Pori Brewery

Pori Brewery, known in Finnish as Porin Oluttehdas, was a historic brewery based in Pori, Finland. Established in 1853 by local businessmen Anton Björnberg, K. J. Löneberg and Isaak Karström, it was initially called Bayerska Bryggeriet, or the Bavarian Brewery. The enterprise became one of Finland’s oldest breweries and was regarded as the country’s second-oldest brewery, as well as one of the oldest in the Nordic region. The business developed through a series of mergers and ownership changes. In 1898, it merged with another Pori brewery and adopted the name Bäckmans Ölbryggeri Ab. During the 1920s, ownership passed to Sulo Salmelin, a Tampere businessman who also owned Pyynikki Brewery. From 1940, the Pori operation formed part of Pyynikki Brewery. It returned to independent operation in 1959 under the name Porin Oluttehdas. Pori Brewery’s most important product legacy was Karhu beer, which had been brewed in Pori since 1929. Karhu was initially associated mainly with the Pori region, but wider marketing from the 1990s helped it become a national Finnish beer brand. By the end of that decade, Karhu had become Finland’s most popular beer. After the Pori plant closed, production of Karhu continued at Sinebrychoff’s brewery in Kerava, preserving the brand while ending its original association with the Pori production site. The brewery also produced non-alcoholic soft drinks. During the 1970s and 1980s, it manufactured Pepsi and Teem under license from PepsiCo. These activities made the brewery part of the broader Finnish beverage industry rather than a beer-only producer. Sinebrychoff acquired Pori Brewery in 1972. Sinebrychoff itself became part of the Carlsberg Group in 1997, making Carlsberg the ultimate owner during the brewery’s final years. In March 2009, Carlsberg announced plans to close the Pori facility. The plant reportedly produced approximately 40 million litres of beer annually, equivalent to about 10 percent of Sinebrychoff’s total production at the time. Operations ended in September 2009, and Sinebrychoff continued Finnish brewing from Kerava. The brewery occupied a site near central Pori beside the Kokemäenjoki River. Following closure, the property was planned for residential development, with most of the historic structures scheduled for demolition. In July 2013, part of the former brewery area was temporarily used as a concert venue during the Pori Jazz festival, when a temporary Otava Factory stage was erected on the warehouse site. Pori Brewery therefore survives primarily through its historical importance, its connection with Karhu, and the continuing use of the Pori brewing tradition in Finnish brand history.

Pori Brewery was founded in Pori in 1853 by Anton Björnberg, K. J. Löneberg and Isaak Karström. Its original name, Bayerska Bryggeriet, referred to the Bavarian brewing tradition that influenced its early identity. The brewery became part of the development of Finland’s nineteenth-century commercial brewing sector and was later recognized as the country’s second-oldest brewery. In 1898, the company merged with another brewery in Pori and was renamed Bäckmans Ölbryggeri Ab. Ownership changed again during the 1920s, when Tampere businessman Sulo Salmelin acquired the business. Salmelin also owned Pyynikki Brewery, and from 1940 the Pori operation was incorporated into the Pyynikki brewing organization. The company resumed independent operation in 1959 under the name Porin Oluttehdas. The brewery’s enduring product association began with Karhu, which was brewed in Pori from 1929. For several decades, Karhu was chiefly a regional beer associated with western Finland and the Pori area. Its commercial reach expanded during the 1990s when it was marketed throughout Finland. By the end of that decade, Karhu had become Finland’s leading beer by popularity. The brand later continued under Sinebrychoff production in Kerava after the Pori plant closed. Pori Brewery expanded beyond beer during the 1970s and 1980s by producing soft drinks, including Pepsi and Teem under license from PepsiCo. In 1972, Sinebrychoff bought the brewery. When Sinebrychoff came under Carlsberg ownership in 1997, Pori Brewery became part of the Carlsberg Group’s Finnish brewing network. In March 2009, Carlsberg announced that the Pori facility would be closed. The brewery’s annual beer output was approximately 40 million litres, representing around one-tenth of Sinebrychoff’s total production. Brewing ended in September 2009, and Finnish production was centralized at Kerava. The closure made Pori Brewery a defunct production site, although Karhu remained an active brand. The brewery stood close to central Pori on the bank of the Kokemäenjoki River. Plans for the former property included residential development and the removal of most of the old brewery buildings. The site retained a temporary cultural role in July 2013, when an Otava Factory stage was constructed on a warehouse area for the Pori Jazz festival. The brewery’s principal legacy is thus divided between the history of Finnish brewing in Pori, the Karhu brand, and the redevelopment of its former industrial site.

1. 2013Former site hosts Pori Jazz stage

   A temporary Otava Factory stage was built on part of the former brewery site for the Pori Jazz festival.

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2. 2009Brewery closes

   Carlsberg announced the closure in March, and Pori Brewery ceased production in September.

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3. 1997Sinebrychoff becomes part of Carlsberg

   Carlsberg acquired Sinebrychoff, bringing Pori Brewery into the Carlsberg Group.

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4. 1972Acquired by Sinebrychoff

   Finnish brewing company Sinebrychoff acquired Pori Brewery.

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5. 1959Returns to independent operation

   The brewery resumed independent operation under the name Porin Oluttehdas.

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6. 1940Joins Pyynikki Brewery

   Pori Brewery became part of Pyynikki Brewery, which was owned by Sulo Salmelin.

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7. 1929Karhu begins brewing in Pori

   The Karhu beer brand began to be brewed at the Pori brewery.

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8. 1898Merger creates Bäckmans Ölbryggeri Ab

   Pori Brewery merged with another Pori brewery and adopted the name Bäckmans Ölbryggeri Ab.

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9. 1853Brewery established in Pori

   Anton Björnberg, K. J. Löneberg and Isaak Karström established the brewery under the name Bayerska Bryggeriet.

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A historic regional Finnish brewery whose Karhu beer developed from a Pori specialty into a nationally prominent beer brand.

• KarhuBeer1929

  Karhu was Pori Brewery’s best-known beer and was brewed in Pori from 1929. It began as a beer with strong regional recognition in and around Pori. National marketing during the 1990s expanded its reach across Finland, and by the end of that decade it had become the country’s most popular beer. After the Pori facility closed, production continued under Sinebrychoff at Kerava, allowing the brand to remain active despite the disappearance of its original brewery.

• PepsiSoft drink

  Pori Brewery manufactured Pepsi soft drinks in Finland during the 1970s and 1980s under a license from PepsiCo. The product represented the brewery’s participation in licensed soft-drink production alongside its core beer business.

• TeemSoft drink

  Teem was a soft-drink product manufactured by Pori Brewery during the 1970s and 1980s under license from PepsiCo. It was part of the brewery’s non-alcoholic beverage portfolio before the Pori production site eventually closed.

• 2009Close the Pori production facilityStrategy

  Carlsberg reviewed its Finnish brewing footprint while Pori Brewery was part of the Sinebrychoff business. The Pori site produced approximately 40 million litres of beer annually, about 10 percent of Sinebrychoff’s total production.

  What changed. Carlsberg announced in March 2009 that the Pori brewery would close. Production ended in September, with brewing in Finland concentrated at the Kerava brewery.

  Aftermath. Pori Brewery became defunct as a production operation, while Karhu continued to be brewed by Sinebrychoff in Kerava. The former site was designated for redevelopment, primarily residential use.

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• 2013Pori Brewery site used as a temporary Pori Jazz venue

  Part of the former brewery property near the Kokemäenjoki River was used for a temporary concert stage during the Pori Jazz festival.

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• 2009Carlsberg announces closure of Pori Brewery

  Carlsberg Group announced that the Pori brewery would be closed as part of its Finnish brewing operations. The facility ceased production in September, with brewing concentrated at Sinebrychoff’s Kerava brewery.

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1. Pori Brewery