From the city's brewers to URPINER
Beer was brewed in Banská Bystrica long before the modern plant existed. The brewery's official history dates the first mention of local brewing to 1501. This marks the city's brewing tradition, rather than the founding of today's company.
By the 17th century, the city had more than 80 breweries. In 1636, the craft's rules were set out in the Brewers' Articles, a document comprising 20 articles. A new municipal brewery was built in 1871 on what is now Moyzes Square.
It had an unusual arrangement: brewing took place on the square, while fermentation and storage cellars were located elsewhere, near Trosky. The wort was transported between the sites in wooden vats. In winter, ice was harvested from three ponds owned by the brewery.
Construction of the modern plant in Radvaň–Kráľová began in 1968. It opened on 13 August 1971 as Pivovar Urpín, with a design capacity of 350,000 hectolitres a year. A comprehensive modernisation programme began on 1 May 2007. Today, Banskobystrický pivovar brews the URPINER brand.
History and archive photographs — official URPINER website ↗