Let me present you the journey through two most recognizable breweries in Krakow. Our journey begins at Browar Lubicz, established in 1840 by a Swiss newcomer, Rudolf Jenny. For almost 200 years, one of the finest Galician beers was brewed here. I can tell you, this tradition is being continued in the beautifully restored 19th-century building of the Old Malthouse.
After an exceptional beer adventure at Browar Lubicz, I’ll take you to the famous C.K Browar. I know you won’t find beer tasting the same anywhere else in the world; the ambiance has charmed tourists from all over for years.
- If you like a beer I suggest you also read this article about the best bars and pubs for having a beer in Krakow.
„Lubicz” Brewery in Kraków
Founded in 1840 by Rudolf Jenny, a Swiss national, Browar Lubicz was located at the intersection of Strzelecka and Lubicz streets. The historical buildings preserved include a weigh-house, storage facilities, malt kiln and malt house, a boiler room with a characteristic 37-meter chimney, a steam machine building, fermentation and maturation cellars, a brewhouse, a residential complex, and administrative and social buildings.
When Jenny established the brewery in the suburb of Wesoła, which was not part of Krakow city then, Galician breweries were still small factories. I think it’s worth mentioning that the two plots Jenny bought for the brewery construction, covering a total area of 1.67 ha, could accommodate at least several small contemporary beer factories, proving that his intention was not to establish just another small plant.
↳ Make sure to read my guide to the most amazing places to stay in Kraków:
How to Find Best Place to Stay in Krakow Old Town – Your Guide
- I think it’s interesting for you to know that in Poland we also have a beer fest, you can read more about this event here.
Brewery Innovation and Expansion
After R. Jenny’s death in 1853, the brewery was taken over by his son-in-law, Juliusz August John – a merchant from Königsberg. He embarked on a dynamic expansion of the brewery. In the 1850s, he built a new barrel store, and in 1865, cellars, two malthouses, two ice houses, new stables for oxen and horses, and installed steam engines and boilers ordered from Zieleniewski.
He also expanded the palace within the brewery premises. John quickly made the brewery one of the largest first in Krakow, and then in Galicia, producing around 15,000 buckets of beer annually. For comparison, at that time, the archducal brewery in Żywiec produced 40,000 buckets per year.
From 1879, J.A. John’s sons, Alfred and Hugon, took over the day-to-day management of the brewery. They continued their father’s investments, mainly by constructing new ice houses and coolers, forwarding warehouses, a power plant (1899 – one of the first in Krakow), and finally, they transformed the old cellars into a dining hall and built a magnificent factory residenxe.
Sale and Modernization – 1904 Onwards
In 1904, the Johns sold the brewery to Baron Jan Götz – Okocimski, a landowner and the owner of the brewery in Okocim. In the year of purchase itself, he began serious modernization of the plant, constructing a new factory building, housing a beer-drawing hall, cooler, washroom, barrel store, and dispatch; he also added two maturation cellars.
Two years later, he installed the third steam boiler in the brewery. These investments made the brewery one of the largest industrial plants in Krakow — in 1914, 36,000 hectoliters of beer were produced there.
I think you will also like this article: A Guide to the Must-Visit Breweries in Poland’s Beer Triangle
Impact of Economic Crises and Wars
The great economic crisis of the 1930s led to a decline in beer demand, resulting in a four-week brewery workers’ strike in the summer of 1936. The halt in the plant’s operation led to beer spoilage and, consequently, the loss of customers. This forced Jan Götz – Okocimski’s son, Antoni, who took over the brewery after his father’s death in 1931, to temporarily shut down production.
However, the situation improved, and in 1938, three separate plants operated on the brewery grounds: the brewery itself, a malt processing plant producing malt coffee, malt extract, and malt candies, and an artificial ice factory. At that time, the brewery produced 12,300 hectoliters of beer annually, which constituted 1% of national production.
During the German occupation and after World War II, until the nationalization of the brewery in 1946, the factory was managed by Juliusz Komornicki – a member of the Götz family. After nationalization, a thorough modernization of the brewery was carried out in 1955 – 1968, eliminating steam engines, which had previously been the only source of power for all machines in the plant.
In addition, traditional beer cooling with ice was removed and refrigeration compressors were installed, all equipment in the brewhouse, fermentation cellars, and maturation cellar was replaced, while simultaneously removing traditional wooden vats and oak barrels.
Lubicz Brewery in the Late 1960s
At the end of the 1960s, the Krakow brewery merged with the Okocim Brewing Plants. At that time, one of the first block brewhouses in Poland was built, and a bottling line brought from the GDR was installed. Another significant technological upgrade took place in the late 1980s. After the privatization of the Okocim brewing plants in 2001, the new owner — Carlsberg — decided to cease beer production in Krakow.
Do you know who is the biggest beer manufacturer in Poland? If you didn’t, then I suggest you read this article: Who Rules the Polish Beer Market? Exploring the Top Breweries
C.K. Brewery In Kraków
Let me say, C.K. Browar found its home in a prestigious place in Kraków, a mere few hundred meters from the market square. Stand in front of the brewery, and you’ll glimpse the Sukiennice building. It’s nestled right where Szewska, Dunajewskiego, Karmelicka, Krupnicza, and Podwale streets converge, near the Planty park. The surrounding scenery is a mash-up of historic buildings, modern structures, and bustling city traffic, with the greenery of the Old Town contrasting with the cobblestone tram tracks. The building itself and its ambiance take you back in about a hundred years.
I can tell, descending the steps to the C.K. Browar cellars, indeed, catapults you into a different reality. The comparison with the typical Prague locales is more than justified. The High Vaulted Ceilings, raw walls, and the subtle lighting enhance the dark cellar tones and the bulky furniture. The place is brimming with exposed memorabilia and breweriana, enougf to convince anyone that beer was the owner’s passion.
The Brewery’s Unveiled History
Behind the bar, you’ll find a 10 hl brewery of Austrian production, its copper pots aged and patinaed from 25 years of brewing. Hidden from guests’ eyes is a compact lagering area with 20 hl fermentation and dispensing tanks. I was able to taste a porter (an English style) straight from the tank, thanks to the courteous staff and a quick call to the brewer lady. Although time pressed on me, I grabbed a set of beers for the evening and received two beautiful glasses as a gift, one with the timeless pattern: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWER.
Exciting Developments Ahead
As I mentioned, I brought a set of liter bottles back with me to the western outskirts of Małopolska, to Jaworzno. That very evening, I had the pleasure of treating my neighboring friends with beer during the match. The Dunkel Stood Out, but the Ingwer, a beer with a touch of ginger, was also intriguing. It reminded me of the ginger beer from Pivovar Moritz in Olomouc, an excellent lager.
I believe it is worth mentioning that C.K. Browar will have its second brewery. This production facility is taking shape west of Kraków, slightly closer to Zagłębie Śląsko-Dąbrowskie. Surprised? I certainly was!
References:
- https://ckbrowar.pl/
- https://browar-lubicz.com.pl/
- https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browar_Lubicz
