Velkopopovicky Kozel Logo PNG
The brand sign reflects folk traditions. The Velkopopovicky Kozel logo evokes festivities and celebrations where beer flows like water, and a rural brewery sits in a picturesque setting with herds of animals grazing nearby.
Meaning and History
The brewery’s origins stretch back to the 14th century. But it took its present form only in the 19th century. After years of controversy, problems, and gradual decline, the Velké Popovice brewery was taken over by the area’s most successful businessman, František Ringhoffer, an industrial magnate and mayor of Smíchov. In 1875, he opened a rebuilt factory, completely reconstructed and re-equipped. Its production capacity increased from 18,000 hectoliters per year to 90,000 hectoliters per year.
The company survived two wars without closing, though it faced significant difficulties. After the First World War, it launched a Bock line, a 14-degree beer whose name translates from German as “goat.” By the end of the Second World War, the company faced an acute shortage of raw materials and workers. In 1965, the brand introduced its first bottled beer in tank trucks, marking the beginning of the mobile tank pubs.
The story behind the unusual name dates to 1919, when a stray French artist accidentally stopped by Velké Popovice. In gratitude for his hospitality, shelter, food, and drink, he drew a logo for the brewery, inspired by what he saw nearby: a grazing goat. Since then, the animal’s figure has adorned the label, serving as the company’s mascot and the beer’s name.
In 1930, management decided to introduce the tradition of keeping goats on the brewery’s premises. This approach helped the company strengthen its marketing strategy and gain wide popularity. Since the 1970s, the animal has been called Olda. This tradition is associated with Oldrich Lenz, the employee who cared for the goat. Now Olda XV lives at the brewery. In 2009, Czech artist Jan Capek introduced a beer mug with a handle shaped like a goat horn.
What is Velkopopovicky Kozel?
Velkopopovicky Kozel is a Czech alcoholic brand that represents low-fermented beer. It belongs to the company Pivovar Velké Popovice, located near Prague. The brand was founded in 1874, a year before the production facility opened. It was named after the goat depicted in a drawing by a French artist who thanked the brewery for shelter (in fact, he gave it the logo). Franz von Ringhoffer II founded the company. The Asahi Group currently owns it.
Old
The Velkopopovicky Kozel logo features the Czech brewing company’s mascot: a goat. The iconic character is in profile, facing left. He holds a large mug, and you can see the white foam flowing down. The goat and mug are not a single color; they are painted in bright hues that stand out against a black background. They include red, yellow, and emerald blue.
Above the animal, the first part of the brand name, “Velkopopovicky,” forms an arch, with a diacritical mark over the “y.” Below is the word “Kozel,” written in a large white font with a black outline and broad shadows on each letter. A band underlines the syllable “zel” and tapers to the right. Of all the characters, only the “K” is uppercase, and the others are lowercase. At the very bottom, the year the beer brand was established is indicated as 1874. It is colored red and framed on both sides with a scroll.
New
The emblem, which now adorns bottles and cans of Czech beer, also depicts a goat. But its style is completely different. Here, the image is monochrome, with dark brown and white as the dominant colors. Thanks to the short and long lines on the light background, the historical character that inspired the beer brand is visible. He has thick hair, a long beard, an enthusiastic look, drooping ears, curved horns, and a large beer mug that he clutches between his hooves.
In the early version, the drink is colored naturally yellow; in the later version, it is colorless. The only thing they share is the white foam that rises in a cap over the mug’s edge and slides down a bit. Under the Velkopopovicky Kozel mascot is an abbreviated name, or, to be more precise, its second part. The letters are fully consistent with the old manner of writing, with a curly “K” shaped like horns.
Font and Colors
The image of the goat, given by a misguided French artist, is still in use today. After all, despite the complete absence of any connection between this parsnip and beer, it still exists – at the historical level of a particular locality. The traveler drew what immediately catches the eye in the village of Velké Popovice and what characterizes it. By combining two processes (brewing and cattle grazing), Velkopopovický Kozel developed a distinct identity now recognized worldwide.
The logo’s inscription uses a custom font designed to feature the mascot image. This is clearest in the letter “K,” which is shaped like sharp goat’s horns. The remaining characters are squat and smooth, with serifs. The brand palette is restrained, closer to monochrome, except for the yellow beer mug. The early version also features red, emerald, yellow, and black.