Fix (beer)
Encyclopedia
FIX is a brand of Greek lager
beer
. The Fix brewery was founded in 1864 by Johann Karl Fuchs (in , Karolos Ioannou Fix) in Athens
, Greece
. This became the first major brewery in Greece. His father had started brewing the beer in Athens 30 years earlier in 1834. His father had come to Greece from Bavaria
with King Otto
. Fix made many deliviries to Mediterranean countries where beer is now very popular.
FIX (or FIX HELLAS, its most common trademark) became synonymous with beer in Greece, enjoying a virtual monopoly in the country for about 100 years until the mid-1960s, operating a number of factories that also produced soft drink
s. International competition affected company sales. It lost first place in the Greek market in 1973 and continued to decline until 1983, when it went out of business.
A FIX legacy is its historic industrial buildings throughout the country. These include one of the most iconic modern structures of Athens, on Syngrou Avenue, designed by architect Takis Zenetos in 1957 (partially demolished in 1994); another historic structure, an early 20th century FIX factory on Patission Avenue was demolished in 2002 after a battle for its preservation was lost in favor of creating a park.
In 1995, the FIX trademarks were bought by D. Kourtakis wineries from the National Bank of Greece
, which had received the FIX trademarks in the liquidation of the company. Kourtakis organized the Olympic Brewery (Ολυμπιακή Ζυθοποιία) to produce FIX Hellas beer, with a label design strongly reminiscent of the original FIX label.
The new FIX beer was not financially successful and, in 2009, the Olympic Brewery company was sold to Hitos AVEE and, in 2010, FIX beer was again available. The relaunched beer has a new label, with references to the gold medals and prizes won by the original FIX beer. An aggressive advertising campaign, with references to the strong historic legacy of FIX beer in the Greek society, has dramatically boosted sales, effectively leading to a strong comeback of the brand.
Ownership and usage of the historic trademark has been a source of conflict; there are Fix Beers brewed in the United States and in Canada which claim to use the Fix recipes.
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. The Fix brewery was founded in 1864 by Johann Karl Fuchs (in , Karolos Ioannou Fix) in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. This became the first major brewery in Greece. His father had started brewing the beer in Athens 30 years earlier in 1834. His father had come to Greece from Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
with King Otto
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
. Fix made many deliviries to Mediterranean countries where beer is now very popular.
FIX (or FIX HELLAS, its most common trademark) became synonymous with beer in Greece, enjoying a virtual monopoly in the country for about 100 years until the mid-1960s, operating a number of factories that also produced soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s. International competition affected company sales. It lost first place in the Greek market in 1973 and continued to decline until 1983, when it went out of business.
A FIX legacy is its historic industrial buildings throughout the country. These include one of the most iconic modern structures of Athens, on Syngrou Avenue, designed by architect Takis Zenetos in 1957 (partially demolished in 1994); another historic structure, an early 20th century FIX factory on Patission Avenue was demolished in 2002 after a battle for its preservation was lost in favor of creating a park.
In 1995, the FIX trademarks were bought by D. Kourtakis wineries from the National Bank of Greece
National Bank of Greece
The National Bank of Greece is the oldest and largest commercial banking group in Greece. The group has a particularly strong presence in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean...
, which had received the FIX trademarks in the liquidation of the company. Kourtakis organized the Olympic Brewery (Ολυμπιακή Ζυθοποιία) to produce FIX Hellas beer, with a label design strongly reminiscent of the original FIX label.
The new FIX beer was not financially successful and, in 2009, the Olympic Brewery company was sold to Hitos AVEE and, in 2010, FIX beer was again available. The relaunched beer has a new label, with references to the gold medals and prizes won by the original FIX beer. An aggressive advertising campaign, with references to the strong historic legacy of FIX beer in the Greek society, has dramatically boosted sales, effectively leading to a strong comeback of the brand.
Ownership and usage of the historic trademark has been a source of conflict; there are Fix Beers brewed in the United States and in Canada which claim to use the Fix recipes.