The Żywiec brewery, founded in 1856 by Albrecht Frederick Habsburg, quickly became one of the largest breweries in Galicia. In 1881, production of top-fermented beer, including Porter, began, and in 1895 the brewery became the property of Karol Stefan Habsburg, who expanded the plant. After World War II, the brewery passed into state hands, and in 1990 it was transformed into a State Treasury company. In 1994, the main shareholder was Heineken, which manages the brewery to this day.