150 YEARS OF BREWING
HERITAGE

1873

banja luka

Fra Grga Martić Street

Banja Luka Brewery was founded by the Trappist monks under the guidance of Franz Pfanner way back in 1873. In addition to beer, the monks produced the famous Trappist cheese, built the first hydroelectric power plant in the Balkans, started more than 20 trades and founded a hospital.


Franz Pfanner

Banja Luka Brewery founder

The convenient location and good water properties of the Vrbas mountain river in Banja Luka region enabled the production of high-quality beer. However, there was another reason why this golden drink originated in Banja Luka. At that time, the favorite drink of the people of Banja Luka was homemade brandy, which in most cases had a bad effect on health. The Trappists came up with a plan to wean the people off the brandy with top-quality beer that served and was prescribed as therapy.

1945

banja luka

WORLD WAR II

The Second World War caused difficulties in the work of the brewery, which, despite everything, did not stop working. After the war, the brewery was nationalized and became the property of the state.

Isolated on the edge of the city, surrounded by greenery and forest, carefully protected from all kinds of pollution, with high-quality beer and consistent production and operations, the brewery resisted the economic downturn after the war and once again experienced the awakening.



1962

The official name Nektar was created in the 1960s, and during that time, filling 0.33 bottles began, followed by the brewery modernization.

For the first time, Nektar beer was produced on automated lines with a capacity of several thousand bottles per hour.



1975

Production begins on completely new and automated lines, with filling capacity of 10,000 bottles per hour.



1984

Nektar beer wins the Grand Gold medal at the Monde Selection for product quality.



2009

The Brussels Institute awards Banja Luka Brewery with a quality certificate, and Nektar beer receives the status of “Superbrand” product for Bosnia and Herzegovina.



2012

The new look of Nektar beer was presented, and already in the following year, beer sales exceeded the magical figure of 40,000,000 liters for the first time in history.



2023

THE YEAR OF THE GREAT JUBILEE

150 years

From a brave small brewery to the leader in the region! We are proud of every beer that has come out of production, every memory we have created together and each of the 150 years.

150

YEARS

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