Grolsch 2001: Same Dutch beer, but brew acquires a different Polish host

Brok brewery in Koszalin has signed an agreement with Dutch brewer Royal Grolsch NV, to become the exclusive producer and distributor of Grolsch beer in Poland from the beginning of next year. In 1995, Elbrewery signed a 10-year distribution agreement with Royal Grolsch. However, cooperation between Elbrewery and Royal Grolsch began to falter. When Heineken took over Elbrewery through the Zywiec Group in 1998, it became clear that Grolsch's deal would be terminated. Grolsch is a direct competitor of Heineken on European markets and the Zywiec Group is currently focusing heavily on boosting Heineken sales in Poland. In the first half of 2000, sales of Heineken were 87% higher than in the respective period last year. (Rzeczpospolita, page B3)