Czech Brewing Traditions Survive Despite Consolidations

PILSEN, CZECH REPUBLIC - NOVEMBER 15: Bottle of freshly-brewed Pilsner-Urquell lager beer run through the newly-built, ultra-modern bottling plant at the Prazdroj brewery November 15, 2006 in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Prazdroj, along with other Czech brands including Gambrinus and Radegast, belongs to brewing behemoth SABMiller, a South-African brewer that has invested heavily in the Prazdroj plant. The company has made Prazdroj's brewing process faster and more efficient, though company officials claim the integrity of the brand's unique brewing process has been carefully preserved. Prazdroj and Pilsen are among the best-known of Czech beer brands. The Czech Republic has a long beer-brewing tradition and has the highest rate of beer consumption of any country in the world. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)