A Hop and Brewing Research Institute Is Founded in Žalec

On August 1, 1952, the Celje District Cooperative Union established the Institute for Hop Research and Brewing in Žalec, in present-day Slovenia. The founding date and organization are recorded in the Slovenian government’s 2002 decision reorganizing the institute as a public institution. The institute developed into a center for research, advice, and education serving hop growers and the brewing industry. Its work encompasses hop breeding, cultivation, plant nutrition, protection against diseases and pests, and brewing. Establishing an institution in Žalec gave the region’s hop-growing industry a dedicated base for developing and applying scientific knowledge.