The Dojlidy Brewery in Bialystok was established in 1768, and its flagship brand is Zubr, the most popular
beer in Poland.
Dojlidy Brewery
The history of the Brewery is turbulent, and its owners changed frequently: it belonged to the Branicki, Radziwill, Rüdiger and Lubomirski families, among others. However, despite the changes, beer from the Białystok brewery has always enjoyed great respect among lovers of the golden beverage. The current plant has been in continuous operation for more than 70 years. It was the last to join Kompania Piwowarska and has expanded under its wings, becoming one of the most important companies in Podlasie.
Thanks to the work and passion of Białystok brewers, the well-known and well-liked Zubr was born. Initially known only to beer lovers in the region, today it is the most popular beer in Poland and Kompania Piwowarska's second largest export brand.
For years, the Dojlidy Brewery has been brewing Zubr beer, which is the most popular beer in Poland.
The brand's environmental activities, which were initiated through cooperation with the Bialowieza National Park, are formalized through the creation of the Bison Fund. The Fund cooperates with national parks, scientific units and public benefit organizations, and implements projects for nature conservation.
1768 - 2026
History of Dojlidy Brewery
1768
According to archives and an inventory compiled after the death of Grand Crown Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki, in 1768 a large brewing plant is erected in the Dojlidy manor, just owned by the Branicki family. This year is taken as the date when the Dojlidy brewery was founded. Its name comes from the name of the Balts tribe, which inhabited the northeastern regions of Poland centuries ago.
1808-1821
The dojlidz estate is owned by the Radziwill family.
1891
At the end of the 19th century, the manor changes hands to the Count Rüdiger family. On their initiative, a classical-style palace is built on the site of the former manor house, near which a steam brewery is built in 1891, bringing in handsome profits.
1898
The brewery is destroyed by fire and rebuilt under the supervision of Jozef Lenczewski-Samoti.
1915
During World War I, the dojlidz estate, including the brewery, is not damaged much, but in 1915 the Russians remove all equipment from the brewery.
1921
The estate passed into the hands of Prince Jerzy Rafał Lubomirski and prospered. In the interwar period, production reaches about 75,000 hectoliters of beer and the brewery employed about 150 workers. Dojlidz beer is sold in 40 depots in the eastern borderlands of the Republic, including Grodno, Brest and Vilnius, and even reaches Warsaw. By the end of the 1920s, the brewery is a significant enterprise on the economic map of Poland - it ranks seventh in terms of the number of beers brewed and is the largest plant of its kind in the east of the country. It remains in the hands of the Lubomirski family until 1939.
1944
During World War II, the Dojlidy Brewery is occupied by the Germans, who brew beer there and partially destroy it in 1944.
1948
On February 12, the dojlid brewery is taken over by the state.
1954
Launched after the war, the brewery is part of the Bialystok Brewing and Malting Plant in Bialystok.
1969
The brewery becomes part of Zakłady Piwowarskie sp. z o.o., which also includes breweries in Suwałki and Lomza.
1989
The brewery begins producing Pepsi Cola, and from that day on, it ranks at the top of Vienna's ranking list for determining the quality of the beverage.
1993-1994
Beer from a Białystok brewery wins recognition. On April 30, Zakłady Piwowarskie Sp. z o.o. receives a Gold Medal for its dark strong beer Porter Dojlidy and a Gold Medal for its light strong beer Magnat Dojlidy at the 6th Polish Beer Festival in Lodz. A year later, the title of Beer of the Year 1993 goes to the Dojlidy Zlote and Dojlidy Magnat beers at the Beer Club at the Piwnica pod Jaszczurami in Krakow.
1996
In December, the German brewing concern Binding Brauerei of Frankfurt becomes the majority shareholder of Zakłady Piwowarskie Sp. z o.o. in Bialystok.
1997-1999
On March 3, the name of Zakłady Piwowarskie Sp. z o.o. is changed to Dojlidy Brewery Sp. z o.o. By the end of the 1990s, modernization is carried out: a new brewhouse, beer filtration station, bottling lines - can, bottle and keg, laboratories, finished product warehouse are built.
2003
On February 4, Kompania Piwowarska acquires a majority stake in Dojlidy Brewery Ltd. The beer brand Zubr is entering the market, launching its long-standing, much-loved and award-winning advertising campaign with the spot "Mruczando." The distinctive commercials using the brand's icon (Zubr) and amusing ambiguous beer puns, which allude to the lives of the inhabitants of the Białowieża Forest, are winning the hearts of Poles. Zubr is gradually gaining its position as Poland's favorite beer.
2003-2006
Major investments are underway: the brewery is being enriched with a new brewhouse and cellars, a bottling line for filling non-returnable bottles (at a rate of 60,000 bottles per hour) and storage space. As a result, production capacity is almost tripling, to 2.2 million hectoliters per year (in 2003 it was about 800,000 hectoliters). In total, the expansion and modernization costs about PLN 150 million.
2012
The tanks at Dojlidy Brewery are decorated in an original way: they look like five giant cans of Zubr beer. The mountaineers use 200 liters of paint and nearly 500 spray paints to paint the 2,000-square-meter area.
2018
Dojlidy Brewery is celebrating its 250th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the brewery's logo is being refreshed and the tanks repainted.
2019
The administrative building from 1901 in the Dojlidy Brewery complex is entered in the register of monuments of the Podlaskie province. Bison is beginning to support endangered species and is encouraging consumers to do so with special labels and advertising spots. The campaign continues in subsequent years. The brand's environmental activities, which were initiated through cooperation with the Bialowieza National Park, are formalized through the creation of the Bison Fund. Its mission is to preserve what is most valuable in wildlife and build awareness of the importance of protecting its riches. To this end, the Fund cooperates with national parks, scientific units and public benefit organizations, and implements projects for nature conservation - both long-term and those that require quick action.
2024
Żubr debuts on the list of the world's 50 most valuable beer brands as the first brand from Poland. In the ranking prepared by the Brand Finance consulting firm, it ranks 48th.t
