Beer in Serbia
Encyclopedia
Packaging
Beer for home consumption is mostly sold in 0.5-litre glass bottles, while 0.34-litreLitre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
bottles are now obsolete and used only in expensive bars. Most bottles in use are deposit-type (reused bottles). Can
Beverage can
A beverage can is a tin can designed to hold a specific portion of a beverage. Beverage cans are made of tin-plated steel or aluminium.- History :...
s are more common. Recently, most breweries
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
began packing their product in plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
Q-pack bottles of 1.5, 2 or even 2.5 litres. In bars and restaurants, beer is either served in 0.33 or 0.5L bottles, or as "draught" (točeno).
Legislation
SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
does not have legislation that limits liquor sales to specific licensed places. Hence beer (and any other liquor) can be purchased anywhere, including kiosks, supermarkets, grocery shops, gas stations and convenience shops.
Market
Pale lagerPale lager
Pale lager is a very pale to golden-coloured beer with a well attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness. The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid 19th century when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale brewing techniques back to the Spaten Brewery in Germany and applied it...
dominates in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and dark lager, while being popular, is produced in smaller quantities. Some breweries produce kvas
Kvås
Kvås is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the Lyngdalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Lyngdal. The village of Kvås is located along the river Lygna...
. Some European and American brands are distributed.
Quality
Which brew is the best, and indeed which brews are good or bad is, of course, a disputed subject.Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest is an annual festival of beer in Belgrade, Serbia. Started in 2003, the festival is held annually over 4 to 5 days as a showcase event for various beer producers. In addition to domestic and foreign brews, the festival features live music performances each evening...
organizes opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s of its visitors. The results, per year, are:
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Jelen Jelen pivo Jelen Pivo is a light beer produced by Apatin Brewery ltd. Jelen Pivo contains 5% alcohol, belongs to the class of light lagers, and is made of high-quality hops, barley and yeast. Besides Serbia, Jelen Pivo can also be found on the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia,... |
Tuborg | MB Pivara MB Novosadska pivara was a brewery in Serbia owned by Heineken International... |
| 2006 | Jelen Jelen pivo Jelen Pivo is a light beer produced by Apatin Brewery ltd. Jelen Pivo contains 5% alcohol, belongs to the class of light lagers, and is made of high-quality hops, barley and yeast. Besides Serbia, Jelen Pivo can also be found on the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia,... |
Tuborg | Weifert |
| 2007 | Jelen Jelen pivo Jelen Pivo is a light beer produced by Apatin Brewery ltd. Jelen Pivo contains 5% alcohol, belongs to the class of light lagers, and is made of high-quality hops, barley and yeast. Besides Serbia, Jelen Pivo can also be found on the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia,... |
In a February 2004, in an online poll conducted by krstarica.com, the largest Serbian search engine, 5304 visitors voted on what is the "best domestic beer". The winner was Jelen
Jelen pivo
Jelen Pivo is a light beer produced by Apatin Brewery ltd. Jelen Pivo contains 5% alcohol, belongs to the class of light lagers, and is made of high-quality hops, barley and yeast. Besides Serbia, Jelen Pivo can also be found on the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia,...
, with 30% of the votes, followed by MB
Pivara MB
Novosadska pivara was a brewery in Serbia owned by Heineken International...
(26%), and Nikšićko (16%), while all other brews received 7% or less votes.
In Serbia
- ApatinApatinApatin is a town and municipality in the Vojvodina administrative region of Serbia, located in the West Bačka District, at . The town of Apatin is the administrative, economic, cultural, educational and tourist centre of the municipality of Apatin...
: Apatinska pivaraApatinska pivaraApatin Brewery Apatinska Brewery is a member of the StarBev Group, based in Apatin. Its commercial center is in Belgrade, while it has distribution centers in Odžaci, Inđija, Mladenovac, Novi Sad, Čačak and Niš.-Location:...
(majority owned by InBevInBevInBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
)- Jelen pivoJelen pivoJelen Pivo is a light beer produced by Apatin Brewery ltd. Jelen Pivo contains 5% alcohol, belongs to the class of light lagers, and is made of high-quality hops, barley and yeast. Besides Serbia, Jelen Pivo can also be found on the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia,...
- Pils Light
- Jelen pivo
- BečejBecejBečej is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District in Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 25,703, while Bečej municipality has 40,877 inhabitants. It is multiethnic town, with Hungarians and Serbs as largest ethnic groups...
- Old Gold - light and dark
- Gerber's - light and dark
- BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
- Bg
- Bip (БИП)
- Premium Pils
- Ruski kvas - kvassKvassKvass, kvas, quass or gira, gėra is a fermented beverage made from black...
- ČelarevoCelarevoČelarevo is a village located in the Bačka Palanka municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
: Carlsberg SrbijaCarlsberg SrbijaCarlsberg Srbija is a beer brewery in Serbia, majority owned by Danish Carlsberg Group since 2003. Known by its signature brand Lav pivo, it is located in the village of Čelarevo in Bačka Palanka municipality and has around 500 employees...
(owned by Carlsberg brewery groupCarlsbergThe Carlsberg Group is a Danish brewing company founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen after the name of his son Carl. The headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark...
)- Lav pivoLav pivoLav pivo is a popular Serbian beer brand. Produced and bottled by Carlsberg Srbija in the village of Čelarevo, Bačka Palanka municipality, it has the second biggest market share among the beer brands in Serbia, behind rival Jelen pivo....
- Lav pivo
- JagodinaJagodinaJagodina is a city and municipality located in central Serbia, 136 km south of Belgrade, on the banks of Belica River. Its name stems from the word for strawberry in Serbian. It is the administrative centre of the Pomoravlje District of Serbia...
: Jagodinska pivara- Jagodinsko pivo
- Simbol (export brew)
- Jagodinsko pivo
- NišNišNiš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
: Niška pivara- NiškoNiskoNisko is a town in Nisko County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland on the San River, with a population of 15,534 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009...
- Appel pivo (only in 0.33l bottles)
- Niško
- Novi SadNovi SadNovi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
: Pivara MBPivara MBNovosadska pivara was a brewery in Serbia owned by Heineken International...
(acquired by Heineken International in 2007)- MB Premium
- MB Pils
- MB Swartz
- MB Dunkel
- PančevoPancevoPančevo is a city and municipality located in the southern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina, 15 km northeast from Belgrade. In 2002, the city had a total population of 77,087, while municipality of Pančevo had 127,162 inhabitants. It is the administrative center of the South Banat...
(acquired by Efes Beer GroupEfes Beverage GroupEfes Beer Group was founded in Turkey in 1969, and today consists of sixteen breweries in Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Georgia and Serbia, with headquarters in Istanbul. Named after the ancient Greek city of Ephesus located near the İzmir brewery, the company is a subsidiary of Anadolu...
in 2003) - obsolete since 2008- Pančevačko ekstra
- Standard
- Weifert
- Belo - Wiefert
- Wiefert tamno
- PećPecPeć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
: Pećka pivara (currently operating in Belgrade)
- Peć: Biere e Peja (operating in facilities of Pećka pivara)
- RitiševoRitiševoRitiševo is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Vršac municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Romanian ethnic majority and its population numbering 496 people ....
: Pivara Ritiševo- Krugher & Brent
- ValjevoValjevoValjevo is a city and municipality located in western Serbia. It is the center of the Kolubara District, which includes five other smaller municipalities with a total population of almost 180,000 people...
- Valjevsko pivo
- Atlas Pils
- VršacVršacVršac is a town and municipality located in Serbia. In 2002 the town's total population was 36,623, while Vršac municipality had 54,369 inhabitants. Vršac is located in the Banat region, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. It is part of the South Banat District.-Name:The name Vršac is of Serbian...
- obsolete since 2010- Šampion
- Zoffmann (two varieties: light and dark)
- Natural Beer
- ZaječarZajecarZaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
(acquired by Efes Beer GroupEfes Beverage GroupEfes Beer Group was founded in Turkey in 1969, and today consists of sixteen breweries in Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Georgia and Serbia, with headquarters in Istanbul. Named after the ancient Greek city of Ephesus located near the İzmir brewery, the company is a subsidiary of Anadolu...
in 2004) - obsolete since 2008- Zaječarsko pivo
- Pils plus
- Nikola Pašić - dark beer
- ZrenjaninZrenjaninZrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
: Zrenjaninska industrija piva (ZIP)- Rooster Beer
Foreign brands brewed in Serbia
- Apatinska pivaraApatinska pivaraApatin Brewery Apatinska Brewery is a member of the StarBev Group, based in Apatin. Its commercial center is in Belgrade, while it has distribution centers in Odžaci, Inđija, Mladenovac, Novi Sad, Čačak and Niš.-Location:...
: Beck'sBeck'sBrauerei Beck & Co is a German brewery in the north German city of Bremen. Owned by local families until February 2002, it was then sold to Interbrew for 1.8 billion euros. The brewery was formed under the name Kaiserbrauerei Beck & May o.H.G. in 1873 by Lüder Rutenberg, Heinrich Beck and Thomas...
, Stella ArtoisStella ArtoisStella Artois is a 5% ABV lager brewed in Leuven, Belgium since 1926. In the UK, Canada and New Zealand a 4% ABV version is also available.-Production:...
, StaropramenStaropramenStaropramen Brewery is the second largest brewery in the Czech Republic, situated in the Smíchov district of Prague. It was founded in 1869 and the brand name Staropramen, literally meaning “old spring,” was registered in 1911... - Carlsberg SrbijaCarlsberg SrbijaCarlsberg Srbija is a beer brewery in Serbia, majority owned by Danish Carlsberg Group since 2003. Known by its signature brand Lav pivo, it is located in the village of Čelarevo in Bačka Palanka municipality and has around 500 employees...
: CarlsbergCarlsbergThe Carlsberg Group is a Danish brewing company founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen after the name of his son Carl. The headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, Tuborg - United Serbian Breweries: AmstelAmstelThe Amstel is a river in the Netherlands which runs through the city of Amsterdam. The river's name is derived from Aeme stelle, old Dutch for "area abounding with water"....
, HeinekenHeinekenHeineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
, EfesEfesEfes can refer to the following:* Efes is the Turkish name for the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.* Efes Beverage Group is a Turkish beer company.* Anadolu Efes S.K. is a basketball club in İstanbul sponsored by the above company....
Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest
Belgrade Beer Fest is an annual festival of beer in Belgrade, Serbia. Started in 2003, the festival is held annually over 4 to 5 days as a showcase event for various beer producers. In addition to domestic and foreign brews, the festival features live music performances each evening...
is held annually over 3–4 days at the foot of Belgrade's Kalemegdan
Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress , represent old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad...
fortress as a showcase event for various beer producers. In addition to domestic and foreign brews at affordable prices, the festival features live music performances each evening. It has quickly grown in size and popularity. On 31 December 2005 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
daily The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
named it as one of the worldwide events to visit in 2006.
Dani piva
Dani Piva (Beer Days) is a beer festival in ZrenjaninZrenjanin
Zrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
, started in 1985, organised by the Zrenjanin brewery (Zrenjaninska industrija piva).
External links
- - Official Serbian beer forum
- Beer Serbia - Pivo Srbija
- DanasDanasDanas, Serbian for today is a daily newspaper published in Serbia.Danas was established in mid-1997 after a group of discontented journalists from the Naša borba newspaper walked out after getting into a conflict with the paper's new private majority owner...
: Cirka vops iz dvocevki, 9 June 2008 - b92.netB92B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
: Efes Weifert: Manji gubici za 22%, 6 July 2007