Beer is a popular beverage in Croatia. In 2010,

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

was the 14th country in the world by beer consumption per capita. Approximately one half of the adult population are beer consumers.

History

During

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

and the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, beer in Croatia received only sporadic mentions in historical sources, unlike

Croatian wine Croatian wine (, pl. ) has a history dating back to the Ancient Greek settlers, and their wine production on the southern Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago. Like other old world wine producers, many traditional grap ...

. Its popularity rose in the 18th century, and industrial-scale production began only in the late 19th century. In the modern era, brewing has gained significant economic importance, generating a total of 2.4 billion HRK (c. €320 million) of revenue in 2007.

Beer production and consumption

More than 90% of all beer sold in Croatia is domestically produced. There are many types and brands of beer in Croatia, though more than 90% of revenue is shared among six largest beer companies. The most popular beer is

Ožujsko Ožujsko (fully '; lit. March Beer), also known and marketed as , is a Croatian brand of lager beer (5%). It is the flagship brand produced by Zagrebačka pivovara, the biggest brewery in the country which is a part of Molson Coors Brewing Company ...

and the second most popular is

Karlovačko Karlovačko is a popular beer in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the signature product of brewer Karlovačka Pivovara, a Heineken International subsidiary, located in the city of Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. Ac ...

. As of 2010s, there is a rising trend of

craft beer Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

consumption.

Brands

Osječko

''Osječko'' is the first Croatian beer ever produced, and has been produced since 1697. The main factory is located in

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

, from which the beer got its name.

Karlovačko

'' is the second most popular beer in Croatia. It is also the national beer. This is due to the rapid marketing of the product after it was released. The factory is located in the city of

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...

, which is where it gets its name. Since 2016, it has been owned by Heineken.

Ožujsko

'' is the most popular beer in Croatia, with 10 bottles being consumed every second. It has been produced since 1892. The main factory is in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

. As of 2012, the Ožujsko brand is now part of the

MolsonCoors The Molson Coors Beverage Company is an American-Canadian multinational drink and brewing company incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and headquartered in Golden, Colorado and Montreal, Quebec. Molson Coors was formed in 2005 ...

brewing company.

Pan

'' Pan'' is a

Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to: Places * Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark ** Carlsberg station, its train station * Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany * Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses * Carlsbe ...

-owned beer company which has a variety of beers in the market, including

lager Lager () is beer which has been brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German for "storage" ...

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

, and lemon beer.

Laško

Laško Laško (; german: Tüffer) is a spa town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Laško. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. The municipality is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region. The town is locat ...

'' is a beer company, which is headquartered in

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, but the beer is still popular in Croatia. There is a new factory in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

that produces the beer, but it is hard to find in Croatia.

Tomislav

''Tomislav'' is the second strongest beer in Croatia, with a 7.3% alcohol content (The strongest is Grička Vještica with 7.5%). It's brewed by Zagrebačka pivovara like ''

'' brands

Velebitsko

Velebitsko Velebitsko is a popular beer brand from Croatia, brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountains in Lika by the Pivovara Ličanka. The name is used for the pale lager Pale lager is a very pale-to-golden-colored lager beer with a well- attenuate ...

'' is a popular beer brand from Croatia, brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountains in Lika by the Pivovara Ličanka. The name is used for the pale lager which has an alcohol content of 5.1% and for the dark lager which has an alcohol content of 6.0%.

Tars

''Tars'' is the first real beer from Rijeka, brewed by Kaltenberg Adria brewery in Kukuljanovo. Tars is a lager produced according to the Bavarian purity law, Reinheitsgebot. The name of Tars comes from Tarsatica - the old part of Rijeka rising on a hill over the Rječina river.

References

External links

*
Zagrebačka pivovara do 1945.Regionalni pivarski portalZakon o hraniU Hrvatskoj se voli piti pivoRadleri po popularnosti odmah iza lageraOd 18 malih proizvođača piva preživjela tri, a uspio samo jedanU Hrvatskoj se proizvede 4 mil. hektolitara piva godišnjeOd 2001. do 2005. udvostručena proizvodnja bezalkoholnih pivaPresjek kroz rad Zagrebačke pivovare d.d. do 1945. godine
{{Beers of the world