Beer of Love Brewing

Story of Artur and his Love of Beer

The first evidence of brewing at the Dětenice estate dates back to 1307, during the rule of Beneš of Dětenice and Wallenstein.

The legend mentions a marauding knight Artur, who raided villages with his gang around Stará Boleslav, beating everyone who stood in his way, with the only exception being virgins. He always would stay in a village until he had depleted all of its supplies while the poor virgins had to be fully at his and his rabble’s disposal, virtually becoming their slaves. Every full moon, Artur would ask one of the virgins to brew beer according to his secret recipe. This was the magic beer of love. To keep the recipe secret, he had one of his followers cut out the innocent virgin’s tongue. The magic beer was said to bestow superhuman sexual desire and increase the instinct of violence.

In 1307 Knight Artur and his cruel companions reached the area of the Dětenice estate, after Artur’s first big defeat. He unsuccessfully crossed his sword with Beneš of Dětenice and Wallenstein, who cast the bleeding Artur after his defeat into the Dětenice dungeon. The whole of Artur’s vicious gang was beaten to death. Beneš of Dětenice was a powerful man who knew very well about Arthur’s magic potion. Because of this, he kept the villain alive. Beneš longed to own the recipe for the magic beer of love and therefore he had Artur tortured cruelly until the marauding knight gave the secret away. This was not the end of Arthur’s punishment for all of his wrong doings, he was later buried alive by the powerful lord of Dětenice.

The beautiful virgin daughter of Beneš brewed the beer during a full moon in front of the Dětenice rampart following the secret recipe and everyone who drank it felt a strong sexual desire and therefore it was used from that time as a potion increasing potency.

The truth or a fairy tale? The answer may only be given by the walls of the old cellar or the chateau in Dětenice.