In a spirited celebration of resilience and craft, Slovenia’s largest brewery, Pivovarna Laško Union, is raising a glass to its 200th anniversary.
What began in 1825 as Franc Geyer’s modest steinbier operation in a former Laško hospital has brewed its way into national history.
After centuries of upheaval — from changing owners and wartime destruction to socialist nationalisation and post-independence privatisation — the company emerged as a brewing titan.
The modern Laško Union was born in 2016 when brewing rivals Pivovarna Laško and Union united under Dutch giant Heineken.
Now employing 400 people, the company posted a net profit of €44 million in 2023.
Its current focus is on its flagship beers — Laško, Union, and Heineken — and it has recently tapped into the growing non-alcoholic trend.
The bicentenary will be marked with an exhibition and evening ceremony in Laško on July 10, followed by a blowout at the Beer and Flowers festival, celebrating 60 years of beer and blooms in the heart of Slovenia.