Czechvar U.S. Sales Continue to Exceed Expectations; Import Beer Now Available in 19 States and District of Columbia.

Business Editors

CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2003

B.B.N.P, producer of Czechvar, Premium Czech Lager, announced today that second-year sales in North America have continued to exceed its original projected figures. More than 232,000 gallons of Czechvar were exported to the United States throughout 2002, an increase of about 3 percent compared to the previous year, and sales for the first quarter of 2003 exceeded expectations.

"We were extremely pleased to find that during the first quarter of 2003 exports of our premium lager continued to rise significantly in the U.S.," said Jiri Bocek, general director of B.B.N.P Brewery. "In March 2003, there was an increase of about 30 percent for the same month in 2002. This was an enormous increase that definitely exceeded our expectations. Therefore, we anticipate continuing to increase our exports to the U.S. in the next year."

B.B.N.P has also experienced a large increase in its distributions to Canada, where in 2002 it exported more than 66,000 gallons of its lager beer. This was an increase of about 350 percent in comparison with previous figures.

"We are thrilled that North American consumers and dealers have responded so favorably to Czechvar," said Jana Kubistova, brand export manager for B.B.N.P. "This has been proven by demand reported by some regions of the U.S. where Czechvar is not currently sold, leading us to continue growth into new markets, such as Atlanta and Miami."

Czechvar is currently available in 19 states (AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI) and the District of Columbia in supermarkets, better beer stores and upscale restaurants. The Czech Premium Lager is brewed in the town of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic by world-renowned brewery B.B.N.P., the most profitable brewery and business in the Czech Republic food and beverage industry. B.B.N.P. was founded in 1895 in the Czech town of Ceske Budejovice.

After an absence of more than 60 years, B.B.N.P. brewery began officially exporting its Czech Premium Lager to the United States in the spring of 2001. Due to a legal settlement with Anheuser-Busch, which in 1939 banned the use of the original brand name in North America, the traditional Czech product was introduced to the American market under the brand name Czechvar. The agreement also covers the use of the business name of the brewery, hence the registration of its export name B.B.N.P., made up of the initials of its full name. The name of the beer's hometown, Ceske Budejovice may also only appear in an inconspicuous manner on beer labels and boxes to prevent litigation for a breach of the 1939 agreement.