Construction of the 30 billion forint Dreher quarry has commenced

Construction of the new plant units, the fermentation plant and the new energy centre has begun at the Dreher factory in Kőbánya. The self-financed investment, worth HUF 30 billion, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with production continuing uninterrupted during the construction period, Dreher Sörgyárak Zrt. announced on Tuesday.

According to the announcement

This development is the first phase of the company's 100 billion HUF investment, as part of which the underground passages of the 13th-century limestone mine beneath the historic Dreher factory have already been reinforced so that construction of the new plant units can begin.

300,000 litres of beer can be produced at a time

They pointed out that the new fermentation plant will completely revamp the fermentation process. To this end, 35 tanks with a net capacity of approximately 300 cubic metres each have already been shipped from Germany via the Danube, and will be able to produce 300,000 litres of beer at a time. The tanks were transported by road from the Csepel Free Port to the factory site.

One of the most critical steps in beer production is fermentation after brewing, during which yeast converts the sugars in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which essentially determines the taste, aroma and carbonation of the beer, they noted.

The new energy centre being built next to the fermentation plant will serve the entire production process and improve water and energy efficiency. Once the investments described in the announcement have been implemented, the further direction of developments will be determined based on developments in the domestic market.

Founded in 1854, Dreher Breweries currently has an annual production capacity of 220 million litres of beer. Eighty-six per cent of its suppliers are small and medium-sized domestic enterprises. Since 2017, Dreher Sörgyárak Zrt. has been a subsidiary of Asahi, Japan's largest beer producer, and thus distributes not only traditional Hungarian brands such as Dreher, Arany Ászok and Kőbányai – it also distributes globally popular beers such as Asahi Super Dry, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni and HB.