Dreher (Kőbánya) Brewery (Dreher Sörgyárak) in Budapest is owned byAsahi Breweries. Its main products are the Dreher Gold, Arany Ászok and Kőbányai Világospilsener-style lagers but it also brews Dreher Bak (a double bock), a full-bodied dark beer with a slight taste of caramel.
Until its closureKanizsa Brewery also belonged to the group, and produced beer under the Dreher Classic, Kanizsai Világos, Kanizsai Kinizsi, Balatoni Világos and Paracelsus brands.
Dreher Brewery was owned by theSouth African Breweries since 1993, and subsequently bySABMiller since 2002. As part of the agreements made with regulators beforeAnheuser-Busch InBev was allowed to acquire SABMiller in October 2016, Dreher was sold toAsahi Breweries of Japan on December 13, 2016; the deal was expected to close during the first half of 2017.[1][2][3][4]
Advertisement of famous products of the company in 1930sJenő Dreher at the horse races (he was a rider before he took over his father's business in Hungary)The headquarters inKőbánya, Budapest
Today, Dreher Breweries Ltd. is one of the three leading players in theHungarian beer market. The brewery still operates inKőbánya, in the restored brewery.
1854 – Peter Schmidt founder of “Kőbányai Serfőző Társaság” produced the first “Kőbányai Ser”
1862 –Anton Dreher, the “King of Beer” bought the “Kőbányai Serház”.
1870 – Anton Dreher Jr. took over the leadership of the company. He developed the technology and capacity of his factories, and Kőbánya soon became the largest brewery of Hungary.
1905 – Among his three sons, Anton Dreher Jr. entrusted Jenő with the management of the Kőbánya brewery, which became a corporation in 1907 under the name "Dreher Antal Kőbányai Serfőzdéje”. The company was the local market leader tillWorld War I.
1923 –Jenő Dreher [hu] continued to buy shares from the capitals of his competitors, from Haggenmacher Kőbányai and Budafoki Rt., Barber and Klusemann Brewery and the "Első Magyar Részvény Serfőzde”. The „Dreher Kombinát”, which was merged from these companies in 1923, bought up the "Királyi Serfőzde” of Kanizsa in 1928 also.
1933 – "Dreher-Haggenmacher Első Magyar Részvény Serfőzde” was launched, which ruled 70% of the market with its beers.
1948 – The property of the family kept in Hungary was taken into state ownership.
1949 – Establishment of "Kőbányai Sörgyárak Nemzeti Vállalat”.
1981 – Birth of the independent “Kőbányai Sörgyár”.
1992 – “Kőbányai Sörgyár” was converted into a shareholding company.
1997 – The company took up the name “Dreher Sörgyárak Ltd”.
2002 – The South African Breweries merged with theMiller Brewing Company to create theSABMiller group, which is the second largest brewing company of the world, with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. SABMiller plc is listed in theLondon stock exchange and the Johannesburg stock exchange, and its international brand portfolio includes brands such asPilsner Urquell,Peroni Nastro Azzurro,Miller Genuine Draft, andCastle Lager.
^Wells, Peter (December 13, 2016)."Asahi buys SABMiller's eastern European brands".FT. The Financial Times Ltd. RetrievedFebruary 3, 2017.A figure of more than €5bn ($5.32) for SABMiller's eastern European brands had been floating around in recent weeks as a likely price tag.
