Croatia: Kaltenberg beer to be brewed in Croatia again

After 25 years, Kaltenberg beer has returned to Croatia. Namely, in Kukuljanovo near Rijeka, a production facility has been opened which should, together with a nearby restaurant, revive the popularity which this Bavarian beer had in the 1990s, especially in southern Croatia, Večernji List reported on April 21.

At the time when the production was located at the Jadranska Pivovara brewery, the Kaltenberg beer had the status of being a locally-produced beer. However, the business decision of Laško Pivovara brewery which bought Jadranska Pivovara led to the virtual disappearance of Kaltenberg from the Croatian market. That lasted until recently when Kaltenberg started constructing a 50,000-hectolitre-a-year plant, together with Ludwig's Gastro Pub, a restaurant right next to the brewery. The restaurant has 150 seats for guests, offering Kaltenberg as well as beers by the Austrian brewery Hirter, whose distributor for Croatia is Kaltenberg Adria.

The investment is worth 10 million euro, according to Kaltenberg Adria CEO Gordan Putanec, and the company currently employs 55 people. “Our main ambition is to return to the role of a big player in Dalmatia, where we were once the number one brewery, and we have similar ambitions for the rest of southern Croatia. That is why we have decided to start the production of the first Rijeka beer Tars, which we want to use to compete with mainstream brewers. The backbone of our offering are beers made according to the original recipes, including the Kaltenberg Hefeweissbier. We have also introduced Ludwig's Session with which we want to compete with the craft beer segment. I want to point out that the water from Rječina is great and makes our beers better,” said Putanec, pointing out that Kaltenberg's lager beer is produced according to the Bavarian law on beer purity, Reinheitsgebot, issued in 1516.

The beer produced in Rijeka will also be sold in Italy, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Interestingly, this is the only plant owned by Kaltenberg outside of Bavaria. The beer is sold in 20 countries, but it is produced by licensees everywhere except in Kukuljanovo.

Kaltenberg is a brand owned by König Ludwig International, which has more than 30 years of experience in beer production, knowledge creation and brand licensing. The company is managed by His Royal Highness Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, a member of the Bavarian royal family Wittelsbach.

The goal of the company is no secret. In three to five years, they want to become the most profitable middle-sized brewery in Croatia, with an EBIT margin of more than 20 per cent, which would justify one of the most significant investments in the Croatian beer industry in the last few years.

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