Razveseliti! (That’s “cheers” in Slovenian.)
A small town in Slovenia — which is the northernmost flank of the former Yugoslavia — has approved plans for what it says will be the continent’s first beer fountain.
The proposed fountain will cost just under $400,000; the city council will cough up half of the financing, while donations and sponsors will make up the rest, according to the Daily Meal.
Zalec — with a population 5,000 strong — is surrounded by fields of the essential beer-making ingredient hops, and city officials are banking on that fact that a novel circular contraption spouting local brews like water will boost tourism.
When complete, visitors will be able to shell out about $7 for three small glasses of beer in commemorative mugs.
Though some question its cost and potential earnings, most hope it will draw tourists to the otherwise under-the-radar town. The proposal, which first surfaced in 2013, was approved by two-thirds of the city council this week.
Though no design has been finalized, a few renderings have surfaced for the fountain, showing robotic figures standing beside a lineup of taps.
Mayor Janko Kos told local media that he realizes the project won’t be cheap, but that it will finally put his town on the map.
What better place to promote throwing back a pint than a town whose crest bears the fruit and leaf of a hop plant?