Cieszyn

The location proved ideal for brewing. Deep lager cellars could be carved into the hillside, providing natural cold storage that allowed the brewery to switch from wheat beer to the pilsner style that was sweeping Europe in the 1840s. By mid-century, Cieszyn was producing around 34,000 hectolitres annually, outstripping even the Archduke's other brewery at Żywiec.

The brewery survived two world wars without interruption and was privatised in the 1990s, eventually coming under Heineken ownership through the Żywiec group. That era saw production stripped back to a single beer. The turning point came in December 2020 when Felix Investments acquired the brewery and restored its historic name: Arcyksiążęcy Browar Zamkowy Cieszyn, the Archduke's Castle Brewery.

Today the brewery combines heritage methods with a broader range. Open-vat fermentation remains central to their process, a technique increasingly rare in modern brewing. Their portfolio spans traditional lagers, top-fermented ales, heavily hopped styles, and barrel-aged beers. For those avoiding alcohol, there's Lager Bezalkoholowe, a 0% pale lager triple-hopped during brewing, fermentation, and maturation.

The brewery doubles as a living museum, with exhibitions tracing the history of brewing in Cieszyn Silesia. It sits on the Silesian Industrial Monuments Route, drawing visitors interested in the region's industrial heritage. For UK drinkers, Cieszyn beers occasionally appear through specialist Polish beer importers and craft beer retailers.