New Facility of Vukovar Microbrewery Opened – 11 Million Kuna for Light Unpasteurized Beer

Today, a new production facility of the microbrewery was opened at the Business Innovation Center BIC-Vukovar, where Vukovar beer will be produced, which has been owned by K pivovari, a subsidiary of Zagrebačka pivovara, since the beginning of the year. The investment is valued at 11 million kuna and represents a significant investment in the Croatian economy, the local community, and domestic human resources, the new owners stated at the ceremony.

The investment in Vukovar and its value was also commented on by the CEO of Zagrebačka pivovara, Marko Njavro.

– The opening of the Vukovar microbrewery is yet another project we are extremely proud of, showcasing the excellence of our employees, reliability in business, and excellent partnership with the local community. With this investment, we aim to encourage further investment climate in the city of Vukovar and the Vukovar-Srijem County.

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The annual capacity of the Vukovar microbrewery is 5,000 hectoliters per year, and given the strong distribution network of Zagrebačka pivovara, this well-known beer brand from Vukovar will now be available throughout Croatia, in all sales channels to meet the demand of craft beer enthusiasts.

Further Development

The importance of this investment for encouraging further investments in the local community was emphasized at the ceremony by the Mayor of Vukovar, Ivan Penava, highlighting that this is an opportunity for further development by creating new jobs and faster economic growth for the citizens of Vukovar.

– We are extremely proud that the name of the city of Vukovar will be carried throughout all parts of Croatia through our local beer. K pivovari and Zagrebačka pivovara have recognized the opportunities offered by our domestic brand, and we are happy that we have managed to support the interests of such serious investors, said Penava.

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The beer segment holds about one and a half percent of the Croatian market, and the trends in microbrewing and the future of Vukovar beer were explained by Tina Puhalo, director of K pivovari.

– We believe that we started the development of Grif beer in time, and now with Vukovar beer, we have completed our portfolio with special light unpasteurized beer. Microbreweries are flexible, quickly respond to consumer needs, and the great enthusiasm of the previous owner in creating one of the best Croatian beers will now be further enhanced and returned to the place it deserves, she said.

Trend of Increasing Microbrewery Share

HGK has recognized the importance of microbreweries by gathering producers within the Group of Small Independent Breweries of HGK, emphasized Dragan Kovačević, vice president of HGK for agriculture and tourism.

– The brewing industry is a strategic food industry that directly or indirectly employs over 28,000 workers. It is one of the few in the food and beverage sector with a positive foreign trade balance and a surplus of 10 to 20 million euros annually. In the industry, there has been a visible trend of increasing the share of microbreweries in the last five years, whose significance far exceeds their production capacities. Through specific technologies and recipes, innovations, and a wealth of different flavors, microbreweries can significantly contribute to the gastronomic identity of a particular area and the tourist offer, said Kovačević.

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Vukovar light unpasteurized beer was among the first in Croatia to stand out as a small production beer, and it will now continue to be produced according to the same recipe. With the opening of the new production facility of the Vukovar microbrewery, five people have been employed, and further hiring is expected over the years of operation, it was stated at the opening.