25.11.2014

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1800 ‒ B. J. Hesse starts to brew beer for the citizens of Tartu, whose small brewery, in the course of 200 years, turns into the biggest continuously operating beverage producer of Estonia, presently known as A. Le Coq.

1807 – A . Le Coq & Co. is founded in 1807 by a Prussian family of the same name, who were descendants of the Huguenots.

1826 ‒ Beer brewer J. R. Schramm from Tallinn starts to produce lager in Tartu

1830 ‒ In order to expand his family wine business, tradesman Albert L. J. Le Coq settles in London and starts to bottle and export Russian Imperial Stout under his name.

1880 ‒ Albert L. J. Le Coq sells the successful export company to his business associate, the Sillem family.

1893 ‒ The brewery, owned by J. R. Schramm’s successors is renamed Tivoli and manufacture is moved from the centre of Tartu to Tähtvere.

1896 ‒ Tivoli becomes a public limited company and the newly built large modern brewery sets out to conquer the market.

1900 ‒Tivoli Ltd. buys the company that belonged to A. D. Musso (former B. J. Hesse), which becomes Tivoli Ltd. Jaani Street Brewery.

1904 ‒ A. Le Coq is transformed into a private limited company. Within two years, the company headquarters and bottling plant are moved from London to St. Petersburg.

1912 ‒ A. Le Coq is granted the title of the official supplier of the Russian emperor’s court.

1912 ‒ A. Le Coq buys Tivoli Ltd. in Tartu.

1913 ‒ The production of Imperial Extra Double Stout starts in Tartu. Tivoli is renamed A. Le Coq.

1914 ‒ World War I stops the growing success of A. Le Coq.

1917‒1918 ‒ A. Le Coq Tartu factories are vandalized by Russian and German armies; St. Petersburg subsidiary is liquidated.

1921 ‒ A. Le Coq factory starts to operate again in the independent Republic of Estonia.

1926 ‒ A. Le Coq buys Gambrinus. Estonian beer market is divided between two major breweries – A. Le Coq and Saku.

1933 ‒ On the initiative of A. Le Coq, the agreement of sale zones is terminated. Free competition substantially increases the sales volume of A. Le Coq products.

1938 ‒ A. Le Coq opens a new beer and soft drink bottling plant in Tallinn on Suur-Patarei Street to meet the increasing needs of the capital city.

1940 ‒ A. Le Coq is nationalized. Pre-war sales volumes have made the Tartu-based enterprise the biggest manufacturer of beer in Estonia.

1941 ‒ Nationalized A. Le Coq Ltd. is renamed AS Tartu Õlletehas (Tartu Brewery).

1941‒1944 ‒ A. Le Coq operates as the state-owned Bierbrauerei Dorpat. Nearly 80 % of beer production goes to satisfy the needs of the German army.

1944 ‒ In September, Tartu Õlletehas is subordinated again to the People’s Commissariat of the Food Processing Industry of the ESSR.

1950 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas is thoroughly reconstructed.

1958 – The production capacity of Tartu Õlletehas exceeds 10 million litres of beer per year.

1960 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas is appointed as the leading enterprise of beer and soft drinks.

1962 ‒ A new beer bottling department is built, it is the most modern and efficient one in the whole of the Soviet Union at the time.

1968 ‒ Bottling of the first Estonian mineral water Värska begins.

1973 ‒ As an acknowledgement, Tartu Õlletehas is renamed Tartu Eksperimentaalõlletehas (Tartu Experimental Brewery).

1980 ‒ Beer production increases six-fold compared to the pre-war production volume.

1995 ‒ Newly independent Republic of Estonia privatizes the state-owned company Tartu Õlletehas. New owners, Magnum Konsuumer, start to modernize the company, they buy new equipment and a bottling line of plastic bottles.

1997 ‒ Finnish brewery Olvi Oyj acquires the shares of Tartu Õlletehas.

1998 ‒ Holding company A. Le Coq Ltd. is founded, which in addition to Tartu Õlletehas, also acquires ownership in the Latvian brewery Cesu Alus and Lithuanian brewery Ragutis AB.

1999 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas becomes the first company in Estonia to produce cider.

2001 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas becomes the first company in Estonia to produce sports drinks.

2002 ‒ A. Le Coq becomes the leading producer of beverages in Estonia.

2003 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas buys Ösel Food Ltd and starts to produce juice, juice drinks and ice tea.

2004 ‒ Tartu Õlletehas Ltd. changes its name into A. Le Coq Tartu Õlletehas Ltd.

2004 ‒ A. Le Coq is the first beverage producer in Estonia to exceed the production margin of 100 million litres.

2005 ‒ A. Le Coq is the first introduce foil covered cans in Estonia.

2005 ‒ A. Le Coq becomes the first company in Estonia to produce near water.

2006 ‒ A. Le Coq launches Gin Long Drink in an embossed can.

2006 ‒ A. Le Coq invests into the multipack bottling line of cans.

2006 ‒ A. Le Coq becomes the biggest beverage producer in Estonia whose main product groups are beer, juice, water and soft drinks.

2007 ‒ A. Le Coq Tartu Õlletehas Ltd changes its official name to A. Le Coq Ltd.

2007 ‒ A. Le Coq starts to manufacture energy drinks.

2007 ‒ The construction of a new logistics centre is completed in Tartu.

2007 ‒ A. Le Coq celebrates the 200th anniversary of its trademark and launches A. Le Coq Special to mark the occasion.

2007 ‒ A new bottling line of plastic bottles is completed.

2008 – A. Le Coq starts to produce syrup.

2009 ‒ A. Le Coq relaunches the long-forgotten production of kvass and starts to produce naturally fermented A. Le Coq Kvass.

2010 – A. Le Coq launches the first corn beer in Estonia.

2010 – A. Le Coq starts to produce Royal Crown Cola (RC Cola).

2011 – A. Le Coq launches project Beer Star in order to improve beer drinking culture.

2012 – A. Le Coq becomes the first Estonian company to produce organic beer.

2013 – A. Le Coq relaunches A. Le Coq Imperial that was the official beer of the Russian emperor´s court a hundred years ago.

2013 ‒ Beer Star and the Estonian Sommelier Association organize the Best Estonian Beer Sommelier competition. The first Best Beer Sommelier title is given to Kristjan Markii.

2013 – A. Le Coq starts to sell Warsteiner beer in Estonia.

2020 – Entry to the single-portion market with Aura mini-juices, tasty Smoothies and Limpa juice boxes. Development of alcohol-free products in all categories: alcohol-free beer, alcohol-free cider and alcohol-free long drink.