Slovenian Town Known For Growing Hops Is Building Its Own Beer Fountain

Zalec, a small town in central Slovenia known for growing hops, has plans to build a functional beer fountain that officials hope will increase tourism to the region.

The fountain will cost Zalec an estimated €350,000 (approximately $397,000 USD) to build, with half the funds coming from the local council, and the rest from public donations and commercial partners.
"It's true the fountain won't be cheap," Zalec's mayor, Janko Kos, told the Slovenian news website Dnevnik. "But it's a development project, a tourism project."

Upon completion, the fountain will serve a variety of local Slovenian beers in commemorative mugs for six euros (approximately $7 USD).

Although some of Zalec's voting council objected to the fountain, suggesting that the funds could be put to better use, two thirds of the council voted in favor of its construction. The fountain is meant to highlight Zalec's main industry, hop plantations, which is reflected on the town's official crest, a green and yellow outline of a hop plant.