Czechia
Ownership: Family-owned by StanÃnislav Bernard since 1991 — privatised from communist state ownership
Known for: The independent Czech lager that didn't sell out. Brewed without pasteurisation. Cult status among Czech beer drinkers who think Pilsner Urquell has gone too commercial.
History: Based in Humpolec, central Bohemia. Bernard was privatised after the fall of communism and has stayed in the Bernard family ever since, resisting acquisition offers. It brews traditionally, without pasteurisation, giving the beer a flavour that larger commercial lagers have engineered out of existence. Its non-alcoholic Free is one of the best alcohol-free lagers in Europe. A brewery that chose craft credibility over scale.