Fábricas Nacionales de Cerveza (FNC)

Uruguayan brewing goes back to 1866, when the German Conrado Niding founded Cervecería Popular in Montevideo. Its successors merged with Cervecería Oriental in May 1933 to form FNC. The Bemberg family of Quilmes bought it in the 1950s, and Ambev took it over in 2000. FNC makes Pilsen, Patricia, first brewed in 1936 with Salus mineral water, Norteña of 1947 and Zillertal of 1997, and held about 75% of the market in 2024. Cheap cans imported from Argentina and Brazil have cut into national brands: FNC closed its brewery at Minas in August 2026 for the second time in two years and plans to concentrate brewing in Montevideo.