Prime minister visits graduates’ brewery in Kosovo

Saunders College of Business graduates Etida Zeka ’09, ’10 and Alex Butler ’11 show the prime minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci around their brewery.

The prime minister of Kosovo visited a brewery in Pristina owned by two RIT graduates.

Alex Butler ’11 (MBA) and Etida Zeka ’09, ’10 (applied arts and sciences, MBA) opened Sabaja Craft Brewery June 2013. They bottle American-style craft beer by hand and sell it to bars in Pristina.

Butler and Zeka said Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi visited the brewery on March 27 as part of a number of visits to local manufacturing businesses as he begins his campaign for re-election.

The visit generated a lot of media coverage, which resulted in a spike in business, Butler said. “Bars and restaurants have been calling to request the beer. We are using the opportunity to do some aggressive sales and finally expand into neighboring cities. It is a very exciting time for the brewery.”

Along with the brewery, the couple launched a restaurant, Sabaja Dr’s Beer House, in October. The restaurant serves American style food, including hamburgers.

To read more about Butler, Zeka and the brewery, go to the "Graduates Pour hearts into Kosovo Brewery" article.


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