The Sarajevo Brewery was founded in 1864 and is considered the first industrial production facility in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The first beer pouring in Sarajevo was best described in an article published in the Yugoslav Journal in 1930, titled “How the First Beer Production Began in Sarajevo in 1864.”
“The first beer pouring was a ceremonial event. In a shady plum orchard, in a valley above the brewery, around a round dining table covered with all sorts of appetizers, there were carpets laid out with cushions and mattresses for distinguished guests. Fat lambs were roasting on a spit near a small stream at the bottom of the orchard.
Guests arrived in a long line of carriages: the governor, Sherif Osman Pasha, with his military and civil entourage, foreign consuls with their secretaries, and the most prominent citizens of all faiths.
They sat down at the table, ate, drank, celebrated, and raised toasts, while music played to entertain them — a band composed of military musicians and selected Roma from Gorica.
The rest of the people celebrated and drank beer in the meadow below the brewery, and only much later went home, with quite a few incidents along the way. First, a merry group of revelers was stopped by toll collectors on a bridge about thirty steps downstream from the present-day bridge, which connected Kovačići with the right bank of the Miljacka River. They were supposed to pay a toll for the beer they had taken home in pitchers and jugs.
But the Sarajevans wouldn’t have it. They resolved the issue of municipal finances then and there by downing the beer on the spot, quickly and while standing, and stepped onto their home ground with empty pitchers and jugs, to the protest of the toll collectors.”
The Sarajevo Brewery is the only brewery in Europe whose production continued uninterrupted during both the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
The building of the Sarajevo Brewery is one of the most attractive architectural landmarks in Sarajevo, with a design that blends oriental and classical European styles.
The development of Bosnia and Herzegovina during this period had a positive impact on the Brewery, which began operating beyond the city limits of Sarajevo. The Brewery has been located at its current site since 1881, built on a source of the finest Sarajevo water, drawn from a depth of 300 meters. It remains the only brewery in Bosnia and Herzegovina that owns its own water source. In 1907, it became the largest brewery in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and by 1898 it was already producing 45,000 hectoliters annually.
The development of the Sarajevo Brewery was halted by the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which it was nearly destroyed, with damages estimated at over 20 million US dollars. Nevertheless, even during this period, the Brewery did not cease operations—although production was symbolic, amounting to only 3 percent of its previous capacity. For the people of Sarajevo, it became the only source of drinking water in the besieged city.
In 2004, Sarajevo Brewery opened a prestigious hospitality venue within its building – the HS Brewery Pub. That same year, the production facilities and transportation fleet were modernized, sales centers were established across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and new equipment was installed for primary beer production, including a brewhouse and a new line for filling non-alcoholic beverages and beer.
We also installed new fermentation equipment, a keg filling station, a beer dealcoholization system, an ASEPTIC line, a CIP filtration and filling system, as well as 38 new large tanks for the fermentation and lagering cellar.
Today, we cooperate with all major retail chains (Bingo, Amko, Konzum, etc.), more than 1,000 small shops, and over 500 hospitality establishments. Sarajevo Brewery is the leading company in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the production of beer, carbonated and non-carbonated water, soft drinks, and juices.
Production takes place at the company’s headquarters in the old part of Sarajevo, covering an area of approximately 17,400 m². The entire production process of Sarajevo Brewery complies with the highest technical standards. Quality and environmental control standards, as well as the HACCP system, have been developed and implemented in accordance with international standards EN ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:2004, and the Codex Alimentarius.
Sarajevo Brewery’s most recognizable brand – Sarajevsko pivo – is one of the strongest brands in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today, Sarajevo Brewery is one of the most important companies in the country, and its products are considered true national brands, especially Sarajevsko pivo and Lejla water. These are high-quality brands that are market leaders domestically.
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Sarajevska pivara d.d. (Sarajevo Brewery) was founded on May 24, 1864, and is considered by historians to be the oldest industrial facility in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the only brewery in Europe whose production continued uninterrupted during both the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. In 1907, the Brewery became the largest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Not even during the most difficult period—the aggression against our country from 1992 to 1995—did it halt production. The Sarajevo Brewery building is one of the most attractive structures in Sarajevo, with an architectural style that blends oriental and classical European design.
For us, the Brewery is not just a place where beer is made—it is part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural and historical heritage. We are proud of our past, and that is why we built a Museum within the Sarajevo Brewery, the only one of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The museum exhibition is divided into different historical periods: the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the world wars, the socialist period, and the post-war period after the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Museum is open for visits from Monday to Saturday, from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
The entrance fee, which includes a museum visit, is 5 KM (EUR 2.50).
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
You can learn more about us and our products here.