The Czech Beer and Malt Association has submitted Czech beer culture to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to the article published in expats_CZ.

The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world and might soon become UNESCO-recognized.

The Czech Beer and Malt Association’s spokesperson, František Šámal, announced late last week that the process may take up to four years, so if the submission is accepted, Czech beer culture could be added to UNESCO’s list in 2026.

The Association is coordinating efforts with the Czech Ministry of Culture. In its application, it refers to Czech beer as a symbol of national pride that increases tourism to the Czech Republic.

However, Czech beer culture wouldn’t be the first to receive UNESCO recognition. Belgian beer culture was added to the list of cultural heritage in 2016.

The Czech Ministry of Culture currently recognizes thirty items in its List of Intangible Assets of Traditional Folk Culture of the Czech Republic. Seven of those items have also achieved status in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

According to Šámal, beer has a significant social but also economic impact for the Czech Republic, which is why the association believes that the UNESCO committee will approve the application. The local brewery industry employs an estimated 60,000 people, though beer production and consumption are both in decline.

Czech breweries produced 20.1 hectoliters of beer in 2020, down 6.9 percent over the previous year. Per capita beer consumption fell to around 135 liters per person last year, the lowest it has been since the 1960s.