Hungarian beer

Although Hungary is better known as a wine-producing country, beer has been made there for around a thousand years and the country has a significant history of commercial beer production.

Related Topics:
Hungary - Wine - Beer

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The first commercial brewery in Hungary was established in Budapest in 1845 by Peter Schmidt. During the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian Empire the K?bánya district of Budapest became the centre of Hungary's brewing industry. The Dreher brewery, named after Anton Dreher (creator of the Vienna lager style) who started a brewery in Budapest in 1862, came to dominate the Hungarian market before the Second World War.

Related Topics:
Budapest - Austro-Hungarian Empire - Anton Dreher - Vienna lager - Second World War

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Today, Hungary has only five large commercial brewers (four of major significance) which produce mainly lagers (Hungarian: Világos) and German-style dark beers (Hungarian: Barna):

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• The Dreher (K?bánya) Brewery (Dreher Sörgyárak) in Budapest is now owned by SABMiller. Its main products are the Dreher Classic and Arany Ászok pilsener-style lagers but it also brews K?bányai Világos, Dreher Lager and Dreher Bak (a double bock).
• The Borsod Brewery (Borsodi Sörgyár) is 60% owned by InBev. In addition to the local brands of Borsodi Világos, Borsodi Barna, Borsodi Bivaly, Borsodi Póló and Borostyán, it brews under license Beck's Stella Artois and Rolling Rock.
• The Pécs Brewery (Pécsi Sörf?zde) is majority owned by the Ottokringer Group. Its brands are Pécsi Szalon, Szalon Barna, Tavaszi Sör ("Spring Beer"), Három Királyok ("Three Kings") and (under licence) Gold Fassl.
• Brau Union Hungária Breweries is majority owned by Brau AG of Austria and has breweries in Sopron, Martf? and Komárom. Its brands include Soproni Ászok, Talléros, Arany Hordó ("Golden Barrel"), Soproni Kinizsi, Sárkány Sör ("Dragon Beer") and (under licence) Amstel, Gösser, Heineken, Kaiser and Zlaty Bazant.
• The Nagykanizsa Brewery (Nagykanizsai Sörgyár) produces beer under the brands of Kanizsai Világos, Kanizsai Kinizsi, Balatoni Világos and Paracelsus.

A number of small and microbreweries have also emerged in Hungary over the past few years including Ilzer and Blonder.

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In Hungary, people traditionally do not clink their glasses/mugs when drinking beer. This is usually explained by a legend about Austrians clinking their beer glasses when celebrating the execution of the 13 Hungarian Martyrs of Arad in 1849. Many people still follow the tradition, although younger people often ignore it.

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