A Banja Luka Craft Story: The Master Craft Brewery

Editor’s note: This text is part of the HEDONIST archive and was originally published in 2020, in the second issue of the print edition.

Ljubomir Marić, the owner of MCB and a passionate beer enthusiast, told HEDONIST magazine that the idea of opening a craft brewery first came to him during a visit to relatives in the United States back in 2006. However, he only leaped into what he describes as a fairly risky investment 12 years later.

“While I was in the U.S., my family took me to a few places like that. Of course, everything there is huge, so I asked them where all those breweries came from. They explained that these weren’t traditional breweries, but local craft operations. Breweries, I thought, don’t look like that - back home they’re factories with silos, guards, gates, trucks… They explained that this was craft production, something I knew almost nothing about at the time. I liked it a lot. When I returned to Banja Luka, I started developing the idea, and after a few years, I decided to go for it and launch my own production,” Marić recalls.

He adds that setting up the facility and acquiring high-quality equipment took considerable time, energy, and investment.

“As for the production side, we currently have the most modern equipment for craft beer production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although beer as a category is huge in this country, craft beer is still almost statistically insignificant. But we’re working to change that. We chose quality - good equipment, good technology, solid recipes, and quality ingredients, and the result should be good beer,” says Marić.

What Makes Craft Beer Different

For readers who have not yet had the chance to try craft beer, the key question is how it differs from the industrial beer most people are used to. According to Marić, there are two main differences.

“The first is in the ingredients. We use only original raw materials - we make beer the way it used to be made and the way it should be made. However, the economics of large-scale production require bigger volumes, lower prices, and solid profit margins. This has led to cheaper industrial beer production, and when prices drop, everything gets cut - including ingredients. By law, up to 50% of substitute ingredients can be used without being declared. These substitutes include rice, corn grits, and barley. They are rich in starch and can also produce alcohol and CO₂ during fermentation, just like malt, but they are much cheaper. The downside is that they also produce unwanted by-products, which don’t occur when using malt,” Marić explains.

The second difference lies in the production process.

“In our brewery, everything is natural. Fermentation is natural and given enough time to complete. Other processes, like aging, also take the time they need. In industrial production, accelerated fermentation, additives, flavor enhancers, aromas, and preservatives are used to free up capacity and produce faster and in larger quantities. Industrial beers are typically pasteurized and filtered - we don’t do that. We don’t add anything except the basic ingredients: malt, hops, yeast, and water. Because of all this, industrial beer can be produced in about four days, while our process takes around a month. That’s where the quality versus quantity difference becomes clear. I entered this business out of passion, and quality comes first. Industry, on the other hand, is driven by profit, often at the expense of the final product,” says Marić.

Six Styles, One Philosophy

MCB currently produces several popular craft beer styles.

“We brew six types: session ale, a light and refreshing summer beer; pilsner, a lager style from the German tradition; pale ale, a medium-strength English-style beer; IPA, a stronger and more aromatic version of pale ale; stout, a dark English-style beer; and wheat beer, also from the English tradition. Our best-selling beer is pale ale, which is typical for emerging craft markets because it’s not drastically different from what people are used to. During summer, session ale, which we like to call Banja Luka’s craft beer, is a great choice, while in winter, pale ale, IPA, and stout are more popular,” he explains.

Craft, Taste, and Hedonism

It was the right moment to ask Marić how he sees hedonism - and whether he considers himself a hedonist.

“I think one look at me says enough,” he laughs. “It’s very hard to create a truly high-quality product without love and attention. If you’re doing it only for profit, it can be good, but rarely exceptional. Besides beer, I’m a big fan of traditional dishes - stews, slow-cooked meals, barbecue. When I wake up rested, go to the butcher, choose a good cut of meat, and prepare it properly, the result is great. When I’m in a rush, people still compliment the food, but I know it was better the week before. That’s that intangible factor - you can’t measure it, but it’s definitely about attitude and dedication. That’s what I would call hedonism. True hedonism is enjoying things that don’t necessarily have to be material, although it’s easier when they are. The real values are often beyond the material - they lie in personal satisfaction and inner balance,” Marić concludes.

And it’s easy to agree - sometimes, pleasure really does come down to the simple things. Like a glass of good beer.

What Is Craft Beer?

According to the Brewers Association, the term “craft brewery” originated in the United States and refers to a small, independent brewery (with no more than 25% ownership by a non-industry company) that uses traditional ingredients and produces no more than six million barrels of beer annually.

Craft Culture in the Region

Craft culture is well developed in the surrounding region, particularly in Serbia and Croatia, where numerous craft producers follow global standards and specialized venues offer dozens, even hundreds, of different beers.

“In general, craft culture is tied to the standard of living. It’s very developed in Slovenia and Croatia, and also quite strong in Serbia, especially in Belgrade and Novi Sad, which is interesting given that the overall standard there is lower than in Slovenia and Croatia,” says Marić.

How to Drink Craft Beer Properly

Craft beers are best enjoyed at slightly higher temperatures than most people are used to, allowing their flavors and aromas to fully develop.

“This is the opposite of industrial beers, which are advertised as being served ice-cold. At very low temperatures, our taste receptors can’t detect flavors properly - whether they’re good or bad. That’s why you often hear people say, ‘Give me a cold one, this is warm, I can’t drink it.’ As the beer warms up, its true taste becomes noticeable, and it often turns out that it’s neither particularly pleasant nor high quality,” Marić explains.

• Written by: Nebojša Lakić / HEDONIST
• Originally published in HEDONIST Magazine, Issue 02, 2020