTVÍ cooperative, which includes hop processing and storage facilities, hop machinery manufacturing, hop fields construction, and hop purchasing operations.

The company supplies both international and domestic customers and works closely not only with multinational brewing groups and large and medium-sized regional breweries, but also with the growing segment of craft breweries. Thanks to BOHEMIA HOP, a.s., Czech hops are regularly exported to more than 40 countries each year.

Over the past 35 years, the global brewing industry has undergone significant consolidation into large multinational groups. At the same time, the number of customers in the form of small breweries has increased severalfold. There have also been major shifts in the share of different world regions in the export of Czech hops, reflecting changes in beer production. For example, beer production in Japan has declined by 45% over the past 35 years, while in China it is now five times higher than in 1990.

Thanks to the proactive approach of BOHEMIA HOP employees in export markets, the company has always managed to find new destinations to offset declines elsewhere.

The company’s product portfolio focuses on Czech hop varieties such as Saaz (Žatecký poloraný červeňák), Sládek, Premiant, Kazbek, and Agnus. In cooperation with the Hop Research Institute, Ltd. and the Czech Hop Growers Union, BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. is actively and consistently working to introduce new Czech varieties, such as Saaz Shine and Saaz Comfort.

In collaboration with Czech and international breweries, BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. is also involved in a range of projects aimed at improving the monitoring of climate impacts in hop cultivation, reducing energy consumption, and ensuring the development of resistant varieties for the future.

Great attention is paid to the quality of supplied hops, including the quality of services related to hop deliveries to breweries, as well as communication about activities in Czech hop growing. For many years, BOHEMIA HOP, a.s. and CHMELAŘSTVÍ have held certifications according to HACCP, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 14001:2015.

The current Board of Directors represents Czech hop growers and consists of: Chairman Mgr. Zdeněk Rosa, Vice-Chairman Ing. Jiří Mašek, and members Ing. Lubomír Vent, Mgr. Miloslav Mánek, Ing. Radek Gregor, Ing. Jaroslav Navrátil, and Josef Fric.

For the latest information about the company’s activities, please visit www.bohemiahop.cz or follow the company on social media.