Today Żywiec is one of the most modern breweries in Poland – but its tradition and heritage make it a first-class place to visit. Throughout centuries, the local mountain beer was a well-kept secret, known only to the contented locals and enjoyed by discerning visitors.

 

Eventually a bold decision was taken. In 1856, a state-of-the art brewery was built in the middle of the valley, on the lands of Żywiec, owned by the famed Habsburg dynasty. Archduke Albrecht Fredrich Habsburg – then in his late 30s - set up a company and built the plant in a village called Pawlusie. His new brew house used the latest fermentation process and the free-flowing waters of the Leśny. It was named “Piwo Żywieckie” by beer-lovers, quickly shortened to Żywiec. Within a few years, it brought fame and admiration to the Żywiec valley. The Leśny Brook still cascaded down from the mountains bringing crystal-clear water, but now the valley, which borders Slovakia, is busier, more populated and modern. But the fairytale has come to pass, and the legacies of the Prince and the Archduke live on, and Żywiec beer is now widely available throughout the British Isles – yet another of the great benefits of the increase in Polish nationals settling in the United Kingdom.

 

The golden beer is now a successful and integral brand within Heineken, one of the world’s largest brewing groups. But Żywiec’s path as a brand hasn’t always been an easy journey.

 

Within years of its foundation, the Żywiec brewery came first among all of the 260 breweries operating in Galicia. By the end of the 19th century it had a number of popular brands and production and volumes grew and grew. In the early 20th century, as its fame spread, Żywiec beers garnered a host of international brewing awards and prizes. During the 1930s, the brewery was endorsed by the country’s beer-loving president, Ignacy Mościcki, who was deposed when war broke out in 1939, and greatly admired at competitions and beer festivals, winning major prizes in Cologne, Paris, Brussels, Rome and more recently the gold medal of world beers in Chicago in 2007and a Gold Medal in London at the International Beer Challenge in 2008.

 

Before the Second World War, Żywiec was one of Poland’s premium international brands – and was taken by waves of Polish emigrants to France, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Every year, the brewery volumes grew to meet this international demand. The innovative brewers loved experimenting and introduced Żywiec brands such as Cesarskie (Imperial), Eksportowe (Export), Marcowe (March), and other special porters and ales. But it was the golden lager of Piwo Lagrowe which was most favoured.

 

During the Second World War, Olbrecht Habsburg refused to give up his Polish citizenship and the Nazis seized the brewery. It was a very dark time for the whole of Poland, yet somehow the beer-making survived.

 

After the war, a group of merged Polish breweries was placed under state control by the Communist government. A state-owned enterprise called Żywieckie Zakłady Piwowarsko-Slodownicze was set up in 1951 and merged in 1955 with other breweries to become the shorter named Zakłady Piwowarskie w Żywcu, with much of the beer used to earn hard currency in overseas markets. It was a travesty for many local Poles that they could not enjoy their most favoured beverage – half of the production was sent to the United States or Western Europe.

 

The restoration of democracy in Poland brought fresh verve and the privatisation process began in 1990. Zakłady Piwowarskie w Żywcu was one of Poland’s first post-Communist private companies, making its debut on the Warsaw Stock Market in September 1991, when it created share offerings for the public. In March 1994, the shareholders were joined by the Heineken Group, one of the largest global brewing companies, and a new partner for the business.

 

Today, the involvement with Heineken, which took a main share in December 1998, has helped take the beer to a new global level - and it has become one of Poland’s most popular and best known export products. In the United Kingdom, the brand is sold and promoted by Scottish & Newcastle UK, which is now part of Heineken. It is on sale in all major supermarkets and a number of pub chains, including Wetherspoons.

 

It is a remarkable story of survival and success but then the beer has always been considered one of the finest – compared to the very best German and Czech beers and with a 5.6% ABV.

 

Veronique Collet, brand manager of Żywiec, says: “We are deeply proud of our beer. It is very special indeed. The beer has become a true symbol of Polishness for many Poles – especially those who have gone overseas to work and live.” But what is so special about the beer? “I think that the heritage is important – and that it can trace its roots back many hundreds of years as a distinctly Polish product. But that alone is not enough,” continues Ms Collet, “Żywiec appeals to a wide range of consumers because it has a very good taste and there is no compromise on quality.”

 

Certainly the beer - with the instantly-recognisable dancing couple in traditional dress on the label – has now become the No 1 “premium” beer brand in Poland.

 

“Poland’s most famous President Mościcki once visited the brewery and tasted a glass and said ‘You have a truly magnificent beer!’ We think that’s a sentiment that’s now being echoed across the United Kingdom as more and more beer drinkers get the chance to sample it,” adds Ms Collet.

 

Beer guru Roger Protz, the award-winning writer on beer and blogger on Beer Pages, appreciates the way that Żywiec beer is created and applauds the longer fermentation process – which is up to 90 days – for the darker porter versions of the beverage. This, he says, gives the beer a more distinctive and enjoyable flavour.

 

Indeed, Żywiec is ranked third among all of Poland’s national consumer brands – and considered to be one of the strongest and most valuable, according to the Instytut Marki Polskiej (the Institute of Polish Brands). Żywiec compares well with the other Polish beer brands of Lech and Tyskie which are now familiar in off-licences, supermarkets and corner shops across the United Kingdom. In surveys, Żywiec regularly scores top for quality and prestige.

 

The involvement of Dutch brewing giant Heineken has allowed Grupa Żywiec to expand and modernise the brewery to the highest international specifications. It now produces five million hectolitres a year, and is available in 170 countries. One in three bottles of beer sold in Poland is manufactured by the group. Today, 140 trucks leave the plant with the daily production. It is now established as a true Polish legend – and a fairytale that has come true.

 

Poland is catching up with the United Kingdom in its new-found love of beer festivals during the hot, summer months. Each year, in mid June, the Żywiec Beerophile market and exhibition attracts aficionados from across Europe who exchange knowledge and stories, share collections and accessories related to all types of brewing. It’s a lot of fun and a chance to meet new friends in the little mountain town.

 

During the festival, the guests also have the opportunity to sample rival guest beers from the Czech Republic, Germany and Great Britain. But the highlight is the home-brewing contest which is now attracting first-rate products from a new generation of brewers, inspired by Żywiec. The home-brewed beer, in four categories, is assessed by a special jury, including leading brew masters from some of the leading European breweries. This event has done a huge amount to raise the profile of the region as a tourist attraction.

 

 

Żywiec Brewery Museum

 

Throughout the year, the Żywiec brewery is well worth a visit for those venturing out beyond Poland’s historic ancient capital in Kraków. The outstanding Żywiec Brewery Museum opened in September 2006, and is already one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region. The museum, the first of its kind in Poland, shows how the best traditions of brewing have been preserved and developed to meet the requirements of the 21st century.

 

The museum is located in the former maturing cellars that were still used until the 1980s. The lowest part of the brewery is cut into the solid mountain rock and visitors can explore the various chambers where the cool beer was once stored until it was ready for consumption – and export. There is also a chamber with a mock-up of the brewery at the turn of the 19th century, when the whole town was bustling with industry and local barley, grain and hops were brought by horse and cart to the brew house. Most of the original stone buildings still exist giving a unique insight into the past, but the visitor can also see how major expansion and modernisation has created a legendary Polish brand. At the end of the tour you can enjoy a free pint and the gift of a commemorative glass.

 

The brewery and museum is two hours from Kraków by car and public transport by bus is available, although no direct rail link. Beer buffs can fly directly to Kraków. There is now a host of low-cost carriers flying from across the United Kingdom to Poland’s ancient capital.

 

Kraków survived the Second World War virtually intact, and there is has a wealth of genuine architectural treasures to see. As a result, the city has been listed by UNESCO as one of the world’s most significant historic sites. The Market Square, rivalled in size only by Venice’s Piazza San Marco, is the focus of much of the city's social life – and that’s where the umbrellas embossed with Żywiec’s branding entice you to stop and enjoy Poland’s most famous beer.

 

The museum is open from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday. It’s best to book in advance because the tour is popular and there is a restriction on space.

 

Tickets cost PLN 16 (approx. GB£ 3.20) for adults, PLN 11 (approx. GB£ 2.20) for under-18s and children under 4 go free.

 

Muzeum Browaru Żywiec, Ul. Browarna 88, 43-300 Żywiec.

Telephone + 48 33 861 9627

www.muzeumbrowaru.pl