Beer in Hungary

Beer in Hungary has been brewed for well over a thousand years, but in the modern age, most beer is mass-produced. Beer has been made there for around a thousand years and the country has a significant history of commercial beer production.

A "Borsodi" lager beer

A "Kőbányai" beer

Etymology

The Hungarian word for beer is "sör" or "ser". The word itself is of Oghuric origin. The word was most probably borrowed by the Hungarians in the era before the conquest of Hungary.

History

The first commercial brewery in Hungary was established in Buda in 1845 by Peter Schmidt. During the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Kőbánya district of Budapest became the centre of Hungary's brewing industry. The Dreher brewery is named after Anton Dreher, the creator of the Vienna lager style. He created the brewery in Budapest in 1862 and it came to dominate the Hungarian market before the Second World War.

Breweries

Today, Hungary has four large commercial brewers which produce mainly light lagers (Hungarian: Világos) and German-style dark beers (Barna), in German and both American and British English, Bock).

• The Dreher (Kőbánya) Brewery (Dreher Sörgyárak) in Budapest is now owned by SABMiller. Its main products are the Dreher Classic, Arany Ászok and Kőbányai Világos pilsener-style lagers but it also brews Dreher Bak (a double bock). Kanizsa Brewery also belonged to the group. Until its closure, it produced beer under the Kanizsai Világos, Kanizsai Kinizsi, Balatoni Világos and Paracelsus brands.
• The Borsod Brewery (Borsodi Sörgyár) is 60% owned by InBev. In addition to local brands Borsodi Világos, Borsodi Bivaly, Borsodi Póló, Borsodi Búza and Borostyán ("Amber"), it brews (under license) Beck's, Löwenbräu, Stella Artois and Rolling Rock.
• Heineken Hungária (formerly Brau Union Hungária Breweries) has breweries in Sopron and Martfű. Its brands include Soproni, Talléros ("Coin Worth"), Arany Hordó ("Golden Barrel"), Soproni Kinizsi, Sárkány Sör ("Dragon Beer"). Under licence they also brew Heineken, Amstel, Gösser, Kaiser, Steffl, Zlaty Bažant, Schlossgold and Buckler.
• The Pécs Brewery Hungarian: Pécsi Sörfőzde is majority-owned by the Ottakringer Group. Its brands are Pécsi Szalon, Szalon Barna, Tavaszi Sör (English: Spring Beer), Három Király (English: Three Kings) and, under licence, Gold Fassl.

Lately, some microbreweries have also set up in Hungary, such as Ilzer and Blonder, though Ilzer is now closed.

Economy

In the 1980s, beer consumption was roughly 100 litres per person, but since then it has declined to nearer seventy.Pale lager has about 90% of sales.

Culture

In Hungary, people traditionally do not clink their glasses or mugs when drinking beer. There is an urban legend in Hungarian culture that Austrian generals clinked their beer glasses to celebrate the execution of the 13 Martyrs of Arad in 1849. Many people still follow the tradition, although younger people often disavow it, citing that the vow was only meant to last 150 years.

See also

• Beer and breweries by region
• National symbols of Hungary