The Elbrewery Company is Poland's largest brewery and belongs to the Żywiec Group, established in 1998 after merging Zakłady Piwowarskie Żywiec SA and Brewpole B.V..
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The history of the Elbląg brewing tradition dates back to 1309, when Teutonic Master Siegfried von Leuchtwangen granted the town brewing privileges. In 1900, the Elbląg brewery was the exclusive supplier of beer and pilsner for Emperor Wilhelm II’s court.
1998 was landmark year when Żywiec S.A. and Brewpole BV (Elbrewery, Warka, Leżajsk) merged to form Grupa Zywiec S.A.. The Dutch Heineken Group (Heineken International Beheer B.V.) then became a majority shareholder in Grupa Zywiec S.A. with a 61% shareholding. Harbin B.V., a private investment company and the former owner of Brewpole B.V. owns 36.2% and the remaining shares are publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The brewery has a capacity of approximately 2 million hl.[1]
"EB" was a popular brand of beer introduced by Elbrewery in 1993 and marketed toward young consumers. Although Grupa Żywiec no longer includes EB in its product line, the beer is still available in the United States, Germany and other export markets. According to the Grupa Żywiec website, Elbrewery currently produces the following beers: Specjal Jasny Pełny, Specjal Mocny, Warka Gdańskie, and Hevelius Kaper.
The Elbrewery's logo features a kangaroo and an emu.