Paun Pivo: The Peacock Lager Born from a Stockholm Family Dream
Zdravo! Welcome, fellow beer adventurers, to a page celebrating one of Montenegro’s most beautifully named and beautifully crafted breweries. Paun Pivo — “Peacock Beer” in Montenegrin — was conceived not in a brewery or a bar, but around a family table in Stockholm, Sweden on a summer’s day in 2016. A Montenegrin family gathered, looked at the beer landscape back home, saw an underserved gap, and decided to fill it. The result is one of the most refined craft lagers in the entire Balkans.
As your guide through the liquid treasures of the Balkans, I have a particular soft spot for Paun Pivo. The peacock as a symbol — beautiful, proud, impossible to ignore — perfectly captures what the Paunović family set out to achieve: a Montenegrin lager with the elegance and quality to stand alongside the best of Central European brewing tradition. Their brewmaster trained at Dogma Brewery in Belgrade, one of the region’s most respected craft operations, before returning home. It shows in every glass.
Whether you’ve savoured their crystal-clear Paun Lager by the Zeta River, discovered the Red Lager at a Podgorica restaurant, or are simply keen to understand why this family brewery from Lužnica is one of the most talked-about names in Montenegrin craft beer, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s meet the peacock!
From Stockholm to the Zeta River: The Story of Paun Pivo
The founding of Paun Pivo is one of those stories that could only happen in a family. On July 17, 2016, the Paunović family gathered in Stockholm, Sweden — where part of the family had settled — and began discussing business opportunities back in Montenegro. They looked at the beer market at home and identified a clear gap: quality craft lager. Everyone was drinking Nikšićko or other industrial options. Nobody was making a premium, craft-produced lager with the refinement that Montenegrin drinkers deserved.
The family decided to act. Koča Paunović was designated as head brewer and sent to learn the craft at its source: Dogma Brewery in Belgrade, Serbia — one of the pioneering and most respected craft breweries in the Balkans, known for its technically precise brewing and exceptional lager tradition. Koča trained, absorbed everything Dogma had to teach, and returned to Montenegro ready to build.
The brewery was built in Lužnica, a rural area west of Podgorica near a bend in the Zeta River. In a converted former building set in farmland beside the river, the Paunović family — father, son, and cousin on-site, with an uncle in Sweden providing initial financing — constructed their dream. The Peacock (Paun) brand was chosen for its visual boldness and the symbolic qualities of the bird: beauty, pride, and the kind of confidence that demands to be noticed.
Paun Pivo produces approximately 16,000 litres per month — a comparatively high volume for a Montenegrin craft brewery — and uses only noble European hops: Stirian Golding (from Slovenia) and Saaz (the legendary Czech hop), both associated with the finest Central European lager traditions. Together with Montenegro Brewing Co and Fabrika, Paun co-founded the “Kraft Revolution” brewing school, reinforcing their role not just as a producer but as a leader in building Montenegro’s craft beer culture.
The Taste: Montenegro’s Most Refined Craft Lagers
Paun Pivo has taken a focused, quality-over-quantity approach, specialising in two core craft lagers that represent different expressions of the Paunović family’s brewing philosophy:
Paun Lager — 5.0% ABV, 28 IBU
The Beer: Paun Lager is a golden, crystal-clear craft lager brewed with Saaz hops — the classic noble hop of Czech brewing legend, responsible for the delicate, spiced bitterness of the world’s finest pilsners. At 5.0% ABV with 28 IBU, this is a balanced, refined lager with floral and herbal hop notes, a biscuit malt character from quality base malt, and an exceptionally clean, dry finish.
Character: Paun Lager showcases what separates craft from industrial: the same golden colour and refreshing drinkability you expect from a great lager, elevated by the aromatics and complexity that only noble hops and careful brewing can provide. It is, quite simply, a very fine glass of beer — elegant without pretension, complex without effort.
Paun Red Lager — 4.7% ABV, 32 IBU
The Beer: A genuinely rare style — a craft red lager built from four malt varieties: pilsner malt (the clean base), Vienna malt (toasty richness), caramel malt (sweetness and colour), and black wheat malt (depth and reddish-amber hue). At 4.7% ABV with 32 IBU, it achieves a beautiful balance between malt complexity and hop presence.
Character: The four-malt recipe gives Paun Red Lager a layered complexity unusual for a lager of its strength. Expect caramel and toffee from the Vienna and caramel malts, a toasted bread character from the base, subtle earthy depth from the black wheat, and a clean lager finish that leaves you reaching for another. The Stirian Golding hops add an earthy, floral bitterness that complements the malt rather than competing with it.
More Than Just a Drink: A Family’s Contribution to Montenegrin Craft Beer
Paun Pivo represents everything that makes the Montenegrin craft beer story worth telling:
- Diaspora Investment in Montenegro: The family’s decision to move resources from Sweden back into Montenegrin craft production tells a story about belief in Montenegro’s future and the power of diaspora investment in small Balkan economies.
- Professional Training: Koča Paunović’s apprenticeship at Dogma Brewery in Belgrade connects Paun Pivo to the broader Balkan craft beer network and ensures brewing knowledge is passed between generations and geographies.
- Noble Hop Heritage: Using Saaz and Stirian Golding — the most revered lager hops in the world — is a deliberate choice to position Montenegrin craft lager within the finest European brewing traditions rather than following American craft beer trends.
- High-Volume Craft: Producing 16,000 litres per month at craft quality proves that “craft” and “scale” are not mutually exclusive — and helps make Paun Pivo available to more Montenegrins than most craft breweries can reach.
- Brewing Education: Co-founding the Kraft Revolution brewing school with Fabrika and Montenegro Brewing Co demonstrates Paun’s commitment to the entire ecosystem, not just their own commercial success.
Perfect Pairings: Paun Pivo with Montenegrin and Adriatic Cuisine
The refined lager character of Paun’s two beers makes them extraordinarily versatile food companions:
- Paun Lager + Adriatic Grilled Fish: The clean, Saaz-hopped character is a textbook companion for simply grilled sea bream, bass, or dentex with olive oil, garlic, and herbs — classic Montenegrin coastal cooking at its finest.
- Paun Lager + Njeguški Pršut: A crystal-clear craft lager alongside sliced smoked ham from Njeguši is one of Montenegro’s great simple pleasures. The Saaz hop bitterness cuts through the salt and fat beautifully.
- Paun Red Lager + Slow-Roasted Lamb: The four-malt complexity and moderate bitterness of the Red Lager stands up to the rich, fatty depth of slow-roasted lamb — one of Montenegro’s great festive dishes.
- Paun Red Lager + Grilled Meats: The caramel malt sweetness of the Red Lager bridges the gap between malt complexity and the char of the grill. Excellent with ćevapi, pljeskavica, or mixed Balkan grill platters.
- Either Beer + Montenegrin Cheese Board: Both lagers work beautifully with a board of local cheese, walnuts, dried fruit, and crusty bread — a gentle, relaxed pairing perfect for the long, slow evenings Montenegro does so well.
Finding Paun Pivo
Paun Pivo has achieved strong distribution throughout Montenegro, particularly in Podgorica and the surrounding region. Their high-volume production (16,000 litres per month) means their beers are among the more consistently available craft options in the country.
You’ll find Paun Lager and Paun Red Lager on tap and in bottles at craft-focused bars, quality restaurants, and specialist beer venues throughout Montenegro. Their presence at craft beer events and festivals also makes them a reliable fixture of the Montenegrin beer calendar.
For the full Paun Pivo experience, a visit to the brewery in Lužnica near the Zeta River is well worth the short trip from Podgorica — a chance to see the riverside farmland setting and understand how this family brewery translates love for a place into love for beer.
Živjeli uz Paun Pivo! Here’s to the family table in Stockholm, the Zeta River farmland, the noble Saaz hops, and the beautiful peacock that spread its wings across Montenegro’s craft beer scene!