The story of our hop field

Directly in front of the Purkmistr brewery, at the Selská náves in Plzeň-Černice, a small but unique Černická hop field was established in 2026.

On an area of only 8.5 m² we planted a total of 8 hop seedlings – on the right side 4 seedlings of the Czech variety Saturn and on the left side 4 seedlings of the Gaia variety. And because good beer often starts with a good story, we decided to approach our hop field not only as a symbol but as an integral part of the brewery.

How it started

Date of establishment

The planting took place on April 7, 2026 with the participation of the Krýsls family, who are behind the Purkmistr brewery.

From this day, according to our bold, slightly exaggerated and purely brewery perspective, the figurative primacy moved from the smallest hop field in Žatec to Plzeň.

And so a new interesting fact is entered on the beer world map:

The smallest hop field in Plzeň in the world – right at the Purkmistr brewery.

Our hop field is not large in area, but it is significant. It serves as a reminder that Pilsen is not only a city of beer because of its history, but also because of the people who want to continue developing the beer tradition, enjoy it, and bring it to guests in a new form.

The annual hop harvest, our own Hop Picking, becomes the symbolic start of the brewery festival Sun in Glass®, which is one of the most significant gatherings of microbreweries in our country and, with its atmosphere and the number of breweries in one place, is unparalleled.

From the harvested hops, we always brew a limited batch of beer that tells the story of the place where it was grown – right in front of the Purkmistr brewery in Pilsen-Černice.

God bless.

Comparative table of unique hop fields

Location	Žatec – Square	Mayor Černice – Village Green
City	Žatec	Plzeň
Hop field area	approx. 70 m²	8.5 m²
Number of plants	113	8
Year of establishment	2014	2026
Character	urban / symbolic	brewery / historical
Record claim	smallest in Europe	smallest Pilsen hop field

Planted hop varieties

Hop

Saturn

Saturn is a new Czech hop variety with a distinctive fruity and citrus aroma. It originated from the Kazbek variety and its great advantage is also higher drought resistance, which makes it suitable for lands without irrigation.

In brewing practice, it is primarily used for cold hopping of bottom-fermented beers like IPL, but also for top-fermented beers, such as Ale or APA.

Aroma: apricot, peach, melon, mango, citrus, lime, orange, mandarin, grapefruit
Intensity: strong
Usage: cold hopping, top-fermented beers, modern lagers
Origin: Czech Republic
Alpha Acid (AA): 7.62 %

Hop

Gaia

Gaia is a Czech bitter hop variety, bred from the Agnus variety and the English Yeoman hop. It was approved in 2017 and its name refers to the Greek goddess of the Earth.

It is valued for robust growth, high yield, and a pronounced hop character. Its aroma features herbal, spicy, and slightly citrus notes. It is best used primarily in bottom-fermented beers, especially during the first and second hopping of lagers.

Aroma: herbal, spicy, slightly citrus
Intensity: strong
Usage: first and second hopping of lager beers
Origin: Czech Republic
Alpha Acid Content (AA%): 13.06 %