Beer in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

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 continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

's third largest beer producer, producing 36.9 million

hectolitre The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter (American 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 metres (m3). A cub ...

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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

with 49.5 million hl and neighboring

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

with 103 million hl. Following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, most breweries were nationalized by the Communist Government of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

. After the

collapse of communism The revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, were a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Th ...

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 beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

and contracted breweries. 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 EY, previously known as Ernst & Young, is a multinational corporation, multinational professional services partnership, network based in London, United Kingdom. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, it is one of the Big Four accounting firms, Big F ...

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, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

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 Ksią� ...

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

Asahi Breweries The is a Japanese beverage holding company 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 drink, alcoholic beverage business (40.5%), over ...

. It operates three breweries in Poland: # Tychy Brewery #

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 m ...

Dojlidy Brewery Dojlidy Brewery ( ) 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 Kompania Piwowarsk ...

* Grupa Żywiec S.A. (market share in 2014 - 27%) ::Żywiec is 61% owned by

Heineken Group Heineken N.V. (), branded as The Heineken Company is a Dutch multinational brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. Heineken owns over 165 breweries in more than 70 countries. It produces 348 international, re ...

. It operates six breweries in Poland: #

Żywiec Brewery Żywiec Brewery () 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 5.5% alcohol volume. Grupa Żywiec S.A. consists of five main breweries: Żywiec B ...

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 The Leżajsk Brewery () is one of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania ...

brews Leżajsk Pełne, Tatra Jasne Pełne and Tatra Mocne. #

Warka Brewery The Warka Brewery () is one of Poland's oldest breweries and belongs to the Żywiec_Brewery, Żywiec Group. Żywiec Group has four main breweries: Żywiec Brewery, Elbrewery, Leżajsk Brewery and Warka Brewery, and is majority owned by the Dut ...

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 Beer in Poland has been brewed for well over a thousand years and has a significant history of tradition and commercial beer production. Poland is Europe's third largest beer producer, producing 36.9 million hectolitres, coming after the United ...

brews about 1.7 million hl of beer per year and runs two breweries in

Namysłów Namysłów (pronounced , ; ) is a historic town in southern Poland, within Opole Voivodeship. Located along the Widawa River, it is the capital of Namysłów County. Its population was 16,551 in 2019. History The town began to develop during th ...

and

Braniewo Braniewo () (, , Old Prussian language, Old Prussian: ''Brus''), 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 of Braniewo County. Braniewo is the seco ...

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 * Carlsbe ...

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, Joseph Neumann from Austria-Hungar ...

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 is a Polish company launch ...

# Van Pur Brewery in

Rakszawa Rakszawa is a village in Łańcut County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Rakszawa. It lies approximately north of Łańcut and north-east of the regional cap ...

brews Van Pur and Karpackie # BROK Brewery in

Koszalin Koszalin (; ; , ) 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-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomera ...

BROK # Łomża Brewery in

Łomża Łomża () is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the se ...

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

Zabrze Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: , full form: , , ) is an industrial city put under direct government rule in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the western part of the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of around 2 m ...

brews Śląskie * Perła - Browary Lubelskie #

Browary Lubelskie Perła – Browary Lubelskie S.A. 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 ...

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

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 The Browar Łomża () is Poland's fourth largest brewery. Browar Łomża Sp. z o.o. launched the plant in 1968. In 2007, it was purchased by Royal Unibrew.

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 (; ''Green Mountain''; ) is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (). The region is closely associated with vineyards and holds an annual Zielona Góra Wine Fest, Wine Fest. Zie ...

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

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

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 a Type of beer, style of beer brewed and Brewing#Conditioning, conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be Pale lager, pale, Amber lager, amber, or Dark lager, dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially availab ...

s of light, full and high strength. Called 'Piwo jasne lekkie', 'Piwo jasne pełne', '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 (), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewery. History ...

. * 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 the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

, having its roots in

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian 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., a locom ...

and

stout Stout is a type of dark beer that is generally warm fermented, such as dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout and imperial stout. Stout is a type of ale. The first known use of the word "stout" for beer is in a document dated 1677 in the E ...

. 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