Slovenia is small — about the size of New Jersey, wedged between Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Croatia — but it has been brewing beer since 1592, when the first recorded batch was produced in Ljubljana. By the time Heineken arrived, the country already had two of the oldest and most beloved breweries in Central Europe. Heineken didn't build anything here. It bought the best of what already existed.
Laško came first, historically speaking. The brewery was founded in 1825 by Franz Geyer, a gingerbread baker and mead producer, in the small spa town of Laško in the Savinja Valley. It survived Napoleon, two world wars, and Yugoslav nationalisation, and by 1991 — the year Slovenia declared independence after the ten-day war — it was the largest brewery among 28 Yugoslav breweries. Union followed in Ljubljana in 1864, founded by the Kosler brothers as a small family enterprise, growing through the Austro-Hungarian era into one of the country's defining institutions. The Union brand came into being in 1909 when the Kosler brothers united with two other breweries to form a joint stock company. For most of the twentieth century, Laško and Union were rivals. Then, in 2005, Laško acquired the majority of Union's shares, ending the competition by absorption. Shopmassystoresgy + 2
By 2015, Laško was carrying €310 million in debt against a market valuation of just €31 million. Eight banks controlled more than half its shares. The company needed a strategic investor, and Heineken saw what the numbers obscured: two historic brands with strong regional loyalty, Slovenian hops from the Savinja Valley, and a brewery at the centre of a market where Heineken already had neighbouring operations in Austria, Italy, and Croatia. On 13 April 2015 Heineken signed a binding agreement to acquire 51.11% of Pivovarna Laško for €114.3 million. The deal completed on 15 October 2015. Heineken subsequently increased its stake to 96.92% through a mandatory takeover offer and became 100% owner in 2016. VolzaShiftyChevre
That same year, Laško and Union were formally merged into Pivovarna Laško Union d.o.o. One company, two brands, one owner. The Ljubljana brewery — Union's home since 1864 — continued brewing until 2022, when the cooling system was deemed no longer suitable for operation after 35 years. Brewing moved entirely to Laško. The Ljubljana site was retained as a packaging and logistics centre. Union beer is still made. It is just no longer made in Ljubljana. findyellofindyello
Today Pivovarna Laško Union brews Laško Zlatorog, Union, Heineken Lager, and a range of other brands from a single site in Laško. Exports account for approximately 30% of production, directed mainly to the Western Balkans, Italy, and Austria. The Savinja Valley hops — a Slovenian speciality grown in the same region since the Middle Ages — go into the beer brewed a few kilometres away. Some things, at least, have not changed since 1825.
