The Craft Beer Revolution Delivering Results: First New Brewery to Open in Split after 45 Years.
Split and indeed the whole of Dalmatia, have not had a commercial brewery since 2009 when Jadran Brewery ceased production. Jadran had been founded in 1970 and produced popular beers, but was sold in the wave of privatizations after Croatian independence, and unfortunately the value of its prime development land proved more valuable to the new owners than making beer.
Then the craft beer revolution started, and the very first new brewery in Dalmatia, and so far the only commercial one, Vunetovo, opened on
Hvar island a couple of years ago.
Now, as reported by Zoran Vitas in Vecernji List's "Volim Pivu" column on December 12, 2015, Split is finally getting its own new craft brewery, LAB Craft Brewery.
LAB recently debuted its first beer, Barba Pale Ale in Zagreb and Split. One key goal was for Barba to be refreshing and drinkable in the hot Dalmatian summers when temperatures soar to 35 or more degrees Centigrade. So they designed Barba as a classic American Pale Ale,
made from two sorts of malt and using three kinds of hops, with 45 IBUs and 5.5% ABV.
Commercial production, in their own plant capable of producing 20,000 litres a month is planned for January. Plans are afoot for three to four permanent beer varieties, with occasional seasonal beers.
There are rumours of at least one other craft brewery opening in Split soon, and another in Zadar. As soon as we have more concrete information you will be able to read about it here.
