KRONENBOURG

Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world, and certainly the most popular. With its 10,000 years of heritage, Kronenbourg has been able to innovate and become the leader in beer production in France. Part of its product range was labelled Origine France Garantie in 2011.

History. The history of Kronenbourg began in 1664 with a young brewer, Jérôme IV Hatt, who opened the brewery Le Canon in the heart of Strasbourg. In 1850, faced with the frequent flooding of the Il (an important tributary of the Haut-Rhin), Frédéric Guillaume Hatt - 6th of the generation - transferred the brewery to Cronenbourg, on the heights of Strasbourg. In 1921, the Hatt family acquired the Brasserie du Tigre, a prestigious restaurant, and on this occasion launched the Tigre Bock, the ancestor of Kronenbourg. A few months later, it became the leading Alsatian brewery. In 1930, Tigre Bock was the French leader. And it was in 1947 that Jérôme Hatt decided to launch the "Kronenbourg" brand, in reference to the Alsatian district in which the beer is brewed. The "k" emphasizes the Germanic sound, synonymous with quality. In 1949, the company caused a sensation by consigning the first bottle capped in 33 cl and then 25 cl. And it now bears a red and white checkered label in homage to the Alsatian flag. In 1952, it launched the "1664", the best-selling French beer in the world. The following years saw the birth of the first metallic beer can, the six-pack, and in 1969, Kronenbourg opened a new production site in Obernai, Alsace. In 2008, the Carlsberg group acquired the brand.

The products. In 350 years, Kronenbourg has created a very wide range of beers, including: Kronenbourg, 1664, Grimbergen, Carlsberg, Skøll and Tourtel Twist.

Employment. While Jerome IV Hatt produced 2,500 hectolitres of beer per year at the time, annual production now stands at 7 million hectolitres. The company has 1,200 employees.