Lasko

Laško built its identity on the intersection of thermal water and fermentation. The brewery, founded in 1825 by gingerbread baker Franz Geyer, discovered in 1889 that thermal water improved beer's taste—creating "thermal beer" as a category. By 1991, Pivovarna Laško had grown from fifth-largest in Yugoslavia to largest among 28 breweries. Independence cost it the Yugoslav market; consolidation followed.

The merger path traces Slovenia's post-independence economic evolution. Laško acquired Union in 2005, creating near-monopoly in Slovenian beer. Heineken purchased the combined entity in 2016, integrating Slovenian brewing into global supply chains. The 2025 bicentennial celebrates heritage while acknowledging that local ownership has passed to Amsterdam.

Thermal waters remain under local control. Thermana Laško and Rimske Terme (Roman baths—the thermal tradition predates brewing by millennia) draw wellness tourists. The innovation is combining both traditions: beer wellness offers sauna in brewer's kettles, massage with beer emulsion, and Gambrinus baths. The annual Beer and Flowers Festival transforms the brewery's industrial legacy into cultural spectacle.

By 2026, Laško will likely continue its dual identity: manufacturing base for Heineken's Slovenian operations, thermal destination for wellness tourism. The model shows how small towns navigate global consolidation—surrender production to multinationals, retain experience as differentiator. The beer may be brewed to Dutch specifications, but the spa remains Slovenian.