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| Industry | Brewing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1664; 361 years ago (1664) |
| Founder | Geronimus Hatt |
| Headquarters | , France |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner | Carlsberg |
| Website | kronenbourg |
Kronenbourg Brewery (French:Brasseries Kronenbourg,German:Kronenbourg Brauerei,pronounced[kʁɔnɑ̃buʁ]) is abrewery founded in 1664 by Geronimus Hatt in theFree Imperial City of Straßburg,Holy Roman Empire (todayStrasbourg,France). The name comes from the area where the brewery relocated in 1850. The company is owned by the Danish multinationalCarlsberg. The premium brand (and the one sold in the greatest volumes outside France) isKronenbourg 1664, a 4.6%abvpale lager.
Geronimus Hatt, who obtained his Master Brewer's certificate in 1649, started up the Canon Brewery in the Place du Corbeau inStrasbourg. His son Claude (born November 1665), succeeded his father in the trade in 1683. However, the frequent flooding of the RiverIll compelled in 1850 a move to the higher terrain of Cronenbourg, an area of Strasbourg.
In 1922, the Hatt Brewery changed its name to Tigre Bock, the most well-known brand of the Tiger Brewery it had acquired to become the leading brewer inAlsace. Following theSecond World War, Kronenbourg became the name of the company, and began international expansion. In 1970, it was acquired by industrial group BSN (nowGroupe Danone), along with the Société Européenne de Brasseries (Kanterbräu). In 1986, Kronenbourg merged with Kanterbräu.
In 1953, Kronenbourg was sold in theUK for the first time in honour of[citation needed]the coronation ofQueen Elizabeth II.
In 1970, the brewer was acquired by Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), a glass-making conglomerate, which addedEvian to its list of mergers in the same year. In 1973 BSN itself would merge and form BSN-Gervais Danone.
In 2000, Kronenbourg was acquired from Danone by British companyScottish & Newcastle for £1.7 billion.[1]
In April 2008, Scottish & Newcastle's operations were sold toHeineken andCarlsberg, the latter acquiring Kronenbourg.[2][3]
Its mainbreweries are inObernai and inChampigneulles, although the Champigneulles site is now up for sale.
On 2 April 2015, Brasseries Kronenbourg launched a new corporate identity which it will use in corporate communications. It was designed by Carré Noir, which has been the brewery's design agency for several years. According to a press release, the new logo reaffirms Kronenbourg's identity as a French brewer with 350 years of history.[3]
Kanterbräu is a 4.2% pale lager.
Kronenbourg 1664 is a 5.5%pale lager first brewed in 1952.[4] A small amount of theStrisselspalt hop, a French aroma hop from Alsace, is used.[5] The main Kronenbourg 1664 brewery (where Kronenbourg also produces almost 300 other beer brands) is inObernai (France), but the brand is also brewed in theUK by Heineken at itsManchester brewery, inAustralia by Coopers, as well as inUkraine by Carlsberg.
Other brands include: 1664 Brune; Single Malt (French name Malt d'Exception), 6.1% abv; Kronenbourg Blanc, a fruitywheat beer with citrus notes; Kronenbourg Premier Cru 6.0% abv; Kronenbourg Cold Premier 5.0%, a super chilled variant on 1664, draught only, UK; and Kronenbourg Red 4.2%abv.[6]
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