Staropramen Alcohol-Free Beers

Staropramen is a Prague beer, brewed in the Smíchov district since 1871 and owned today by Molson Coors. Its 0.0 is the alcohol-free lager sold in UK shops, at 17 kcal per 100ml; the label gives Serbia as the country of origin.

Who are Staropramen?

Staropramen is brewed in the Smíchov district of Prague by Pivovary Staropramen s.r.o. The decision to found a joint-stock brewery in Smíchov was taken on 21 April 1868, building began in 1869, and “The first batch of Smíchov beer was solemnly brewed on 1st May” 1871, the company’s own timeline says; sales began that July. Other sources, among them the Oxford Companion to Beer and the Czech tourism site Kudy z nudy, give 1869 as the year it was founded.

The Staropramen brand itself was registered in 1911, the company says. The name means “old spring”, according to Wikipedia, which says it was chosen because of competition from other Prague breweries.

A history in Smíchov

The company’s timeline marks a visit from Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1880 and output above 100,000 hectolitres by 1889. In 1897 the Czech Joint Stock Brewery in Moravská Ostrava, the forerunner of Ostravar, was founded; Ostravar joined the company in 1997. The brewery was nationalised in 1946 and privatised in 1992, when Pražské pivovary was set up, and the company took the name Pivovary Staropramen in 2003.

Under its head brewer Josef Paspa, Staropramen became the largest brewery in what was then Czechoslovakia, according to Kudy z nudy. Today’s head brewmaster is Jan Špaček, MediaGuru reported in 2024. The brewery’s visitor centre, at Nádražní 84 in Prague 5, opened in 2000 and was renovated in 2011, and its tours end with a tasting, Kudy z nudy says.

What Staropramen brews

At Smíchov the company brews Staropramen, Braník and Cool, about 2 million hectolitres a year, it says. Wikipedia lists the Czech range as Smíchov (4.0%), Jedenáctka (4.7%), Ležák or Premium (5.0%), which it calls the flagship of the brand, Černý (4.4%), Nefiltr Pšeničný (5.0%), Extra Chmelená (5.2%), Déčko (4.0%) and Granát (4.8%), with Ostravar, Braník and Velvet alongside. Staropramen is also brewed under licence in Serbia, Croatia, Romania, the UK and Georgia, Wikipedia says.

The full-strength Staropramen in UK supermarkets is brewed in Britain: Tesco lists a 5% Premium Czech-style pilsner, “Brewed in the UK”, with MCBC (UK) Ltd of Burton-on-Trent as the manufacturer, and Wikipedia names Burton-on-Trent among the licensed sites. We found no awards to report.

Who owns Staropramen?

Molson Coors. The company’s timeline says “Pivovary Staropramen has a new owner – Molson Coors Beverage Company” in 2013; Wikipedia says Molson Coors bought StarBev in April 2012, after CVC bought Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Central European holdings in October 2009 and renamed them StarBev. InterBrew had bought the company in 2000, according to the Oxford Companion. Wikipedia calls it the second-largest brewery in the Czech Republic, exporting to 37 countries.

SIBA reported in 2015 that Molson Coors would take over exclusive UK distribution of Staropramen from Carlsberg on 28 December 2015. Because it belongs to Molson Coors, we don’t list it as independent.

Staropramen 0.0

Staropramen 0.0 reached the UK in March 2023, the reviewer at free-beer.co.uk says, after an earlier start in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, according to Molson Coors; it’s sold in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Molson Coors says its brewers spent more than two years on a “special brewing procedure” to keep a full, malty taste at 0.0%, without saying what the method is, and that 0.0% is “significantly more difficult to brew than 0.5%”.

Molson Coors describes “a full-flavoured Czech pilsner” with a “subtle sweet flavour and soft malty-fruity aroma”; Ocado’s listing promises “A crisp and refreshing finish with a light fruity-bitterness.” The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker describe it as pale golden, with crisp malt character, floral hop aroma and a clean, refreshing finish.

The label lists water, barley malt, barley, fructose syrup, hops and natural flavouring, and gives 17 kcal (72 kJ) per 100ml, with 3.7g of carbohydrate, of which 1.3g sugars: about 56 kcal in a 330ml bottle (our sum). It contains barley, so it isn’t gluten-free, and we found nothing from the brewer on whether it’s vegan. Ocado gives the country of origin as Serbia and says it’s “Produced for: MCBC (UK) Ltd.”; none of the sources we found says which brewery makes it.

In the Czech Republic Staropramen sells a different alcohol-free beer, Nealko, of up to 0.5% according to Wikipedia. It got “a new, improved recipe” in March 2024, using the Czech hop Sládek from Žatec, and is sold on draught, in returnable bottles and in cans, MediaGuru reported.

How Staropramen 0.0 compares

Alcohol-free lagers from big European brands in our directory, with Budvar’s Czech alcohol-free beer, Nealko. Calories as published; checked 1 November 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

The Staropramen beer in our directory

Calories from the label as listed by Ocado. Calories as published; checked 1 November 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

Where to buy Staropramen 0.0

On 1 November 2026 The Alcohol Free Co had it at £14.80 for six 330ml bottles (£2.59 for one), and Dry Drinker at £15.10 for six; those are affiliate links. Wise Bartender doesn’t list it. For more Czech beers, see our guide to the best Czech alcohol-free beer.

Facts checked against Pivovary Staropramen’s own website, Molson Coors, The Drinks Business, the Oxford Companion to Beer, Kudy z nudy, MediaGuru, SIBA, Tesco, Ocado, free-beer.co.uk, Wikipedia, The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker, 1 November 2026.