Beer in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

has been brewed for well over a thousand years and has a significant history of tradition and commercial beer production. Poland is

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

's third largest beer producer, producing 36.9 million

hectolitre The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3). ...

s, coming after the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

with 49.5 million hl and neighboring

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

with 103 million hl. Following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, most breweries were nationalized by the Communist Government of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...

. After the

collapse of communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...

and return to capitalism, the market economy returned, international beer companies moved in and a period of consolidation followed. Three companies now control 80% of the Polish beer market (according to data at the end of 2014). At the end of 2013, there were 97 breweries in

, including

microbreweries 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 ...

and contracted breweries. The most popular Polish beers are

Żywiec Żywiec () (german: Saybusch) is a town in southern Poland with 31,194 inhabitants (2019). Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship.It is the capital of Ż ...

, Okocim,

Tyskie Tyskie () is a Polish brand of beer. Its name comes from the brewery located in the Upper Silesian town of Tychy. It is brewed by the Tychy Princely Brewery (Polish ''Tyskie Browary Książęce''), part of the Kompania Piwowarska brewery group, w ...

, and Żubr. Beer from small regional breweries, grouped in the Association of Polish Regional Breweries (Stowarzyszenie Regionalnych Browarów Polskich), crafts, contracted breweries and brewpubs has become very popular and desired by consumers.

Industry

According to a 2009

Ernst & Young Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and Pricewat ...

report, Poland is Europe's third largest beer producer. Poland produces 36.9 million

s, coming after the UK with 49.5 million hl and Germany with 103 million hl. Following consecutive growth in the home market, Związek Pracodawców Przemysłu Piwowarskiego (the Union of the Brewing Industry Employers in Poland), which represents approximately 90% of the Polish beer market, announced during its annual brewing industry conference that consumption of beer in 2008 rose to 94 litres per capita, or 35,624 million hectolitres sold on the domestic market. Statistically, a Polish consumer drinks some 92 litres of beer a year, which places it third behind the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and

. In 2009, beer sales paid some PLN 3.097 bn in excise taxes to the Polish government. Total employment due to beer production and sales is 207,900.

Brands and varieties

Poland is well known for its beer culture and many varieties. Large breweries are majority owned by multinational companies. However, since 2011, craft beer has become more and more popular each year. Many multitap serving only craft beer and dedicated shops have opened since 2012. Craft brewers brew beer in many different styles. In 2014, Polish craft breweries brewed about 500 new brands of beer. In 2017 the number of breweries in Poland exceeded 200. *

Kompania Piwowarska Kompania Piwowarska is a Polish brewing group based in Poznań, established in 1999. Since 2017 it has been owned by Asahi Breweries. Kompania Piwowarska currently has three breweries: Lech Browary Wielkopolski in Poznań, Tyskie Browary Książ ...

(market share in 2014 - 33%) It is majority owned by

Asahi Breweries is a Japanese global beer, spirits, soft drinks and food business group headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo. In 2019, the group had revenue of JPY 2.1 trillion. Asahi's business portfolio can be segmented as follows: alcoholic beverage business ( ...

. It operates three breweries in Poland: #

Tychy Brewery Princely Brewery Tychy (Polish ''Tyskie Browary Książęce'') or Tychy Brewery in the town of Tychy is one of the largest breweries in Poland. It is operated by the Kompania Piwowarska company. It traces its history to the 17th century. The bran ...

Lech Brewery Wielkopolski Lech Browary Wielkopolski (; English: Lech Breweries of Greater Poland) is a big industrial brewery in Poznań, with a production capacity of 7.5 million hl. The plant is owned by Asahi Breweries subsidiary Kompania Piwowarska SA. History The ...

Dojlidy Brewery Dojlidy Brewery ( pl, Browar Dojlidy ) is a brewery located in Białystok, Poland, and owned by Kompania Piwowarska SA, the Polish subsidiary of Asahi Breweries. The brewery was modernized between 1997 and 1999, then in 2003 it was purchased by ...

* Grupa Żywiec S.A. (market share in 2014 - 27%) Żywiec is 61% owned by Heineken Group. It operates six breweries in Poland: #

Żywiec Brewery Żywiec Brewery (pronounced ; ) is one of the largest breweries and beer producers in Poland. Founded in 1856 in the town of Żywiec, the brewery manufactures pale lager with a 5.6% alcohol volume. Grupa Żywiec S.A. consists of five main brewerie ...

is one of the most well known brands. It has three varieties: Żywiec, Żywiec Bock, Żywiec Porter. # Elbrewery brews Specjal Jasny Pełny, Hevelius Kaper. The "EB" brand is available for export only. # Leżajsk Brewery brews Leżajsk Pełne, Tatra Jasne Pełne and Tatra Mocne. # Warka Brewery brews Warka, Warka Strong, and Królewskie. #

Cieszyn Brewery The Cieszyn Brewery is a historic brewery in Poland and belongs to the Felix Investments. It is the longest continuously operating brewery in Poland. The brewery is located in the border town of Cieszyn, on the Castle Hill in the Classicist pal ...

brews Double IPA, Żywiec Porter, Porter Cieszyński, Brackie, Brackie Mastne. # Browar Namysłów brews about 1.7 million hl of beer per year and runs two breweries in Namysłów and

Braniewo Braniewo () (german: Braunsberg in Ostpreußen, la, Brunsberga, Old Prussian: ''Brus'', lt, Prūsa), is a town in northern Poland, in Warmia, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 16,907 as of June 2021. It is the capital ...

and under the brands Namyslów, Braniewo, Zamkowe and Kuflowe. *

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 * Carls ...

Polska (market share in 2014 - 20,5%) #

Okocim Brewery Okocim Brewery (), in Brzesko in southeastern Poland, is a brewery founded in 1845. History The brewery was established in 1845 by Johann Evangelist Götz (1815-1893), a German beer maker born in Wirtemberg together with Joseph Neumann, fr ...

brews Carlsberg, O.K. Beer, Harnaś, Piast, Książ and Karmi. # Kasztelan Brewery brews Kasztelan Jasne Pełne, Kasztelan Mocne and Kasztelan Niepasteryzowane. # Bosman Brewery brews Bosman Full and Bosman Specjal. * Browary Regionalne Jakubiak # Ciechan Brewery # Lwówek Brewery
Bojanowo Brewery
Brands : BOJAN, BOJANOWO. # Tenczynek Brewery # Biskupiec Brewery *

Van Pur Browar Van Pur is a limited liability company based in Poland. The company operates 5 breweries in Jędrzejów, Koszalin, Łomża, Rakszawa and Zabrze. The headquarters of Van Pur is located in Warsaw. History Van Pur was launched as a Polish-Germ ...

# Van Pur Brewery in Rakszawa brews Van Pur and Karpackie # BROK Brewery in

Koszalin Koszalin (pronounced ; csb, Kòszalëno; formerly german: Köslin, ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-sta ...

BROK # Łomża Brewery in

Łomża Łomża (), in English known as Lomza, is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship ...

brews Łomża # Jędrzejów Brewery which brews Strzelec (Sagittarius) # Upper Silesia Brewery in

Zabrze Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: ''Hindenburg O.S.'', full form: ''Hindenburg in Oberschlesien'', Silesian language, Silesian: ''Zŏbrze'', yi, זאַבזשע, Zabzhe) is an industrial city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west d ...

brews Śląskie * Perła - Browary Lubelskie #

Browary Lubelskie Browary Lubelskie is a Polish brewery. Founded in 1844 in the abandoned ruins of a monastery, in 1846 it began brewing a Helles-style beer using bottom fermenting technology. A second brewery opened in 1914. Both breweries were nationalized by ...

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

brews Perła and Goolman # Zwierzyniec Brewery

Images of selected breweries

File:Browar w Tychach.jpg, Browar Tyskie File:Brewery in Okocim 1.jpg,

File:Łomża Browar.jpg, Browar Łomża File:Cieszyn Browar1.JPG,

File:Teren Browaru Żywiec.jpg, Browar Żywiec File:Lech Brewery Poznan.JPG, Browar Lech File:Elbrewery Company.jpg, Elbrewery File:Plac Pocztowy, budynek nr9.jpg, Browar Haust in

Zielona Góra Zielona Góra is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (2021). Zielona Góra has a favourable geographical position, being close to the Polish-German border and on several international road ...

File:New Town Hall Photo South West Corner Wrocław Poland 2008-11-14.JPG, Brewpub Spiż in

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, r ...

File:Zabrze browar P9193558.jpg, Upper Silesia Brewery File:Fermentacja Bojanowo.jpg, Traditional open vast fermentation in historica
Bojanowo Brewery

Popular beer types

* Euro

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 "storag ...

s of light, full and high strength. Called 'Piwo jasne lekkie', 'Piwo jasne pelne', 'Piwo jasne mocne'. ABV 3-9% depending on type, these most common beers found in Poland especially from 5%-6% ABV. *

Pilsner Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (german: Pilsen), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Bre ...

* Baltic porters, classic style originating from countries surrounding the

Baltic sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

, having its roots in

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

and

stout Stout is a dark, top-fermented beer with a number of variations, including dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout, and imperial stout. The first known use of the word ''stout'' for beer, in a document dated 1677 found in the Egerton Manuscr ...

. Called 'Porter' or 'Piwo ciemne mocne'. Usually of high strength of around 8-10% ABV. Commercial example: Komes Porter Bałtycki, Ciechan Porter, Lwówek Porter, Porter Warmiński, Grand Imperial Porter, Porter Cieszyński, Żywiec Porter, Okocim Porter, Perła Porter, and many others. * Amber lager styles - Vienna, Marzen, etc. * Bock styles, mainly Doppelbock. Known as 'Koźlak' as well as 'Bock' in Poland. Commercial examples: Amber Koźlak

References

External links