Budějovický Budvar (Budvar from Budweis) is a brewery in the Czech city of České Budějovice (German: Budweis). It is produced only in the brewery headquarters at České Budějovice according to the Bavarian beer purity law from 1516, drawing Artesian water, Moravian barley and Saaz hops, known as very a noble hop variety, from the Žatec region. The history of brewing in České Budějovice dates back to 1265, when Ottokar II, King of Bohemia, granted the city brewing rights, making Budějovický Budvar the successful continuator of more than 700 years of brewing tradition and cultural heritage. The brewing procedure of Budějovický Budvar premium lager takes a total of 102 days. The typically “matured” flavour of Budějovický Budvar beer is a result of the natural process of secondary fermentation, which is not artificially accelerated in any way. It contrasts with the lagering process of only 72 hours which many mass market beers are using. And the most important is that every drop of the beer is made in the place of its origin and never under license. In 2004, the European Union awarded Budějovický Budvar a Protected Geographical Indication status as a traditionally and regionally produced good. Budějovický Budvar is considered the brewery’s “signature product” and a “symbol of national pride”.