Franz Geyer Begins Brewing in Laško

In 1825, Franz Geyer began brewing in Laško, in what is now Slovenia. The Historical Archives of Celje identify him as the originator of the brewery’s activity that year. Laško’s local historical account associates the early business with the former Valvasor hospital, which Geyer purchased and adapted for brewing. The character of Geyer’s beer is uncertain. The local account considers both stone beer, familiar in neighboring Carinthia, and Bavarian beer possible. Under later owners, the brewery moved beyond its early premises: after acquiring it in 1866, Anton Larisch built an industrial brewery across the Savinja River below Šmihel. The 1825 milestone belongs to the beginnings of the business, before that later expansion.