Slovakian Breweries
styles - history - beers


Introduction
This page lists all the breweries currently active in Slovakia and all the beers they brew.

Heineken's Slovakian breweries (Hurbanovo, Rimavská Sobota and Nitra) produced: 2,085,000 hl (2000), 1,784,000 hl (2002). That's almost half of all Slovakia's beer output.
Index
Slovak brewing industry
Slovak beer satistics
Slovak beer styles - history
Slovak beer styles today
Slovak Breweries

The Slovak brewing industry
The Slovak brewing industry, in the years of the Czechoslovakian Republic, lagged far behind that in the Czech lands. The communists built several large, new breweries in the 1950's and 60's to put this right. The five largest breweries all are members of this group.

Closures amongst the independents have left Slovakia with only 4 breweries founded before 1950.

The current number of active breweries is 18. The breweries break down as follows:

Brewery No. Details Market share (2002)
SABMiller 1 Owns Pivovar Šariš. It's the largest brewery in Slovakia.. 23.1%
Heineken 2 Owns Gemer and Zlatý Bažant. It closed the Martiner brewery in 2003 and Pivovar Corgoň in 2004. 43.6%
Interbrew 0 Amzingly, Interbrew have yet to buy a Slovakian brewery. They do, however, import a significant quantity of beer from their breweries in the Czech Republic. 0%
Independents 6 Three of the country's few remaining independent breweries have closed in the last 5 years. 29.9%
Microbreweries 2 Brewpubs have been the popular new brewery option..  
Brewpubs 7 The first brewpubs started to appear in the 1990's. Quite a few have since disappeared again.  

Brewers' Trade Organisations
Beer Drinkers' Organisation
Pub Guide
Kamnapivo - an excellent guide to Slovak pubs.		 Others Slovak Beer Sites
Slovak association of brewing history.
Malá encyklopédia piva - Slovak beer encyclopedia.


Slovak beer styles
For more background information on Slovakian beer styles, look here.

Note that in this page I use Czech terms rather than their Slovak equivalents. For example:
  • "ležák" (Lagerbier) instead of "ležiak"
  • "výčepní" (Schankbier) instead of "výčapné"


Slovak Breweries
Slovak Beer Statistics


Beer Production (1000 hl)
1929 1930 1950 1976 1978 1980 1986 1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Czech Republic - - - - 16,400@ - - 18,200* 17,414 - - 18,242 - 18,292 - - 17,916 17,881 18,178 18,500
Czechoslovakia
 13,000@ 11,400@ 9,250@ 22,100 21,900@ 23,000@ 22,783 -- - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Slovakia
 - - - - 5,500@ - - - - 3,970b 3,986 4,536 - 4,700 - 4,485 4,411b 4,520 4,574b 4,850b 4,670b
Sources:
(years 1997 - 2001) Brauwelt Brevier
2003 - Brauwelt 3/2004, page 86
* Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven
@ ABC o Nápojích (Angerová & Sůra, 1986) p.176
b - Kamnapivo


Beer consumption per head per annum (litres)
1976 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
The Czech Republic n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 164.9* 163.3* 153.6* 163 160 160 160 161.8 - 159 158& - 160@
(Czechoslovakia)
 142 147.8 140.1 130.8 133.4 130 130 - n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
(Slovakia)
 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a - - - - - 96 - 85.2b 85.6b 88.9b 89b 93# -

Sources:
1976 - World Guide to Beer, Michael Jackson,
1983 - 1989 Bier in Belgie, Geert van Lierde,
1993 and 1994 - The Confederation of Belgian Brewers.
1995 - Economics Department, German Brewers' Assocition.
1997,1998 - Brauwelt Brevier 2000
2000 - Brauwelt 31-32/2002
2002 - # Brauwelt 18/2004 page .513
2003 - @ Brauwelt 3/2004, page 86
* US Department of Commerce
b - Kamnapivo


Number of breweries
1850 1912 1918 1927 1935 1937 1946 1950 1979 1989 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Czech Republic
Total
- - 500# - - - - - 80@ 71* 72a 74a 77a 80a 77a 73a 81a 81#
81a 		81a 84a 84a 88a
pre-1989 breweries
 68a 68a 67a 66a 62a 58a 57a 58#
56a 		55a 54*
54a 		51a 51a
post-1989 breweries
 4a

6a

 10a 14a 15a 15a 24a 23#
25a 		26a 30a 33a 37a
Czechoslovakia
 1052* 666* 526* 331& 320& 309& 260* 198# 96@ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Slovakia
 - - - - - - - - 16@ - 15 - 15 15 15 15 - - 12 - - 20a
17b
19a
18b
Sources:
& Státní úřad statistický
* Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven
@ "ABC o Nápojích" (Angerová & Sůra, 1986)
# "Restaurant Microbreweries in the Czech Republic" (1999, ISBN 80-902658-0-4) p.9
a - my calculation
b - Kamnapivo


Largest Slovakian breweries (2002)
Location Type Output (hl) Founded
Pivovar Šariš Veľký Šariš SABMiller 1,124,000 1968
Zlatý Bažant (Heineken Slovensko) Hurbanovo Heineken 919,000 1967
Topvar Topoľčany Independent 680,000 1960
Pivovar Corgoň
 Nitra Heineken 500,000 1958
Gemer Pivovar Rimavská Sobota Rimavská Sobota Heineken 365,000 1966
Pivovar Steiger Vyhne Independent 252,000 1473
Pivovar Tatran Poprad Independent 150,000 1812
Stein beverages Bratislava Independent 142,000 1873
Pivovar Urpín Banská Bystrica Independent 120,000 1971
Pivovar Poper Bytča Independent 110,000 1604
Sigip
Komárno Brewpub 3,550 1995
Pivovar Dobrovar
 Dobrá Niva Microbrewery 2,000 1994
Pivovar Kaltenecker Rožňava Brewpub 1,200 1996
Minipivovar Šurany Šurany Brewpub 1,000 1997
Perla - pivovar a piváreň Banská Bystrica Brewpub 1,000 1992
Pivovar Barbakan Trnava Brewpub 740 1995
Pivovar Golem Košice Brewpub 450 2001
Pivovar Svätý Jur Svätý Jur Brewpub 400 1995
Pivovar Kaltenberg HBH Trencín Microbrewery   2001
Total output
 4,850,000





What do my scores mean?
< 25 positively unpleasant
25 - 40 has its faults
40-50 OK
50-60 reasonably good
60-70 above average - definitely worth trying
70-80 excellent - worth hunting for
80 > world class - you must try it


Slovakian Breweries
Listings



Pivovar Barbakan
Štefanikova 11,
917 01 Trnava.
Tel: 033 - 5511847
Fax: 033 - 5511847
Email:
Homepage: http://www.barbakan-trnava.sk

Founded: 1995 CLOSED 2003
Annual production: 3,375 hl (2000), 740 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Barbakan 10°    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Barbakan 11.5°    11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  
Barbakan 11.5° kvasinkové    11.5° Pale lager - ležák. Unfiltered.  
Barbakan 13.5°    13.5° Dark lager - speciální.  

Brewpub and hotel. Someone should tell them their webpage doesn't work properly. Not everyone uses crappy Microsoft products, you know.

Pivovar Corgoň (Heineken Slovensko)
Štefánikova 79,
949 40 Nitra.
Tel: 037 - 7766418
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://www.corgon.sk, http://www.heineken.sk

Founded: 1958 CLOSED October 2004
Annual production: 500,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Corgoň 8%   8° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Corgoň 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Corgoň 11%   11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Corgoň 11% 3.6% 11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Corgoň 12%    12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Corgoň 14%    14° Dark lager - speciální.  

Bought by Heineken in 1997. The Corgoň brands are now brewed at the Zlatý Bažant brewery in Hurbanovo.

Pivovar Dobrovar
Slávikova 209/40,
962 61 Dobrá Niva.
Tel: 045 - 5382461
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1994
Annual production: 2,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Dobrovar 11°    11° Pale lager - ležák.  

Microbrewery.

Gemer Pivovar Rimavská Sobota (Heineken Slovensko)
Cukrovarská 67/1,
979 01 Rimavská Sobota.
Tel: 047 - 5631333
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://www.heineken.sk

Founded: 1966
Annual production: 365,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Gemer Original 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Zuzana    11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Gemer Original 11.5%   4.1% 11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  
Gemer Gold    12° Pale lager - ležák.  

Owned by Heineken.

Pivovar Golem
Dominikánské nám. 15,
040 01 Košice.
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 2001
Annual production: 450 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Kvasinkové 11°    11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Rezané pivo polotmavé 11°    11° Amber lager - ležák.  

Brewpub.

Esperia, a.s. Pivovar Horden
Orešanská 11,
918 59 Trnava.
Tel: 033 - 5545250
Fax: 033 - 5545233
Email: horden@horden.sk
Homepage: http://www.horden.sk , http://web.edb.sk/esperia-horden/

Founded: 1974
Annual production: 85,000 hl (2000), 41,000 hl (2002)

Owned by Pivovar Stein..

Pivovar Ilava
Pivovarská 58,
019 01 Ilava.
Tel: 042 - 4465915
Fax: 042 - 4465918
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1635 CLOSED IN 2000
Annual production:

Independent brewery.

Pivovar Kaltenberg HBH
Farská 2,
911 01 Trencín.
Tel: 032 - 7433591
Fax: 032 - 7432741
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 2001
Annual production:

Microbrewery.

Pivovar Kaltenecker
Edelényska 2,
048 01 Rožňava.
Tel: 0905 - 520872
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1996
Annual production: 1,100 hl (2000), 1,200 hl (2002)

Brewpub.

Kosicky pivovar
Florianska 19,
043 26 Kosice.
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: CLOSED IN 1999
Annual production:

Brewpub.

Martiner (Heineken Slovensko)
Hrdinov SNP 7,
036 42 Martin.
Tel: 043 - 42382013
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://www.heineken.sk

Founded: 1893 CLOSED IN 2003
Annual production: 333,000 hl (2000)

Bought by Heineken in 1999. Closed in 2003 (though you wouldn't know that from Heineken's Slovak site). They used to brew a porter.

Perla - pivovar a piváreň
Horná 52,
974 01 Banská Bystrica.
Tel: 048 - 4123731
Fax:
Email: perla@isternet.sk
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1992
Annual production: 3,000 hl (2000), 1,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Perla Zlatá    11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  

Brewpub.

Pivovar Poper
Sakalovej 158/39,
014 24 Bytča.
Tel: 041 - 5533011
Fax: 041 - 5533066
Email: popper@popper.sk
Homepage: http://www.popper.sk

Founded: 1604
Annual production: 110,000 hl (2000)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Popper 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Popper 11%    11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Popper 11.5%    11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  
Popper 11.5%    11.5° Dark lager - ležák.  
Popper 12%    12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Palatín 16%    16° Dark lager - speciální.  

Independent brewery.

Pivovar Šariš
Pivovarská 9,
082 21 Veľký Šariš.
Tel: 051 - 7772111
Fax: 051 - 7772110
Email: office@saris.sabmiller.com , office@saris.sk
Homepage: http://www.mnich.sk , http://www.saris.sk

Founded: 1968
Annual production: 722,000 hl (2000), 1,124,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Šariš 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Šariš 11%    11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Šariš 12%    12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Smádný Mních 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Smádný Mních Premium    12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Velkopopovický kozel Premium  5% 12° Pale lager - ležák. A Velkopopovice brand brewed under licence. They brew about 200,000 hl a year.  

Owned by SABMiller. They distribute some of SAB's Czech brands (such as Pilsner Urquell) in Slovakia.

Sigip
Gen. Klapku 3090,
945 01 Komárno
Tel: 035 - 7710047
Fax: 035 - 7710295
Email:
Homepage: http://www.sigip.sk/

Founded: 1995
Annual production: 3,700 hl (2001), 3,550 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Karl Beer 11° svetlé pivo    11° Pale lager - ležák.  

Brewpub.

Opening times:
Sun - Thur 8:00 - 22:00
Fri - Sat 8:00 - 24:00

Starý prameň
Sládkovičova 1,
071 01 Michalovce.
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1867 CLOSED IN 2000
Annual production: 22,458 hl (1999)

Independent brewery.

Pivovar Steiger
Vyhne č.24,
966 02 Vyhne.
Tel: 045 - 6772116
Fax: 045 - 6772234
Email: sekretariat@steiger.sk
Homepage: http://www.steiger.sk

Founded: 1473
Annual production: 291,000 hl (2000), 252,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Steiger 10% Svetlý  3.7% 10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Steiger 11% Tmavý  4.2% 11° Dark lager - ležák  
Steiger 11% Svetlý  4.5% 11° Pale lager - ležák  
Steiger 12% Svetlý  4.7% 12° Pale lager - ležák  
Sitňan 12%  4.8% 12° Pale lager - ležák  
Hell 12%  4.9% 12° Pale lager - ležák  

Independent brewery.

Stein beverages
Blumentálska 19,

816 13 Bratislava
Tel: 02 - 55575260
Fax: 02 - 55565630
Email: obchod@stein.sk
Homepage: http://www.stein.sk

Founded: 1873
Annual production: 142,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Stein 10%  3.5% 10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Stein 11%  3.8% 11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Stein 11%    11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Stein 12%    12° Pale lager - ležák.  

Independent brewery.

Minipivovar Šurany
Komenského 66,
942 01 Šurany.
Tel: 035 - 6501418
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1997
Annual production: 1,000 hl (2000), 1,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Šuriansky ležiak    11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  

Brewpub.

Pivovar Svätý Jur
Prostredná 1,
900 21 Svätý Jur
Tel: 02 - 44971911
Fax: 02 - 44971911
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1995
Annual production: 4,700 hl (2000), 400 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Kláštorný ležiak     11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  

Brewpub

Pivovar Tatran
Murgašova 1,
058 80 Poprad.
Tel: 052 - 7721855
Fax: 052 - 7721255
Email: tatran@szm.sk
Homepage: http://www.tatran.szm.sk

Founded: 1812
Annual production: 179,153 hl (2000), 150,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Tatran Dia  3.5% ° Dark lager - výčepní.  
Tatran 10%  3.6% 10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Tatran 11%   4.3% 11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Tatran 11% Tmavý 4.3% 11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Tatran 12%  5% 12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Tatran 16%  7% 16° Pale lager - speciální. Pale bock.  

Independent brewery.

Minipivovar Topi
Hlavná 21,
951 93 Topoľčianky.

Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded: 1995 CLOSED
Annual production:

Brewpub.

Topvar
Krušovská 2092,
955 14 Topoľčany.
Tel: 038 - 5325026
Fax: 038 - 5326806
Email: riaditel@topvar.sk
Homepage: http://www.topvar.sk , http://www.dovozce-topvar.cz

Founded: 1960
Annual production: 604,000 hl (2000), 680,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Samaritán Dia  4.4% 8° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Ľahké Svetlé Pivo  3.3% ° Pale lager - výčepní.  
10% Svetlé Pivo  4% 10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
11% Milénium  4.4% 11° Pale lager - ležák.  
11% Marína  4.4% 11° Dark lager - ležák.  
11% Sudové  4.4% 11° Pale lager - ležák.  
12% Ležiak  4.8% 12° Pale lager - ležák.  

Independent brewery. Seems to be the only truly independent large Slovak brewery. The country's third largest brewery (they say).

Pivovar Urpín
Sládkovičova 37,
975 90 Banská Bystrica.
Tel: 048 - 4161811
Fax: 048 - 4163576
Email: urpinbb@urpinbb.sk
Homepage: http://www.urpinbb.sk

Founded: 1971
Annual production: 194,000 hl (2000), 120,000 hl (2003)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Urpin 10%    10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Urpin 11%     11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Urpin 11,5%     11.5° Pale lager - ležák.  
Urpin 12%     12° Pale lager - ležák.  

Independent brewery.

Zlatý Bažant (Heineken Slovensko)
Novozámocká 2,
947 12 Hurbanovo.
Tel: 035 - 7603376
Fax: 035 - 7603376
Email:
Homepage: http://www.zlatybazant.sk , http://www.heineken.sk

Founded: 1967
Annual production: 919,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
Zlatý Bažant 9%    9° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Zlatý Bažant 10%     10° Pale lager - výčepní.  
Zlatý Bažant 11%      11° Dark lager - ležák.  
Zlatý Bažant 11%    11° Pale lager - ležák.  
Zlatý Bažant 12%    12° Pale lager - ležák.  
Amstel 11.5%   11.5° Crappy pils. Brewed under licence.  

Part of Heineken, who bought them in 1995. Good to see that they're brewing that lovely Amstel in Slovakia, too.




Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Homepage: http://

Founded:
Annual production:
Dark lager - výčepní. Pale lager - výčepní. Pale lager - ležák. Dark lager - speciální.
Beer alc Plato Description Score (100)
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